Turkish Airlines has debuted ‘First to the Gate’, a short-film produced in partnership with famed filmmaker and illusionist, Zach King. In the film, King and his co-star JJ Carroll race through Istanbul Airport to determine who will get the window seat.
On Monday (February 7, 2022), Turkish Airlines premiered a new short-film, created in partnership with famed filmmaker and illusionist, Zach King. The four minute film is titled ‘First to the Gate’ features a race between Zach King and his co-star JJ Carroll as they race through Istanbul Airport to determine who will get the window seat on their flight. Along with King, the film was created by a crew of 90 in just over four days. Directed by both Jadon Gauthier of WonderBox Entertainment and Zach King, the exciting fast-paced adventure takes viewers on a journey through Istanbul’s state-of-the-art airport facilities. With dynamic camera movement, visual illusions and a dose of comedy, the film capture’s the audience’s imagination, while showcasing the airport’s modern architecture and Turkish Airlines’ Business Lounge offerings, all filmed with a sleek cinematic tone by director of photography, Sean Conte.
In Monday’s announcement, Turkish Airlines’ Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat, said,
“As an innovation airline, we’re passionate about providing a platform to showcase and support the work of forward-thinking creators like Zach King. This partnership is a nod to our spirit of collaboration, and an exciting asset that captures the grandeur of our beautiful hub, Istanbul Airport and the essence of the Turkish Airlines brand, in a creative and entertaining way.”
Also commenting on the film collaboration, Digital Illusionist, Zack King, added
“Turkish Airlines Business Lounge is excellent and I’ve never had such good food in an airport lounge before. I’m glad we had to show it off in the film because I think it really actually helps the production value of the short we are filming.”
Turkish Airlines' New Film Short 'First to the Gate' Starring Famed Filmmaker and Illusionist, Zach King and Co-Star JJ Carroll - Courtesy Turkish Airlines
The new short-film is the second collaboration between Zach King and Turkish Airlines, as he previously collaborated on a safety video. As a fan of Istanbul, where East Meets West, and the city's unique historic and cosmopolitan charm, King has visited the city nearly a dozen times to film multiple projects. His love for making films started at an early age, but he quickly rose to social media fame after filming some short videos featuring ‘digital magic’ via YouTube in the early 2000s.
Source: Turkish Airlines