60 Seconds in Brooklyn with Ki Yi

“There is only one reason to visit all of New York’s boroughs and that is food” ~ Ki Yi   

We partnered with the award winning Marriott Content Studio to create a docuseries celebrating the power of travel.   

Being steeped in character based storytelling, AlterEgo has directed countless protagonists paired with world class brands and this most recent collaboration afforded us the opportunity to engage a new audience looking for depth and connection where they seek content most, YouTube.   

We gravitate towards real people who don’t always see themselves represented in art & culture and we do this because we believe in the power of storytelling to change perception. This project fully aligned with these values and we were proud to leverage our unique position to find a different kind of brand ambassador. Filming in a handful of Marriott’s top markets over the course of three months, we tapped into that feeling you get when you’re searching for, “home.”

Travel broadens the mind and bridges the distance between us all. Ki is a self-trained foodie and menu connoisseur who believes sharing a meal is the best way to bring people together while digging into our own roots. 

Director's notes:
Ki has a very unique way of approaching food that blends accessibility with a healthy dash of experience and tops it off with a true, child-like affinity for food. I want that connection to be felt so I recommend we blend narration with on camera sync sound that acknowledges the crew …No Reservations-style.

Cinematographer's notes:
For this multi-part series, I proposed that each story be filmed differently from one-another, each in a way that uniquely reflects the talent's mindset as well as the location in which they are set. Ki is taking us on a brilliantly delicious food tour of his favorite hidden gems in Brooklyn, NY. Shooting mostly handheld and physically close with wide angle lenses, the viewer can feel like they're right there with him, following alongside Ki as we enter various restaurants, and even get a behind the scenes in the kitchen to see the magic happen. Working with Heather, we decided on a classically complementary color palette of orange and blue/teal. The deep, rich hues of the mahogany wood restaurant environments will pair nicely with Ki’s wardrobe, the stainless steel kitchens, and the natural light and blue skies.