DYLAN MARANDA
and
SEQUOIA
Thanks for the great chat the other day— You’re at a really exciting precipice with the brand: an opportunity to showcase a new approach and build a visual language for Allbirds moving into the future.
With every treatment I write, I consider it a starting point for conversation, not a locked-in approach. So if anything feels off in here, let’s chat about it.
I appreciate your time in hearing out these ideas and being understanding of the treatment length being shorter than usual. My hope is that with some high level explanations and some deeper discussion on our follow up call, we can get on the same page and get excited about making something fantastic together.
All that said— let’s dive in…
No secret here, we are working within some limitations when it comes to time and budget on this one— but I see it as a positive. I spent the first 3 years of my career working for fashion brands, so this type of approach is not only in my wheelhouse, but it’s a style of production I miss! These constraints can be a catalyst for making exciting work… I know this because I have done it before.
That being said, part of my plan of attack for this is unconventional— but I believe it to be the only way that keeps us nimble, within budget, and still able to make something that is truly unique.
I am going to need your trust on this— I want us to be on that long creative leash together.
My hope is to keep you up to speed on the “why” as we go, but a thank you in advance for being open. If anything needs clarification, please ask for more info from me, I am always here to give it!
a remnant from my last forray into tight budget fashion filmmaking...
I will tell you the story on our follow up.
😉
Cinematic, memorable, minimal, but impactful storytelling is what I am thinking for this. In my mind, it perfectly reflects those “in-between” moments in our travel— the ones where time itself seems to freeze, cutting through the normal chaos of travel… Those quick meaningful seconds that don’t really hit us until after we remember that we decided to just go with it.
I want to mirror this approach in the way we shoot these stories. I know which scenarios we end up going with are still a bit up in the air, but let’s approach them all the same way:
A sequence of entirely locked off, but incredibly composed spots which build on 3-4 key tableaus, ending with product— a series of shots that communicate the impact of these beautiful moments…
This keeps our approach to shooting simple, so we can focus less on logistics and more on making something great within the defined boundaries of our approach.
Let’s not be afraid to make a bold choice here— something that hasn’t been done before. The quick cut, visual montage style for fashion brands, particularly ones associated with travel, are overdone. I think how we stand out is by slowing it down.
We should focus on a minimal amount of beats per script that communicate our story in as few shots as possible, but leave a lasting impact.
Composed, locked off— photographically styled on the biggest format we can shoot, but in the smallest camera footprint possible.
I want to use a specialty lens rig to shoot in a style that mimics large format, combining a speed boosting sensor optic to shoot on vintage Mamiya 645 lenses. This keeps us nimble with a light rig digital medium format mirrorless rig on the day, but still provides a stunning image. This lets us move as fast as possible, but not sacrifice quality— giving us the tools and space to create a unique cinematic language.
I can explain more of the technicalities to shooting approach in our follow up call.
A boots on the ground approach to casting. I have an amazing street caster who already has a scout on the ground in Mexico City— one who already has some great pulls.
One thing I would like to focus on is finding people who have something they can add to our shoot— a bit of magic that adds a layer of depth to the stories we are telling. Perhaps someone we cast knows about that locally loved cafe off the beaten path, or someone who’s everyday adds an extra layer of depth to their character.
A good example of this would be casting a friend of mine, Kalum. He’s a globetrotting creative with street photography assignments that have taken him all over the world. He embodies the spirit of “going with it” that we are trying to capture. Playing out a scene where we can really feel his wandering spirit, tap into his unique look, see a real and worked in Leica at his side, and have the ability to direct him with a familiar short hand would be amazing. These are the types of casting decisions that add depth to our stories that go beyond what our budget and timeline would normally allow.
Let’s get on the same page about how our casting could inform more about our stories.