Our spots, for all intents and purposes, are small documentaries. But I want you to throw everything you think you know about the aesthetics and conventions of "non-fiction content" out the window.
What I want to point you towards is the documentary concept of "Magical Realism," or what I like to call Sur/Realism.
This is something that usually shows up more in a photographic tradition, but it's a primary interest of mine as a filmmaker: translating this concept into the moving image.
I'll save you the long, boringly academic description of the idea and put it very simply:
What I want to attempt is to marry the non-fiction real with the aesthetically sublime in every frame. To widen the spectrum between what's grounded and unfolding naturally in front of us and the magical undertone that makes the people we're filming feel extraordinary.
That can mean a lot of things, but in the case of our spots, it's how we make our subjects and the clothes themselves feel special.
Whether it's the patience of waiting for the perfect light, the symmetry of a composition, an in-between moment that unexpectedly stands out, or a subtle breaking of the fourth wall.
Every frame should feel like a painting.
Intentional, composed, and beautiful — only to be contrasted by what unfolds within it, something incredibly human, raw, and alive in the moment.
See where I'm getting at here?
Hopefully I still have you ❤️
Now, when it comes to these two references specifically, both are shot with this effect, but I would place them on opposite ends of the spectrum.
I want our films to fall somewhere in the middle, keeping a hint of the irreverence from The Golden Spurtle, a touch of the soulfulness of Laurel from the Mountain, but injecting an editorial fashion sensibility throughout — all while maintaining that dreamy, perfect light, locked-off portraiture, and a highly refined, composed documentary approach.
This is all in service of creating something that feels truly special, stylish, and elevated, while remaining noticeably grounded in the richness of everyday life...
Kind of exactly how we want our JCPenney styling to treat our film heroes.