Turkish Airlines, the global carrier that flies to more countries than any other airline, has launched a new short film produced in partnership with Zach King.
The four-minute film, titled First to the Gate, features the famous digital illusionist and filmmaker in a race through Istanbul Airport as he competes with his co-star, JJ Carroll, for a window seat on their flight.
Along with King, a crew of 90 people worked to create the film, which was produced in just four days.
Directed by the magical King and the imaginative Jadon Gauthier (of WonderBox Ent.) the film is a fast-paced, whimsical ride that features creative effects, visual illusions and a dose of comedy.
The film showcases the state-of-the-art airport facilities, modern architecture, and Turkish Airlines’ Business Lounge offerings, within a captivating, lighthearted story, all photographed with a sleek cinematic tone by director of photography Sean Conte.
Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat stated; “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.”
Digital illusionist Zach King said; “It was an honor and extremely fun collaborating with Turkish Airlines again and this time going even bigger by shooting a short film in the Istanbul Airport. Its beauty helped create a film with a unique production value and a very special look.”
This film is the second collaborative project between Turkish Airlines and King, who previously helped produce a safety video for the carrier. A fan of Istanbul’s unique charm, the meeting point of East and West, amalgamation of historic and cosmopolitan, King has visited the destination nearly a dozen times to film multiple projects. His love for filmmaking began at a young age, but he quickly rose to social media fame after publishing some of his short videos featuring “digital magic” via YouTube in the early 2000s.
