“Airplane Mode” is flying past the stereotypes associated with short-form storytelling.

Directed and produced by alumnus Christine Zivic, the 60-second spot was recently chosen as a finalist in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films program. The story follows two college girls who exchange text messages planning a date at the movies over the course of a busy day. Once at the theater, they decide to put their phones away and enjoy the movie. Katie Pryor, the program manager for the competition, said the spot was made in alignment with this year’s theme of recognizing movie theaters as the ultimate opportunity for a break.

“It taps into this idea that we’re all so connected to our phones,” Pryor said. “To really get that ultimate break, that moment of positive upliftment and refreshment, is really putting our phones on airplane mode, turning them off and having that personal connection with another human in a theater.”

Because of its short length, Zivic said telling a clear and potent story arc in “Airplane Mode” posed a welcoming challenge. Zivic, alongside director of photography and fellow alumnus Gabriela Spampinato, brainstormed many ideas for the spot, most of which she said were script-heavy. However, since commercials primarily rely on visual storytelling, Zivic said they chose the current storyline, as it has no dialogue. Spampinato, who also conceptualized the plot of “Airplane Mode,” said she played with cinematography and camera work to communicate its themes of taking a break.

[Related: Alumnus’ film ‘Just Right’ sheds light on OCD with personal, comedic approach]

To convey the characters constantly texting each other in the first half of “Airplane Mode,” Zivic said the commercial was shot on a wide-angle camera lens that only focused on their faces and expressions. Spampinato said she didn’t want to change the viewers’ perspective because she wanted to demonstrate the constricted feeling of a technology-dominated world.

When the girls are by a concession stand, Spampinato said she exchanged the wide-angle camera lens for a zolly shot, which creates a zooming-in effect to capture the audience’s attention. She said the change in camera angles was supposed to liberate the characters and, by extension, the viewers from their devices. After the characters sit down to watch the movie, Zivic said the camera slowly moves up on the seats and backs out to show a wide shot of the entire theater. The spot ends on this note to emphasize the expansiveness of the theater, she said.

“The idea is we’re actually connecting to the world,” Zivic said. “We’re connecting to the people around us. They’re not all holding their hands, chatting with each other. But there’s this sense that the space is inhabited by all these people versus when you are on your phone. … We achieve that with a change in lens.”

In terms of visual aesthetics, Zivic said she wanted to highlight how films are one of the most accessible art forms. Regardless of their background, everyone inside the theater is watching the same movie, she said. Although tickets are becoming more expensive, Zivic said going to the movies is a timeless way for anyone to convene and connect. This grandiose and inclusive environment, she said, is captured through the sweeping shots of the interior, bright lighting and welcoming workers at the concession stand.

Conversely, Zivic said the two protagonists came from more populist backgrounds. One character works as a waitress and the other one is a university student, exemplifying how they are members of the working class, she said. Not only did making the characters come from these backgrounds fit Coca-Cola’s “Americana” aesthetic, Zivic said it further illuminates the all-embracing atmosphere of a movie theater.

“That is the place where no matter where you come from – no matter what class, societal place you come from – you all sit down in a theater, and you’re all on the same level,” Zivic said. “It is one of the most accessible things.”

[Related: Coming-of-age film ‘Mutt’ highlights human connection in chaos of young adulthood]

After watching “Airplane Mode,” Zivic said she encourages viewers to let go of previous misconceptions about commercial filmmaking, such as it seeming less elite. Contrary to what many people believe, the process of making commercials requires just as much work as a feature–length film, she said. To illustrate the amount of work put into spots and other short-form storytelling, Pryor said Zivic and Spampinato made a behind-the-scenes mini-documentary of “Airplane Mode.”

At the very least, Zivic said she hopes more people will want to turn off their phones and go to the movies. Spampinato also said she wants audiences who watch “Airplane Mode” to remember movie theaters as a place that is accessible to everyone and perhaps alleviate the idea that they are only for the elite. Ultimately, Zivic said films are meant to be watched on the big screen.

“We’re watching Oscar-nominated films on our laptops at home,” Zivic said. “It’s not the same. It’s so important to go to the movies and appreciate these things in the magical way they were meant to be appreciated.”