BAYER

“It always seems impossible, until it’s done…” 

Those are the words of Nelson Mandela, a man that I think offers us a great example of what it takes to achieve something that exceeds most people’s imaginations. It doesn’t happen suddenly. It’s a process. It’s something that demands hard work, sacrifice, and determination. It’s, as you put it so well, the fruit of those who dare to innovate. That’s what moves us all forward. It takes courage. It insists on the dedication and vision of people who are willing to fail, and who hold onto the confidence that those failures will ultimately and eventually pave their way to success and change. 

We have a similar goal. The product we’re selling isn’t one you buy in stores. It’s bigger and more important than that. It’s a way of thinking. We want to tell a story that gives Bayer back its voice in an incredibly important conversation that can help us all move in a more positive direction. This isn’t really new for Bayer. The company has devoted itself to helping make people’s lives better for decades. We’re simply reminding people of who they are. We’re putting a human face on a company that is working to advance technological growth at a time when the need is more important than ever.

How do we do that? How do we connect Bayer and Agriculture to a larger story of humanity, innovation, and ingenuity? I believe it begins with speaking honestly. We have to respect the intelligence of the people we’re setting out to reach—and tell a story that is visually engaging and viscerally involving. That means combining great casting and naturalistic performances with a photographic approach that blends documentary-like authenticity with a cinematic look that is beautiful—but at the same time unquestionably real. That’s our challenge—and what follows are some ideas that will help us take that first step toward building a new belief system that redefines the meaning of what’s possible. 

Creating a distinctive and own-able look…

I envision this campaign as having an epic quality reminiscent of a film like Malick’s Tree of Life. The visuals will be both expansive and immersive—balancing epic imagery that is rich with scope and scale with intimately simple compositions that instill the story with understated emotion and humanity. If this sounds ambitious—well, it’s because it is. The campaign itself, and the message we want to deliver are inspired by big ideas. So, I want the look to speak to that by using a visual language that is equally aspirational.

I’m leaning toward taking an anamorphic approach to the photography. This is why: The wide-screen format would bring the film an instantaneous feeling that is classic—but at the same time cool, and contemporary. It would lend the narrative a sense of visual authenticity by bringing some cinematic texture to the storytelling. The wide-screen format really lends itself well to enhancing the look of big open landscapes—and it would also offer Bayer a look that is beautiful and distinctive. 

That being said, shooting anamorphic will also give you the option of finishing the film in a letterbox format—or 16:9—if that’s the look that you and the client prefer. The choice will obviously be yours, but this would give you that choice and added flexibility. Either way, I would still want to film these scenes using a selection of vintage lenses as a way of offering the narrative a look that is cinematic, warm, and textured enough to always be engaging.

In support of this own-able look, we will use lighting and color to bring a natural warmth to the film. When shooting exteriors, we’ll take full advantage of available light to bring the scenes an optimistic beauty. Once we decide on our locations, I’ll also want to spend time scouting them to ensure that we are filming when the light is at its best. But for the most part, we’ll want to shoot during the early morning hours, and later in the day, when the sun is low on the horizon, in order to bath scenes in that golden magic hour glow when the light is most gorgeous and flattering.

I also want to take a very intentional approach to the color palette. Using your boards as a guide, I would choose our locations, design the light, and then art direct the scenes in ways that offer them a subtle, but specific color scheme. For the interiors, I would use controllable LED lighting to heighten the color and add some vibrancy to the images. 

When shooting exteriors, we can take advantage of bodies of water and wide open sky to fill a scene with a spectrum of blue, whereas forests and plant life can offer us natural greens. Those colors can be supported by our choice of wardrobe and touches of art direction—which are some of the things that I will discuss in more detail when breaking down the actual story.

The Casting

This campaign calls for a broad and diverse mix of people who are real, relatable, and believable in every way. If there is one thing that unifies them, it’s the simple fact that, like us, they are all members of the human race. We occupy the same planet. We share the land and breathe the same air—which is why we need to search for common solutions that will help move us all forward.

Regardless of whether we’re looking in on some children eagerly absorbing lessons in a schoolroom, or scientists pushing the limits of technology in a lab, we want to always make sure that the moments are as authentic as possible. We never want to feel as if we are watching someone “act.” When casting and directing, my intention is to work in ways that help people bring a level of honesty to the actions being so that we feel as if we’re being treated to real moments captured in the midst of life.

I also go into casting and callbacks with the idea of assembling an ensemble. I’m not looking just for one or two people. I want to make sure we’re always keeping the big picture in mind by bringing together a diverse cast that feels like it’s representative of people in general. In addition to that, once we reach callbacks, I like to begin working with our actors to create backstories for them—just to help them have an understanding of who they are, where they are coming from, and where they are going. 

This is very consistent with the way I like to shoot. I’m not the type of director who believes in starting scenes when I say “Action,” and then ending that moment with a hard and fast, “Cut.” In addition to getting great coverage of the scripted scenes, I also like to capture the moments that happen just before and just afterward. Because of that I want my actors to push beyond what’s written. I work with them in ways that help them take ownership of the characters. I want them to occupy these characters. To “be” these people—no matter how big or small the role

When working with kids, this actually becomes much easier. They’re natural performers. The key is simply to create an atmosphere that encourages them to relax, have fun, and be themselves—which, in many ways is the same kind of atmosphere I strive to create for everyone I work with. That’s what I’ve found leads to the best success, and the most naturalistic and interesting performances—which is exactly what I want to bring to the storytelling for this campaign.

Sound Design

I see this as an invaluable part of the visual language we want to use to tell this story. The added texture of ambient sound can bring more depth and dimension to the narrative. The shuffling of benches in a classroom, the sounds of excited voices, wind rustling through leaves, the rasp of boots crunching over a rocky path, the whir of robotic gears—can all combine to create an organic symphony that broadens the scope and adds to the reality of the worlds we’re visiting.

Human Invention

We’ll open this story in an environment that has a South American look and feel—just as a way of communicating that we’re seeing life in a developing part of the world. Starting wide, we see this group of young students huddled around their teacher, near the front of a classroom.

Allowing the eye to linger a little, we’ll take in the details of this setting. The walls are distressed and nearly bare. Instead of individual desks, the classroom is equipped with long tables and benches, which show years and years of wear. 

It’s simple, utilitarian, and spare—but it’s not the brick, mortar, and wood that makes this setting and situation stand out. It’s the people. It’s the young and eager faces looking enthusiastically up toward a teacher who clearly is committed to helping these kids learn, grow, and improve their lives.

The kids all wear school uniforms of aqua blue shirts and black shorts, slacks, or skirts. Once we’ve established the scene, the camera will continue to track toward them. As we move progressively closer we begin to notice something in their expressions… Something has them absolutely mesmerized… They are wide-eyed; absolutely wowed by something we are yet to reveal… 

What is it that has them so captivated…? The camera booms up and …

(THE REST OF THE SPOT COVERAGE HAS BEEN DELETED FOR YOUR BENEFIT)

Pacing & Tempo

As a filmmaker, I also pay close attention to editorial tempo, pacing, and rhythm. That’s the heartbeat of the narrative. To ensure that we are moving along at the right pace, I’ll take time to break the story down into a Three Act structure, and preplan the flow in a way that allows our story to unfold like a great anthemic piece of music. 

In Act I the shots will be somewhat longer, affording us the chance to establish locations, take in landscapes, and get a sense of character. As we move into Act II the pacing will ramp up a bit—preparing us for the launch of momentum that’s about to come… This will take us seamlessly into Act III. The story goes into full swing, surging and swelling toward the climactic moment when the action comes to a sudden halt—leaving us to ponder the importance of that final line. “It’s not impossible. It’s progress.” 

As the sounds fades away to silence, the Super and Bayer logo rise, and we leave our viewers with one final thought: Science for better life. 

Editorial & Color

I came to filmmaking from the editorial side, and that experience has had a profound effect on my methodology. I like my film to the feel unquestionably authentic and captured in the moment, but ironically, gaining that level of realism depends a great deal on going into every project by carefully planning each shot well ahead of time. 

We want to use the locations to inspire and inform our vignettes, and go into the shoot with the idea of filming everything written. And then push beyond that with B-Roll and other types of added coverage in order to make sure that you have a great and comprehensive library of editable assets to work with in post. Put simply, I want to provide you with everything you need to tell this story, and much, much, more.

That will include paying as much attention to detail to the :30, as we did the :60. Rather than just think of it as a cut-down, I want to approach it like a stand alone spot; a story in and of itself, by preplanning the shots so that they fit perfectly into the shorter time format. As a result, we’ll have two spots that offer our audience the same visceral impact and emotional payoff. The only difference being that the longer of the two is a bit more expansive in terms of the narrative, but no less engaging or rich with meaning. 

Color is also a key element in the this campaign. Instead of waiting for the end of the process to give this some thought, I want it to be one of the first things considered. And in this instance, it’s particularly important in establishing the distinctive cinematic style that we want for this campaign. 

The right color scheme can bring the story to life in ways that capture our viewers’ total interest and engagement. Since this is key, I work with a number of talented cinematographers and colorists, who together can help us design a look that we can carry all the way to the final product.

Summing things up… 

These are some of my initial thoughts, which hopefully can act as the beginning of an ongoing, open, and active, conversation. But that process all starts by going into this with the idea of making this a true team effort. 

That’s how I always like to work. That’s the type of collaborative process that leads to the best results. And that’s what I believe will help us deliver a piece of film that is big enough to capture the importance of this story, yet intimate and real enough to lend it the emotion and humanity it needs. 

That’s it for now. Thanks again for sending this my way, and I look forward to speaking with you further.