STORY‘s Blair Hayes has directed a new spot for Cavit that beautifully evokes the authentic origins of America’s best-selling Italian wine. Conceived by Agency 212, New York, the ad shows a group of young Italians enjoying wine in the environs of a picturesque country estate. The voiceover describes “what matters” when choosing a wine, including where it comes from and how it’s grown, ending with the tagline, “when quality matters.” There is a clever interplay between the elements that contribute to quality winemaking, and to great moments in life. n nHayes shot the commercial on the grounds of The Cavit winery in Trentino, Italy, a verdant landscape of mountains, lakes, vineyards and medieval castles. Shooting primarily with a hand-held camera at magic hour, Hayes directed his all-Italian cast to act as if they were attending a casual dinner party amongst the vines – which they were. “I told them to sit and enjoy themselves and ignore the guy with the big camera,” he recalls. “I then had merely to move around the table, looking for moments. What a job!”nn
n n”It would be hard not to make beautiful images in that environment,” adds Hayes who acted as both cameraman and director. “The views were stunning and the lighting simply gorgeous.”nnHayes shot a variety of tabletop-style images of bottles being uncorked and wine pouring into glasses. Like the scenes with the actors, the product shots were captured outdoors and primarily with natural light. “We shot a lot of it at 120 frames per second in order to capture the clarity of the wine and the initial moment of the pour, when the wine curls in the glass,” he observes. Hayes adds that, while some of the product imagery was carefully art directed and choreographed, other shots were captured in a more spontaneous manner. “We didn’t want anything to appear too studied or staid.”n nUltimately, says Hayes, the commercial needed to feel real and immediate. “We wanted viewers to feel like a ‘fly on the grapevine,'” he notes, “to wish that they could be at that party.”nnCreditsnTitle: What MattersnClient: Cavit/Palm Bay InternationalnnAgency: Agency 212, New YorknMike Rovner-Creative Director/CopywriternTracy Brennan-Executive Creative DirectornWalt Mitze-ProducernKristina Tucker-Executive Vice President, Account ManagementnnProduction: STORYnBlair Hayes, Director/CameramannMark Androw and Cliff Grant, Executive Producers nnEditorial: BeastnJai Shukla, EditornnSTORY is represented on the East Coast by SuperPowers (646) 633-4578; in the Midwest by Dawn Ratcliffe (312) 491-9194, in the Southeast by Miller + Associates, (954) 563-6004; in the Southwest by Gossip!, (214) 288-2813 and on the West Coast by Sherry Howell, (213) 999-9879.nnFor more information, visit www.storyco.tvn
Mark Androw Executive Producer Story 312.642.3173 Contact Mark via email
Contact:Media: Linda Rosner Artisans Public Relations (310) 837-6008 Contact Linda via email
Who Needs Los Angeles? We Do.
One doesn't have to be a statistician to know that there are fewer commercials being shot in the U.S. today for the American market than ever before, and a dramatic decrease in L.A. in particular. In the last five years, as reported by FilmLA (the office tasked with issuing permits), L.A. commercial production has dipped 31 percent. But here’s the thing: This doesn’t mean that L.A. has lost its importance as the production center of the world. Production in L.A. is vital. It is the go-to. It’s where you can count on access to exemplary crews, a support infrastructure second to none, varied location and backlot options, a large population of on-screen talent and (fairly) predictable weather. The fact is, with overall decline and now the devastation of the fires, we’re on the brink of losing this mainstay resource. Without employment opportunities and now many without homes, talented and trained crew are bound to leave either the industry or the LA area for other opportunities, unless there are enough job opportunities to sustain a solid living. Now is the time when we ALL must support and bolster this community. Production is needed in L.A., now! Of course, advertising is a business, and marketers’ money should be spent as efficiently as possible, BUT we have to think beyond each production and know that if we lose the incredible resource of L.A. production as we know it, then marketers, agencies and the industry loses in the long run. Over the past several days, some agencies have issued directives to production companies that are unilaterally pushing upcoming production options out of L.A. The fact is L.A. is a large area, and many sections of the city and county are not directly impacted... Read More