NaughtOne – Case Study
Client Film Title: Percy: A Lounge Chair with Personality
Client Name: NaughtOne
Director: Josh Richardson
Editor: Josh Richardson
Camera Ops: Harvey Merrin, Matt Rolfe, Josh Richardson
The Brief
To be released in line with their new bespoke armchair, Percy, NaughtOne wanted us to produce a video which told the story of the product’s journey from concept through manufacturing to the finished article. Previous to this project, their only video content was explainer in nature, adopting a very minimalist style and sought only to focus on products’ functionality. The client really wanted this new video to hit certain beats that the chair was designed around, things like its use of contrasting materials (steel and soft textiles), its playful shape and its bold, expressive colour palettes.
Services
- Pre-Production
There were a few key stages to the pre-production which were more extensive than is typical for projects we undertake. We worked with a production company based in Toronto to coordinate filming with the products designer, Nicole. Ahead of this we conducted an interview with Nicole over zoom, to help determine what narrative beats we’d likely be focusing on when it came to the edit. Once we’d received the footage, I put together a couple of test edits which helped determine the style of music and the general approach I’d have to the cuts and pace of the edit. It was also at this stage that we decided to film the factory base content with more complex lighting setups and that we’d approach it with a balance of wider shots and macro style details. - Production
We shot the manufacturing footage in Halifax, filming the full production process of Percy being built. Over the day, the filming was broken down into sections as we moved from department to department covering parts of the process such as cushioning, upholstery, frame construction etc. For each area we had sufficient time to allow for thorough set ups, using a spot light and shaping the light with plenty of negative full and diffusion, which is often trickier in this type of environment. We were keen to strike a balance of detailed macro shots, showcasing the diverse mix of textiles and materials with wider, blocked out shots to bring everything back to the overarching processes and craftsmen involved. - Post-Production
The footage for the edit consisted of three parts – Nicole’s interview and overarching VO, the B-roll of the product being produced in the factory and the B-roll from Nicole’s studio/apartment which covered her design process. There were so many moving parts to the video and different focus points, so I wanted to use a dynamic soundtrack that would work with the bespoke qualities of the brand but not overpower the visuals. The fairly minimal but fast paced, percussive track worked to tie together intensely close up macro textures, industrial processes and technical visuals. We produced a primary edit that was quite short and succinct, used with the product launch campaign as well as a secondary edit that made further use of Nicole’s interview and gave more context to the product and overall concept/design.
The Results
We received really strong, positive feedback from Dan and the team at NaughtOne after producing the film. It’s since lead to us having a consistent relationship with the company, having taken on a further four projects. This has included producing videos for campaigns launching other new product lines, creating content for their socials and working on a brand film.
Key Highlights
Working with a high-end bespoke piece of product design provided an opportunity to create a video that experimented with a more artistic direction in the edit, despite dealing with the nitty gritty of manufacturing. Trying out new techniques that played with abstract framing, frame in frame compositions and a minimal soundtrack was a really rewarding part of the edit. Nicole was a really charismatic interviewee and her VO across the videos really drives the visuals as you can tell how knowledgeable and passionate she is about her design. Through this video we were able to build on a style and approach that has since been applied to other NaughtOne edits and has established an interesting and creative aesthetic when working with the brand on future projects.
“A hugely watchable, natural interview with lovely flow.”
— Dan Jeffrey, Head of Marketing & Communications, NaughtOne