the
S L I M B O T T L E
C A M P A I G N
director’s treatment by F A B I O R E I T A N O
P R O L O G U E
Water is an inexhaustible source of insight.
I’ve always been philosophically intrigued by the way water, as liquid matter, merges the two opposite concepts of content and container. The simple act of pouring it, moulds the essential meanings of giving, receiving and adapting. And sometimes the container itself seems to be literally created by the water flowing through it.
However, what fascinates me the most is the way water filters reality.
Colours, shapes, sounds, particles, flares, and blurs are the means water uses to cast its spell and trap us in its fluid illusion. And it’s no coincidence that these are the filmmaker’s tools of trade.
The clip above is the result of years of shooting and personal visual research on water in all its shapes and forms.
V I S I O N
No man ever steps in the same river twice,
for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man
HERACLITUS
Delicate yet powerful, precious yet giving, unique and always different. This is what makes water a gift from the Earth, a real jewel to protect. And just like a jewel reveals different sides of its beauty depending on how light hits its surface, water never presents itself in the same way, and keeps changing in its flow.
There’s an inexplicable mystery in the reflection of light, a mystic halo that I want to preserve untouched as the core idea of this treatment. The stylistic code of the film will be characterized by the reflection of light on natural as well as artificial glass surfaces, evoking transparency, purity and authenticity. Following the constant flow of water, I will unveil the bottle gradually, detail by detail, until its final complete appearance in the packshot.
A E S T H E T I C S
The nature of a jewel is rooted in contradiction: it merits protection for its precious value, but it demands to be shown as the quintessence of beauty.
To highlight this opposition, I will emphasize the contrasts between micro and macro, between the silver blue color of water, golden sandy landscapes and bright green leaves, using crystal clear sounds and deep dull vibrations, oscillating between indoor and outdoor locations.
R Y T H M
The motif of contrasts will be maintained in the scene’s succession as well.
My creative vision is to alternate slow-motion scenes and fast landscape transitions to create the perception of flow, sometimes gentle, sometimes more powerful.
T E C H N I Q U E
I intend to creatively harness the reflection of light. To do so, I will use tools such as prisms, glares, glass and reflecting surfaces, or water itself.
I’ll focus on dazzling patterns of light floating upon the water reflected on the skin;
I’ll arrange a set in a swimming pool - or with a glass water tank - to capture human hands touching water and to shoot the movement of particles.
The aerials will be shot with an FPV drone to emphasize the “flowing” perception.
Last but not least, using a probe lens could open up different, unexplored camera angles in showing the Nova Slim bottle.
T O N E of V O I C E
I imagine the whole film as an ode to the land, in both natural and supernatural meanings. This is a poem we recite to express our deepest gratitude and our will to protect and enhance the gift we’ve received. It has to be intimate but universal, emotional but elegant.
S O U N D S C A P E
A delicate yet fast-paced piano sequence will guide the whole composition. The simple elegance of the theme will be sustained by a background of synth bass and electric strings, coloring the track with a contemporary atmosphere.
The sound design will be powerful, organic and extremely immersive. The voice over (late 30s woman) will naturally lead the narrative with a deep, intimate yet elegant tone.
C A S T
I’ll use human figures with 3 distinct roles.
The first one, less important, is the classic walk-on role in which actors will cross the scene inside the art gallery/museum.
For the second role, I need background actors surrounded by natural Saudi landscapes to interact with rocky surfaces; this is about conveying a connection between the land and the people who live there.
The third role requires far more interpretation and consequently a character selection. We’ll look for a woman in her 30s that can embody the brand’s values of purity and authenticity. She’s a simple and natural beauty who expresses peacefulness and spontaneity. She’ll perform the drinking scene open-eyed to communicate a conscious and caring pleasure. She will leave the bottle on the table as the camera pulls out to gradually show the pack design laying on a transparent surface.
L O C A T I O N S
Outdoor scenes will be the portrait of the wild but generous Saudi land: aerial views of rocky landscapes, super close-up of wet green moss, and slow organic movements on the water surface. The ideal opening for the film will be water springing and flowing on the rocks, carving its path through the landscape.
Indoor locations such as the house, museum, and gallery should be modern, with wide glass surfaces to intensify light plays.
S C E N E S
#1
If the land gives you a jewel…
The first seconds of the film will be flashes of water, reflections and human details warped by the liquid surface. Then we open up with a pull in macro shot following a stream of pure water on the iconic orange Saudi rocks.
#2
…how will you sustain it?
The pace would slow down on a long shot of the most dramatic rocky Saudi landscape, giving us the time to enjoy it fully. A wide shot shows a man clad in blue, long hair, on the top of a scenic cliff. We see him crouching from afar. A flashy close up shows him closing his eyes, sound design describes a big deep breath. His hand is touching the ground.
#3
How will you protect it and protect its value?
A close up track shot follows the hand lifting away from the ground to an upward flowing transition made of water macros, human hands, sparks and jewel reflections, some of them coming from the interaction between light, glass prisms and the Slim bottle. The transition ends with a beautiful underwater shot of pure flowing water, in slow motion. Volumetric light enhances its beauty.
#4
Displaying its most beautiful features.
A gem is floating above an open hand. The hand looks like it’s trying to protect it. A moving spotlight reveals a macro of the pupil of an eye dilating. Scenic aerial flashes of the Saudi landscape flow and blend with water details.
#5
Everything has a value, and that value is in where it’s placed.
A transparent surface covered in condensate hides the Slim bottle.
A medium shot shows a hand cleaning up condensate from a big glass wall. From the aperture we see a woman’s face. She is also “placed” in a beautiful apartment. It’s the first indoor shot of the edit.
#6
History in museums, art in galleries.
A dynamic flowing transition takes us to a minimal yet stylish museum room.
There is a statue in the middle displaying a dancing figure. The lights in the room flicker.
A wide shot reveals a bearded, well-dressed man sitting in front of a big immersive screen. A close up of the man reveals the interplay of light on his face created by the screening.
#7
Beautiful jewels are locked up in boxes
The same floating gem from before, the hand closes around it, protecting it.
Flashes of the hidden Slim turn into a flowing transition, taking us to a slowmo close up of a human profile lit up by a floating warm moon lamp.
#8
Things gain value in where they live, and beauty is enhanced and exaggerated by how it’s displayed
A medium shot shows us the reflection of the woman in one of the many reflecting surfaces in the apartment. The camera pulls out from the reflection until it reaches a close up of her drinking from the Nova Slim. Flashes of water and jewel reflections blend with the corners of the woman’s mouth turning up into a serene smile.
#9
Our Waters are valuable to us, and the capsule
that carries it holds a great responsibility.
She positions the bottle on the window sill, and she gently removes the hand showing us the new design of the bottle for the first time, as the camera floats around it.
#10
That water of this land is a duty we carry
One last dynamic transition takes us to one last glimpse of the golden Saudi land, the pace slows down till we reach the evocative final pack shot.
#11
on screen
Nova. From the heart of this land.
The Nova Slim stands in the same evocative landscape to which it belongs.
