EF Releases Three New "Live the Language" Films Depicting Student Life in L.A., Vancouver and Sydney

ZURICH, September 12, 2011 -

EF International Language Centers have released three new films in its much acclaimed “Live the language” travel promotion film series. Once again it’s Stockholm based Camp David Film and a team led by director Gustav Johansson that are behind the creative work.

In the films, available at www.ef.com/livethelanguage, director Gustav Johansson uses his unique way of storytelling to capture the stories of three different students who travel abroad to study with EF - in Los Angeles, Vancouver and Sydney. The films portray students as they arrive at their schools, make new friends, and begin “living the language”. Everywhere they go they communicate in the local language and pick up new vocabulary, illustrated with gorgeous artifact-style typography by Albin Holmqvist.

The photography by Niklas Johansson beautifully depicts the feelings and emotions from unexpected camera angles, capturing the quirky details that make the stories personal. Shot on location with Canon 5d and 7d dSLR cameras, the footage was treated by visual effects studio Goodmotion to create a “scratched and burnt” retro feel. The resulting visual story is accompanied by the “Live the language” theme song, remixed differently for each destination. The song is also integrated into the story, for example, when the student in Sydney plays it on her guitar at a beach party.

“Everybody loved the first films, so of course we chose to work with Gustav and the other creatives again. These films capture the feeling of studying abroad with EF and living the language every day”, says Mats Ulenius who managed the project at EF.

Lolo Uggla, the producer at Camp David, added: “It was great to work with EF, because they gave us the creative freedom that resulted in these gorgeous films. And of course, a study abroad program makes for great film material.”  

The first four “Live the language” films shot in Paris, London, Barcelona and Beijing were filmed during the summer of 2010 and launched in November 2010. They weren’t backed by any impressive media budget, but became a big hit in the design blogosphere and in social media. One year later, the films have won recognition in several competitions and are still being talked about as groundbreaking commercials. Millions of people have watched the films online and on Twitter alone, they are still tweeted over 4000 times per month.

The three new films from Los Angeles, Vancouver and Sydney were filmed during the summer of 2011 and launched in September 2011. Following the same successful concept, the new films feature enhanced color graphics, enhanced sound effects - and new vocabulary to learn.

Watch the films: www.ef.com/livethelanguage

Credits:

Client: EF International Language Centers www.ef.com/livethelanguage

Production Company: Camp David Film AB www.campdavidfilm.se

Director: Gustav Johansson www.gustavjohansson.com

Director of Photography: Niklas Johansson www.niklasjohansson.com

Typography: Albin Holmqvist www.albinholmqvist.com

Visual Effects: Goodmotion www.goodmotion.se

Producer: Lolo Uggla

EF Project Manager: Mats Ulenius

Read more about the films and their creators on Vimeo: www.vimeo.com/groups/livethelanguage

Recognition

The first round of “Live the language” films were among the finalists at One Show Interactive, and awarded Silver by Ads of the World in February 2011. Director Gustav Johansson was also selected for SHOOT magazine’s New Directors’ Showcase featuring the films.

About EF

EF Education First, the world leader in international education, was established in 1965 with the mission to break down the barriers in language, culture and geography that divide us. EF specializes in language schools, academic degrees, educational travel abroad and cultural exchange. The company’s study abroad division is called EF International Language Centers.

www.ef.com

Mats Ulenius, Mats.ulenius at ef.com, +41-78-706-02-50