What happens inside our Detroit headquarters? Take a tour of our factory through the lens of co-directors Luke and Andrew Wilson. Catch behind the scenes footage of how the film was created, below.
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Andrew Wilson (pictured above) directing.
This was your first time visiting the factory. What were some of the things you found surprising about our headquarters?
Andrew: I’ve never been in assembly line rooms like that, so it was really cool to see how that moves along. The clean room of the watch factory was really cool — I had not considered the sterile environment needed. You definitely get the feeling people are happy to be there at Shinola. It was very cool to experience in the architectural heart of and resurgence of Detroit.
Luke: For me, just to get the chance to go to such an iconic city with a storied past is a thrill — to see the historic automotive buildings and the building that houses Shinola, which also has a school. The hustle and bustle of students and people learning is always an exciting vibe. You can feel it in the Shinola headquarters with the watch builders, designers, and leather goods masters. To be someplace where things are getting made — from scratch to completion seems like a particularly American endeavor, as is Detroit. And Shinola.
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The Reel FX production team used the Nokia OZO camera to produce this film.
Why do you think it was important to capture Shinola’s factories in VR? What do you think we as the viewers are getting that we wouldn’t get otherwise?
Luke: We thought the VR would be cool for the Shinola factory and store because it’s something different. VR I think, gets associated with action, space or aerial shots of grand vistas, so to show the factory and the people seemed like a different take on it.
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Watchmaker Jalil Kizy inside the Detroit watch factory.
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Ria Andry on the movement line inside the Detroit watch factory.
How did the staff take to the improvised bits, and what gave you the most laughs?
Andrew: The Shinola staff was great about all the improv, everyone was very solicitous and had fun with Luke. Everyone we asked was really helpful and played a big part. That goes back to people being really happy to be there.
Luke: The Shinola team was great. We were respectful of them being on the job and oftentimes doing intricate and complicated work. We started with the fall across the boxes, so I think that they could tell I was nothing if not committed. Regular people are sometimes the best actors. And some of the guys and girls really made me laugh. Deadpan deliveries with great comic timing, while making world-class time pieces…Not bad!
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Luke Wilson inside the Shinola Leather Studio — draped in uncut leather hides.
What parts of Detroit did you explore when you weren’t shooting?
Luke: I took some good walks in Detroit and looked at the different neighborhoods and buildings. In ways, it gave me the sense of certain areas of Old Hollywood – you can sense the history and feel that something great has happened there.
Take the 360 Tour Here