Category: Industrial, Agriculture
Media: Film
Brand: Saint Gobain
Agency: Publicis
Geo: France
Advertising Agency: Publicis Conseil, Paris, France
Creative Director: Elie Trotignon
Art Director/ Copywriter: Bojago & Gamblin
Director: Helvetica / IOW
Published: November 2017
TO OUR CUSTOMERS...
WITH A MINIMUM OF FUSS, WE WORK TO ENSURE YOUR COMFORT.
We create, test and develop materials and solutions that, for the most part, did not exist five years ago, to make your daily life safer and more pleasant. We use our extensive expertise to produce the windows that protect you from the cold and make your home safer and more pleasant for the people you love; the ultra-strong partitions where you can express your taste and creativity; and the light-blocking windows where you can play day and night, using innovative materials - the plastic used to build aircraft, glass for car windows or ceilings for hospitals.
We have 167,000 employees in 67 countries.
We are Saint-Gobain.
This campaign celebrates the strength and impact of our materials, which play a central role in your life.
TO THE CURIOUS AT HEART...
IN THE STUDIOS WHERE AN ADVERTISING FILM IS BEING SHOT, IT'S A HIVE OF CONSTANT ACTIVITY.
On a set measuring more than 20,000sq.m, actors, film crew, advertising executives and directors are busy day and night.
Imagine you’re in a Haussmann-style apartment. Children are running around and shouting, unfazed by the cameras. By a stroke of luck, it’s the birthday of one of the budding actors. There’s a celebratory atmosphere. It may look chaotic, but in reality each person has a role to play. Take the young blond boy in front of the stage. He has a very important task - bursting a balloon with his sword. He pulls it off with aplomb.
A few metres away, the scene couldn’t be more different. The atmosphere is quiet and studious, and the two Helvetica directors are scrutinising each scene from behind their screen. Between each take, they move something on the set, or brief an actor again to perfect their performance.
Everything has been prepared in advance, right down to the smallest detail: the camera movements were tested with empty sets, for example, and the sets have been revised many times over.
ON THE ADJOINING SET, THE FILM CREW ARE ADDING THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO THE SCENE IN THE JAPANESE RESTAURANT WHERE A SQUID HOVERS IN AN AQUARIUM.
Plunging his hand into the water, a brave props master arranges the tentacles to make sure they can be seen. The gaffer does the final lighting checks. It feels like full daylight.
In the middle of this hive of activity, the Publicis and Saint-Gobain teams are keeping a close eye on things. The film’s true custodians, they are monitoring every tiny detail
to make sure viewers really enjoy it.
THE ARTISTS THAT INSPIRE US...
The film was made by Belgian two-man team Helvetica. They were selected for the quality of their technical work, their distinctive outlook and their dynamic, innovative approach to the creative concept. We talked to them about the advertisement.
The contrasts we create are actually everyday stories that everyone can associate with, filmed to their best advantage.
Helvetica, Directors
WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT THE FILM SCRIPT?
We liked its challenges. We were instantly taken by the “living together” concept and the challenge of turning it into images. Human relationships are central to this film and the materials - which might otherwise be seen as separating people - allow us, on the contrary, to live together to the full.
The contrasts we create are actually everyday stories that everyone can associate with, filmed to their best advantage.
HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO GET THE CAMERA SO CLOSE TO THE ACTORS AND THE MATERIALS?
Without getting into the technical details, we used very small wide-angle optics on a motorised crane. This enabled us to get very close to the scene and to enter the materials, without ever losing sight of the rest of the action. It’s a very rigorous process but time-consuming. For us, a film where the camera goes through walls is always going to be visually surprising. There’s a magical side to being able to get close to areas that are off-limits, allowing you to explore the world. That really lies at the core of our visual approach in this film: our camera has no limits and the viewer enjoys following it.
HOW MANY DAYS DID IT TAKE TO FILM? AND DID YOU SHOOT THE SCENES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER?
It took four days to shoot, not counting the technical and human preparation time, which took weeks - which sounds a long time for a 60-second film, doesn't it!
The scenes were shot in the order that made the most logistical sense. We obviously had an idea of what the film would be like, but the scenes were shot according to several factors, such as whether the scenery had been finished, or if the actors were available. We shot the opening birthday scene on a Wednesday for example, because that's when the children were available.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE SECRET OF A GOOD ADVERTISING FILM?
There’s more than one! We always try to put the right message across in a way that’s fun for viewers - that’s a given. For us, it needs to have a strong emotional dimension and to be visually sophisticated. We try to be the custodians of this alchemy in some ways.