When Generation NBN launched in Australia, it changed internet communication and technology in this massive country. NBN understood that Australians want to balance their feeling of modern connection with the benefits of rural outdoors. Blending these two positive factors was the core of the advertising campaign launched to support Generation NBN. While native Australian actor Eddie Tang most certainly appreciated this new service, he was even more excited about the fun his role offered as the owner of a custom motorcycle shop. Sometimes you get to work and play all at the same time, if you’re Eddie Tang that is. A seasoned professional with a number of film and television roles to his credit, Tang concedes that while every role is not as fun as being around motorcycles and listening to Pearl Jam all day, his professional course has been more fulfilling than he might have ever dreamed. For actors who must live by the ethos “be present”, the shoot day for Tang on the NBN spot was filled with great music and cool motorcycles.
Those born after global proliferation of the internet cannot truly understand how it has evolved life to the state in which we now exist. The strides being made to bring this connectivity and its improvements to all people is the core of Generation NBN. In this commercial, Eddie Tang is representative of the niche business owner who has found a global patronage thanks to the web. Shown in his custom motorcycle workshop as streaks of light from fluorescent tubes illuminate the way, the camera settles on a cool yet personable Eddie working on a bike. As we peer at him through the wheels of one of these bikes, intercut macro shots of CAD designs on the computer screen of the shop display the customization options for these motorcycles. Later, Tang is seen pushing a custom bike into a truck for delivery as he explains that going global is essential to his success.
Director JH Beetge and Cinematographer Germain McMicking (Primetime Emmy Nominee for Outstanding Cinematography on HBO’s True Detective) bring a truly cinematic aesthetic to this commercial. It might just as easily be a trailer for a hugely budgeted feature film. The counterbalance to the sweeping vistas and VFX for this spot is the earthy believability of Eddie Tang. Cool enough to keep his long locks yet affable enough to be that guy you could grab dinner and a beer with, Tang personifies the unassuming ease inherent in so many great actors; you want to spend time with them even if you’re not sure why. Working with Director JH Beetge and the entire crew was an experience he recalls fondly, noting that every job offers a chance to improve as an actor. The only drawback of this experience? Tang concedes, “Both JH and I love Pearl Jam. They’re my favorite band. We were both excited to have me wear a Pearl Jam tee shirt for the shoot but it couldn’t be cleared. My fandom is yet to be properly expressed in my work. Ha.”