“Contrast” by Alyssa Trawkina
This project revolves around the concept of female duality, encompassing soft and strong, light and dark.
We follow an enchanting young pole artist through three sequences that explore a complex and at times contradictory beauty of womanhood with the assistance of movement and cinematic tools.
Interview with Director, Alyssa Trawkina
1) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?
I always wanted to take a pole out into the wild. I had recurring dreams of a pole artist in and around vast bodies of water or set against expansive landscapes. It all began with a visual — years before this project ever fell into my hands. The Zhilyova team granted me an immense amount of creative freedom, and I loved the idea of working with athletes or dancers whose practice is rooted in the body. I wanted to create a campaign that focused on the art of movement, with product shots embedded within a visual narrative. I wanted the lingerie in motion, rather than a classic “model wears product” piece.
The protagonist was meant to embody strength and mastery of her craft. Mirroring the outlines of Zhilyova’s lingerie, I wanted to fill the film with sensual imagery that simultaneously conveyed tension and delicacy. Since the pieces are worn by women, I decided to make the campaign about women. I wanted to portray beauty, strength, darkness, and softness — all of it. This is where the theme of contrast emerged.
My DoP, Chance Falkner, and I aligned our cinematic and editing choices around the principle of contrast. We cut on action between silhouettes and daytime scenes and employed stylistic devices — such as shooting through a two-way mirror to create a glowing-eye effect, inspired by Blade Runner—to introduce the film’s thematic ambiguity around female identity from the very first shot.
2) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?
Shooting it was the easy part. On set, everything flowed like melted butter — the crew, the talent, the brand. Everyone was locked in, completely aligned. It was hands down my favorite set experience ever.
Postproduction, however, was a different story. Just after I finished the final cut, my apartment was broken into. The thieves stole my computer and hard drives, forcing me to start from scratch and do it all over again. On top of that, the film managed to outrage them so deeply that they felt compelled to email me and voice their fierce disapproval of the campaign. But that made it all the more satisfying when we finally released this gem.”
CREDITS
Starring
Devon Cherry
Featuring
Zhilyova
Director, Editor, Sound// Alyssa Trawkina
Director of Photography// Chance Falkner
Radiance Pictures// Production Company
Choreographer// Devon Cherry
Stylist// Mari Siviakova
Stylist Assistant// Zi Islamivna
AC// Eduardo Sánchez Flores
Gaffer// Chance Falkner & Jacob Alvarado
Colorist// Ryan Berger
PA’s & BTS// Luz Reyes & Jackie Logsted
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