For the Seattle International Children’s Film Festival, we created a trailer that was simple, playful, and downright brilliant—kids reciting iconic movie lines straight to the camera. The result? A packed festival, a Seattle Advertising Show win, and… Pepsi totally stealing the idea for an Academy Awards commercial. (Flattered? Kinda.)

So where did this concept come from? We were in our favorite dive bar/NY pizza joint, doing what we do best—people-watching and imagining their “movie lines.” Then it hit us: What if kids did this? It is a film festival!

To pull it off, we used a specialized mirror-and-glass camera rig called an Eye-Direct, allowing the kids lock eyes with the director (Branson) while actually looking directly into the lens. The result? Pure magic. (Also, pro tip: this trick works wonders for interviews. Oops—our secret’s out.)

Our favorite moment? The Shining Twins. Creepy. Adorable. Perfect.

Seattle International Children’s Film Festival.