The D4D founder/director Matt Checkowski’s AEG Brand films “Mixed Berries, Three Ways” and “Beer Braised Ox Cheek” were featured in the touring 2013 Food Film Festival that offers the opportunity to taste what you see on the screen. Dubbed “true food porn” by Food Film Fest’s director George Motz (host of Burger Land, Travel Channel), the films were devoured by audiences in New York, Charleston and, most recently, Chicago.
How did the project originate and how & why did you select Martin as the subject?
MATT: Frederic Sebton at Great Works in Stockholm had this great idea of combining the genres of “dream sequence” and “culinary film” into a vision from the minds-eye of a chef. It turns out that I’d done some work in both of those categories, the dream sequences in Minority Report as well as a lot of short documentary film work on famous culinary artisans. This was one of those lucky projects: it needed to merge two separate worlds and we happened to be fluent in both. The three films originated as web films for AEG’s new line of professional kitchen appliances, and were meant to support the traditional TV campaign that was being produced elsewhere, but everyone ended up being so excited by the dreams that they earned a bigger placement in the campaign.
MATT: Frederic Sebton at Great Works in Stockholm had this great idea of combining the genres of “dream sequence” and “culinary film” into a vision from the minds-eye of a chef. It turns out that I’d done some work in both of those categories, the dream sequences in Minority Report as well as a lot of short documentary film work on famous culinary artisans. This was one of those lucky projects: it needed to merge two separate worlds and we happened to be fluent in both. The three films originated as web films for AEG’s new line of professional kitchen appliances, and were meant to support the traditional TV campaign that was being produced elsewhere, but everyone ended up being so excited by the dreams that they earned a bigger placement in the campaign.
I had this whole pitch mapped out on how to hook this famous chef who works at the best restaurant in Stockholm (Mathias Dahlgren) but when I got him on the phone, and started with “a culinary dream in reverse” he cut me off and said he’d do it right away. I had at least 5 more minutes of amazing pitch material, but we hit it off from the get-go. I think filmmakers and chefs have a lot in common, not the least of which is that we both want to create things that bring people to together.
What was unique about this festival experience?
MATT: I think cinema is at its most magical when you experience it in a theatre with an audience. At the same time, the best dinner parties weave an amazing meal with great conversation. Somehow both are lifted by the group experience and the festival puts it all together under one roof. The vibe of the crowd is better than any fest I’ve ever been to.
Since the festival audiences are not exposed to the brand message, what do you hope the take-away is for that viewing audience?
MATT: I hope they enjoy the filmmaking. I don’t see the “branded” element of the content as a factor that gets in the way of the experience. In fact, the only way we could’ve made these films the way we did, with some amazing talent, and got them in front of such a large audience online and around the world, ultimately into this festival, is thanks to the brand and the advertising agency. Some of our most successful work comes at you across brand channels and our goal is to make it meaningful for the brand in the short-term, but also meaningful storytelling that inspires audiences for years down the line.
Are festivals relevant in a time of on demand content?
MATT: More than ever. I think intelligent and inspiring curators and festival programmers are more important now than ever. I also think human contact and shared experiences are more important than ever. Sitting in a movie theater with a crowd of people, all engaged in the same narrative, is still the best storytelling experience on the planet. I think it’s easy to convince yourself that the magic is worth trading for convenience —your 4K home theatre or HD on your phone— but when you actually sit in a theatre and remember how it makes you feel, it’s really no contest.
MATT: More than ever. I think intelligent and inspiring curators and festival programmers are more important now than ever. I also think human contact and shared experiences are more important than ever. Sitting in a movie theater with a crowd of people, all engaged in the same narrative, is still the best storytelling experience on the planet. I think it’s easy to convince yourself that the magic is worth trading for convenience —your 4K home theatre or HD on your phone— but when you actually sit in a theatre and remember how it makes you feel, it’s really no contest.
What can brand films do that traditional spots cannot in terms of content and audience connection? How do you effectively find your audience?
MATT: Brands have a built-in audience — at least by comparison to many entertainment properties — and I’m drawn to that. We want our work to reach as many people as possible and often target niche audiences that can start the ball rolling towards a larger group of people. We’re not branded content auteurs, we’ve always been conscious of our audience and when it comes to online content with agencies and brands. The best projects start early, focus on value, and chart a course for what will resonate with the most important, targeted audience. Only then do we start crafting the actual story. But it has to work for both sides: the brand AND the audience. Most branded storytellers play lip service to the audience and then behave like a car salesman at a dinner party. They just need to relax.
MATT: Brands have a built-in audience — at least by comparison to many entertainment properties — and I’m drawn to that. We want our work to reach as many people as possible and often target niche audiences that can start the ball rolling towards a larger group of people. We’re not branded content auteurs, we’ve always been conscious of our audience and when it comes to online content with agencies and brands. The best projects start early, focus on value, and chart a course for what will resonate with the most important, targeted audience. Only then do we start crafting the actual story. But it has to work for both sides: the brand AND the audience. Most branded storytellers play lip service to the audience and then behave like a car salesman at a dinner party. They just need to relax.
This was the second branded project of yours in the Food Film Festival. What was the first?
MATT: We created a series with Intelligentsia Coffee that showcases their passion for an exceptional cup of coffee and one of those films —“Espresso” — was shown at the festival a couple years ago. That whole series is a great example of storytelling that was spring-boarded by the brand and their audience. We saw that there was an opportunity to tell Intelligentsia’s story in a new way and give their legions of coffee obsessives something to watch. Not only was it in the Food Film Fest, but it’s my favorite example of idea-to-impactful-storytelling: not a dollar spent on media and over 750K people have clicked play.
