Claire Bernard

Documentary - APPROACH

This isn’t some day-in-the-life realism film.  This is the day the Monster burned Old Dixie down, sucked the soul out of this small town, crushed what hope they may have had for a championship.  This is a day that will live in infamy. It needs to look like it.

This isn’t a sweet, halcyon, “aw shucks” documentary.  This is a film that gets inside you, scares the shit out of you, thrills you because deep down, we all have a Monster, but how many of us nurture it? This is the world as we would see it if we did.

It starts innocently enough, sweet, even a little emotional, finding the beauty in the mundane, the small-town humanity. But this is not about humanity.

The lovely slow-motion shots of the community coming together begin to clash with our real time countdown.  The warm, gentle breeze begins to pick up. Dust takes flight, bringing a gritty texture, portending the burial this town is in for.  No longer benign, the wind rushes by in real time as the background slows to molasses, as if mother nature herself were trying in vain to stave off the inevitable.

Storytelling - INTRODUCTION

Mysterious and evocative, intriguing and inviting, Grey Goose’s “Blink” is an impressionistic, experiential film that endows the viewer with the sensation of having spent a fabulously sophisticated weekend in a wonderfully atmospheric French accented city.

As we flit from moment to moment we flirt with art, love, nature and all the joy and adventure that life has to offer when you live with your eyes wide open.

Clandestine affairs, exclusive invitations, bejeweled felines and dazzling women swirl through our scenes, beckoning us to join the young, beautiful and aspirational cognoscente as they savor la dolce vita as only the truly bold dare do.

Food - PRODUCT INTEGRATION

Food is always tied to emotion. It’s such an elemental way of expressing love – to prepare and share sustenance for your family. So it makes perfect sense that mom is making this sandwich for our girl.

We are able to linger on her thoughtful spreading of the peanut butter – you have to make sure you get all the corners – and revel in the beautiful jewel tones of the delicious Smucker’s jam because it is an important, character-revealing part of this story.

At once appetizing and artful, the sandwich making and sharing is also an essential plot point. We relish in it but always stay within the overall context of our single shot so this Smucker’s appreciation doesn’t jar us out of the feeling, but rather enhances it, reinforcing the magic of the moment and the warmth of the scene.

Automotive - THE SIGNATURE SHOT

In every film, we both naturally integrate and highlight the Equinox. The vehicle is always seemingly at home in whatever climate we find it and yet it stands out – our eye is drawn to it. The light moves invitingly over its body and our innovative angles confer an aura of power and heroism upon it.

In each film I have designed a specific, signature shot for the Equinox to showcase its prowess. It is exquisite in all three, but each film has its own unique take, showing off a particular expression of the Equinox as it relates to the specific situation.

In Groundhog, we’re magnifying the power of the Equinox, the rumble of the engine, the whip of the wind that supplies the Groundhogs with their tasty treat. Gorilla lets us marvel at the beauty of the Equinox in the environment – it is ready for anything anywhere. And Daughter’s final image of the Equinox braving the cold demonstrates its toughness, its ability to take you literally to the ends of the earth.

Fashion - STYLING

Our influencers embody the 7 For Mankind ethos and we’ll outfit them in 7 product. Our flowing camera style, comprised of portraiture and close ups, fast-paced cuts and lingering images lends itself to luxuriating in the 7 details without breaking the overall spirit of the film.

Even though we’ll give plenty of screen time to product and it will always look good, because it is so integrated into the setting and such a part of our talent, our attention to it will never pop us out of the mood.

How we style everyone will also be a part of our pre-production process. We’ll chat with each of our talent as to how best to combine their individuality with the overall 7 For Mankind vibe, ensuring that each influencer has his own take on the style even as everyone is still somewhat aesthetically united.

Comedy - APPROACH

The key to making comedy resonate is to remember the humanity. Sure we want to see the lumpy batter, the shattered eggs and the smeared jam, but it won’t be half as funny if we don’t also see the evolution of our characters’ emotion as they are dealing with this kitchen conundrum. Their reactions need to be very real and grounded in addition to being sly funny.

It’s the combination of the two storylines culminating in the surprise twist, the Deux ex Kitchen of Homewood, that will make this a satisfyingly complete film rather than a disposable comedy sketch or a gauzy lifestyle spot.

We will shoot a ton of coverage so ensure we have all we need to tell the stories of the ill-fated crepes, this couple’s nose-diving confidence and the Homewood’s Suite’s breakfast save that redeems them all.