BUDNITZ 'LE GRAND TOUR'

A recalcitrant bicycle thief falls in love with bicycles he's stolen. Filmmaker Russ Lamoureux, takes us on an impromptu grand tour with Budnitz Bicycles in a short film inspired by the directors of the French New Wave.

Budnitz, the bespoke bicycle company from acclaimed designer and entrepreneur Paul Budnitz, approached Partizan Darkroom, Los Angeles, to develop a series of original content that would be both entertaining and able to directly resonate with their discerning audience and potential customers.

Emmy-winning director Russ Lamoureux took to writing the script - a François Truffaut-inspired short film set in Brooklyn - about a bicycle thief who falls in love with his stolen bike.

"We shot on 16mm film to set our film apart from the video vibe people are used to seeing," says Lamoureux.

"The texture of film is just so wonderful and reminiscent of the look and feel of some of the 60's and early-70's cinema that inspired Le Grand Tour."The camera is bulky and right away created interesting limitations, which forced us to plan out exactly how we wanted to tell this story."

Featuring professional BMX rider Bo Wade in the lead role, Russ directed the three minute short and shot on 16mm colour negative film, bringing out the heritage of the story and simultaneously aiming to reflect the spirit of Budnitz.

Partizan Darkroom then developed a strategy for the film's release online, targeting the brand's potential audience. And the result? Partizan say it led to Budnitz’s best month of sales ever.

Due to its success, development for the rest of the series is well underway. The company has three more short films slated for production through 2013.

Video: Budnitz "Le Grand Tour" by Partizan, Los Angeles.

"With a half-year waiting list for many of our bicycles, we don't really have to advertise," says founder Paul Budnitz. "Funding excellent short films featuring bicycles matches the mission of our company, which is to make beautiful things that enrich the world."

Earlier this year, Budnitz also visited Colorado’s Loveland Pass to discover why people rode their bicycles. The film was directed by Jamie Kripke. 

Video: Budnitz "Loveland" directed by Jamie Kripke.