By Justin Moore-Lewy
When setting out to launch a production company at the end of 2013, my business partner Brendan Kiernan and I were determined to be alternative. The last thing the world needed was another me-too production company.
We opened the doors of HeLo in a two-story house in Venice, a short cruiser bike ride from the beach. The place had lots of character and it instantly became the antithesis of a buttoned up, corporate office. Right away, agency friends had a different kind of experience there, at intimate dinner parties where we cooked for them ourselves. More important than the setting, though, we offered a unique concept. We gave a lot of thought to how we could hone in on a growth area in the business—to do work that would capture the interest of our somewhat jaded ad clients. Our answer was to offer branded experiences, rather than relying solely on the :30.
While we may have started out with the idea that the :30 spot is dead and opportunity in experiential is massive, the project that put us immediately on the map was—ironically—a Super Bowl spot. The assignment required our creating a series of live experiences that wound up being filmed and turned into a :30 comedic commercial with numerous celebrity cameos. The spot went on to win a Gold Lion, and our initial premise had come full circle. What we took away from this early success is that the :30 is not dead but in need of rejuvenation, and greatly enhanced authenticity. Capturing a live event in various locations was one great way to shake up the formula and create a memorable view experience, even within a traditional commercial.
We’ve learned that although experiential projects engage audiences in a powerful new way, they also require dramatically different production models including much longer lead times and a seemingly endless stream of moving parts. They’re amorphous compared to the somewhat regimented standards of the traditional commercial shoot. The concept of bringing HeLo’s production designers in to collaborate with agency creatives early on—so that the project hasn’t been thoroughly thought through until the designers have input—has worked very well.
So while we set out to break the mold when we launched, we’ve learned over the last year is that it’s not about breaking the mold—it’s about not having a mold in the first place. Exciting projects are exciting projects—:30 spot, major experiential event—it doesn’t matter. We’ve learned a healthy mix of spots and experiential is where we want to be, along with talent who can transcend the standard model in order to do something extraordinary.
Justin Moore-Lewy is executive producer/partner at HeLo.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More