director’s treatment by
F A B I O R E I T A N O
P R O
L O G
U E
“The best journey takes you home.”
Ciao team,
let’s start by saying that I feel we’re on the same page about the campaign’s concept.
Working as a film director in the travel industry, I’ve had the chance to film amazing places all around the world. And yet, to make the best portrait of each one of them, I’ve always felt the need to capture the human side of those places, to reveal connections between people more than just their proximity.
My idea of community is shaped by looking the meaning of closeness beyond the simple being-there towards a deeper being-there-for-each-other. It takes me thinking about intimacy, attention, comfort, and warmth.
It takes me home.
The clip above is a mix of personal shooting and stolen suggestions I collected to picture that.
V I S
I O N
“I was conscious that it was connected with the taste of tea and cake, but that it infinitely transcended those savors, could not, indeed, be of the same nature as theirs.”
Marcel Proust
HERACLITUS
Warmth is the key concept that comprehends all the Mudon’s communication pillars (belonging, security, joy, and peace of mind). To convey this concept we should learn from Proust and its “petite madeleine” passage: we should follow the flow that goes from the perception of external reality to the inner emotion we elaborate on. And we have to do it from three different perspectives of the main characters of our three films as if they were their stream of consciousness.
Due to the complexity of this scenario, our challenge is to carefully blend visual mood, sound design, tone of voice, and directing techniques. Furthermore, we should keep common traits in every film, to create a link between the three episodes and to preserve the brand identity.
In every film I’ll keep the same:
visual mood, that I imagine as warm and embracing as the light of a spring afternoon, with a combination of bright colors of the landscape and soft hues of the anthropogenic elements
sound design and music, with realistic soundscapes and a “smiley” musical track
What I’m going to change is:
tone and personality of each voice-over to bring the main characters to life
camera movements, editing and directorial treatment overall to outline the different points of view
Community keepers will guide us in the progressive unveiling of the beauties of Mudon Al Ranim through unexpected perspectives, to tell the connections within the community from the inside.
A E S
T H E
T I C S
Can you remember the old family holiday tapes? They were a collection of precious moments stolen from spontaneous contexts, with a simple and intimate mood, mostly intended to be watched by a small circle of people.
Now imagine those situations filmed with a cinematic quality: soft, warm and natural lights; images with a refined texture to add premiumness, lens flare to accentuate organicity - and of course forget the shaky camera movements.
I intend to build an authentic and sincere mood, aspirational but not dreamy, welcoming but not pimp, elegant but not glossy.
T E C
H N I
Q U E
Connection is the word. The scenes will be fluid and with barely perceptible transitions, simulating long sequence shots. The camera is one with the situation and it moves across the scenes without apparent cuts. I do not intend to stress the subjective point of view of the images so as not to immediately reveal the identity of each protagonist, but I will use technical tricks to give curious clues and maintain a pleasant premium aesthetic:
in the case of Tom & Janine, I will use frequent push-ins on details, people and situations to emphasize the dog's sociable and enthusiastic aspect
in the case of Early Birdie, I will adopt fluid pull-outs in mid-air, caressing people, objects and situations as a bird in flight at eye level would do
in the case of the Granpa Trees, I will focus on the actions including the trees in the middle of them
Where possible I will alternate shooting with slow-motion scenes to build a rhythm that keeps pace with the emotional peaks of the three films.
M U S
I C &
S O U
N D
I will use sound design to give substance and depth to each scene.
In addition to the gentle noises of neighborhood life, I intend to emphasize every camera movement with subtle, low-frequency sounds. Even if hidden, cameras should be part of the actions itself in order to project the audience into the point of view and create a more immersive experience.
Music will comment on the voice-over monologue with smiley progressions and an easy-listening approach. Here are two music references.
C A S
T I N G
Mudon Al Ranim is a real community, made of real people.
We should capture them in their everyday life with authentic behaviours to escape the cold-hearted commercials and get closer to a more empathic image of this place.
We won’t see plastic smiles or exagerated courtesy, but people living their life sharing part of their path together. No cerimonies, but real connections.
L O C
A T I
O N S
I imagine settings that tell real stories: neat and clean locations, rich in details, but far from the abstract and cold ideal of perfection. I would call them locations full of life.
With the outdoor scenes, I intend to tell the amenities and the many opportunities offered by the neighborhood: walks in free time, meeting points and recreational spaces dedicated to socializing or sporting activities. In this regard, it would be nice to be able to use the pools or fountains to play underwater shots.
With indoor scenes, I want to represent lived environments, with peculiarities that tell the habits of the families who live there. The art department will have a fundamental role here: they will dress the interiors with props scattered here and there, an open book, a cup of tea left on the table, a dog toy on the sofa. Many small details that will give the idea of a clean and tidy home, but lived-in.
