Simon McQuoid of GO Film Returns to the Scene of the Crimes for HBO

HOLLYWOOD, CA, October 26, 2007 – Parting is such sweet sorrow…especially when you’re saying goodbye to some of the most celebrated characters in Television history. In this new spot for HBO from director Simon McQuoid of bicoastal GO Film, fans of The Sopranos are literally moved to tears as certain images evoke memorable moments from the series. Cheer up, people, "The Sopranos Lives On"…on DVD.

"My goal with this spot was to protect and bring to life the really smart, clear idea presented by the agency," says McQuoid, who was determined to give the concept "a sense of emotion and a scale befitting the inherent humor of the piece."

In realizing this tale of woe over the conclusion of the series, McQuoid sought out only those actors who could literally cry on demand. "Our cast really had to tap into their emotions…the truer their performance, the better the idea and joke would play."

Shot on location in Los Angeles, "The Sopranos Lives On" captures the look and tone of the series, which was set primarily in New Jersey and Manhattan. "Rather then overly stylize the shoot, we looked for a graphic sense in real settings, something I try to do whenever possible," says the director. Some of the visual references – ducks in a swimming pool, a train in a hobby shop – are recognizable primarily to fans of the show. Other images, such as one suggesting a body being dumped into the back of a garbage truck (look closely and you’ll realize it’s just a roll of carpet), are more accessible. To underscore the disparity between vision and voyeur, McQuoid has a woman wearing a pristine white coat in the dirty alleyway where the garbage truck is parked.

To McQuoid, like the series itself, the spot comes down to contradictions. "Hopefully, people who treasure The Sopranos will appreciate the juxtaposition of intelligent observation and the absurd act of crying over something they remember fondly from TV."

Client: HBO Video
Title: "The Sopranos Lives On"
First Airdate: October 22, 2007

Agency: Venables, Bell & Partners/San Francisco
Creative Director: Erich Pfeifer
Art Director: Keith Scott
Producer: Zeynep Taslica

Production Company: bicoastal GO Film/NY
Director: Simon McQuoid
Director of Photography: Jo Willems
Executive Producers: Gary Rose, Jonathan Weinstein, Robert Wherry
Producer: Adam Gross

Edit Company: Filmcore/San Francisco
Editor: Doug Walker
Executive Producer: Jon Ettinger

Shoot Location: Los Angeles, CA