Irish actor Paul Mescal stars in Lockdown, a 90-second filmed contemporary dance performance to an imaginary audience of mannequins inspired by the events of 2020 to mark the launch of new initiative for performance artists.
Samsung Spotlight champions emerging performers in the arts industry that have been adversely affected by the restrictions of the pandemic by encouraging arts students and creators from the UK and Ireland to film and submit audition-style performances to Instagram using #SamsungSpotlight for a chance to feature in a new ad for the brand.
Lockdown takes place in an abandoned warehouse in which Mescal searches for a new stage following the closure of theatre-stages and venues and was choreographed over an intensive 3-day period in London with movement director and former Strictly Come Dancing choreographer Richard Marcel.
Mescal said, “this project took me totally out of my comfort zone as I am not a dancer. Movement is something I loved doing at drama school and something that I’ve missed doing since entering the industry.
“There are thousands of performers in the arts industry that have been affected by the closures of theatres, venues and stages who have and are going through an incredibly challenging time.
"I’m really proud to launch Samsung Spotlight which aims to help performers by giving them a platform to showcase their talents. I can’t wait to see what type of performances people come up with and I’m looking forward to judging the entries.”
Tom Morey, Director of Corporate Marketing at Samsung UK, said, “following the events of this year and impact on the arts industry, Samsung wanted to provide a spotlight for arts students and creators across the UK and Ireland who have had their stage taken away from them.
"Samsung Spotlight has been created to give performers the opportunity to share their talents and get the chance to have their work shared with the world.”
Performances can include any type of artistic style, such as dance, physical theatre, mime, self-expression, poetry or acting but must be a completely original piece of work.' Mescal will be judging the competition and will pick the top three winning films to be reshot in 8K with a full production crew using Samsung Galaxy S20 devices.
More information is available on the Samsung web site.