If you have been following this website for a little while you’ll know that we are not only car enthusiasts but we are also big fans of film. I feel so strongly about it that my long term goal is to be able to produce really high quality automotive content not just in print but also in film. Just over a decade and a half ago BMW Films produced the wonderful short films The Hire. The aforementioned films featured cinema greats such as Clive Owen, Forest Whitaker, Gary Oldman and more. They even had Madonna guest feature in one of the films.
What made BMW’s films so great is that even though they were primarily meant to market their then automotive line up they ended up doing so much more than that. The films were remarkably well produced and well directed that they inspired Luc Besson’s film series The Transporter with Jason Statham in the leading role. In all honesty, the Transporter film series fell short of the standards set out by The Hire. It is rumoured that BMW poured so much money into the film projects that they were never able to recoup their production budget. But who can blame them for getting carried away. No other car brand inspires enthusiasm the way BMW does. And that’s not just hearsay. They have the social media numbers to prove it. We love them the more for it.
Last year BMW Films treated the fans to yet another short film, The Escape. While not grand in scale, like the original film series, the film had a big budget director and seasoned actors attached to it. The storyline was coherent, the acting good for a short film and in general there was depth attached to the film. It wasn’t just about marketing the current generation 5 Series.
Perhaps Audi’s Four Ring studios should have taken a leaf out of BMW film’s book. The problem with any manufacturer trying to make a series of short films to promote their automotive line up is that BMW Films set the benchmark rather high. It is like trying to make another film series featuring the Caped Crusader that isn’t Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. That’s not just courting disaster but baiting failure and I’m not only talking about the critical kind.
Enter Four Ring Studio’s Audi Q8 launch films. I remember watching the teaser trailer and setting myself up for disappointment. My PG rated mind immediately wondered if the content would be age appropriate for younger and sensitive viewers.
The film series was released in episodic format. With each episode lasting not more than 5 minutes with a total of five episodes. The first episode opens up with the protagonist,who we get to know as Quentin, kidnapped from his apartment after a night out with his date. For reasons unbeknownst to us he is left tied and locked in a shed in the middle of a desert, presumably in America. As the series progresses he manages to escape and find his way back to their apartment. From there he discovers that his love interest, Sandra, has been kidnapped and that he is being framed for the kidnapping. I’ll stop here and try not to give away too much if I haven’t already.
Let’s start with the good. Audi made a film series. This deserves some sort of celebration from us. Its great when car companies go above and beyond the traditional mold of doing things and try out things from a different angle. Also, generally speaking the production values of the mini series were quite high. Akin to any modern day film production. Sadly, that’s all the praise Audi’s Four Ring studios will get from us.
Perhaps Audi’s ambitions weren’t as lofty as I’d thought them to be. If this is the case then perhaps it is unfair, almost cruel to make a comparison between BMW Film’s efforts and Audi’s. When BMW made the films nearly a decade and a half ago they weren’t only producing them to market their products. They were making films for their fans and not just for potential clients. They also made the films for fans of good films alike. As much as I love cars the sad truth is that a lot of us will never be able to own a lot of the premium products our favourite car companies offer. However, we love them because of the engineering and thinking behind them and the culture created around said products.
Here is where I feel Audi dropped the ball. These series of short films were made entirely to entice prospective clients to purchase the new Audi Q8. Here is what their own summary of the films is:
Sandra and Quentin are a real power couple. They live an extravagant and luxurious lifestyle: Successful careers, a design loft, an influential circle of friends and the perfect car to match it all. But suddenly everything changed. Watch five short, gripping mini episodes and follow the two as the tides turn. And take a first look at the most exciting Audi SUV of all times.
Whether the films achieve their objective is yet to be seen. I’m not one of their clients and frankly if I were to spend my own money on any Audi product it will be the current generation RS 3. Also, while I would like to have a few more creature comforts in life I’m not particularly interested in having a design loft or living an extravagant and luxurious lifestyle. I’ll take the friends(influential or not)and an Audi RS 3 please.
The films premise isn’t that great. There isn’t much depth to any of the characters. One might argue that the time limit on each episode isn’t enough to give the characters, well, any real character but countless shorts on the internet and BMW’s short film series beg to differ. A lot of questions are also left unanswered. My biggest complaint about the film is its target audience. Who are they? Was the lady from the third episode really necessary apart from being a plot contrivance.
As you can tell by now I’m not a huge fan of #Q8unleashed. I feel very strongly that it was a missed opportunity. I didn’t get to learn much about the car and its dynamic ability. We have to give credit where its due though. In all honesty I learned one thing: The Audi Q8 supports wireless charging for your iPhone X. That’s it. Nothing about its gearbox or off road ability. It however does feature enough stowage space in the boot for an adult male/female if you are the perennial baddie.
I’m no Roger Ebert and I’m sure any film rating I give #Q8unleashed won’t mean much to anyone save for me. However, I do value your feedback. Please watch the film series and let me know what you think. Also, please watch BMW Film’s original film series The Hire if you are able to . You can find them on YouTube and see how they compare to Audi’s efforts.
