Following the success of the Super Tea and Cold Infusions social media campaigns for Tetley, Spark44 again commissioned LEAP Film and Post to produce and deliver their latest marketing content for Tetley Herbals. Spark44’s creative scenarios for the ‘Need a Me Moment? campaign’ feature a cup of perfectly blended herbal tea as a comforting gesture to lift the spirits of three hapless heroes coping with a mini food-fight, DIY disaster, and make-over mishap.
Spark44 producer Elizabeth Newton says,
Working with LEAP is always a really great experience. For our social campaign they looked after the whole shoot and edit process alongside seamlessly arranging the deliverables and managing the digital and press elements. They collaborate really well with our creatives and client which makes life easier for the whole team.
Under the creative direction of Danny Coster, LEAP’s production team harnessed online technology and workflows for maximum efficiency and Covid-safe compliance. Rather than find and film a spaghetti smeared baby, our VFX editor worked with the developers of the breakthrough platform and app, Mug Life to create the desired shot. Using facial mapping and 3D animation technology, we could manipulate a photo to tell the story. Producer Lauren Potts and performance director Rob Toay presided over online casting sessions for the three remaining actors who would be filmed in a single day’s studio shoot.
To enable the agency and client team to collaborate with the on-set production team, we configured a direct video link from the camera output and connected it with the Spark44 offices via Microsoft Teams. We also set up a remote editing station using an Atomos Sumo playback system to utilise ProRes proxy files on the fly whilst shooting. The creatives and clients were thus able to approve takes and timings of a ‘soft’ edit without having to wait for the camera rushes to be ingested into an editing suite.
Says Danny Coster,
The overall experience was very fluid, and in a way more productive than a regular shoot. The clients only needed to stay tuned into the camera output during the actual filming. It allowed us to change the set very quickly in between scenes, then reconnect with the wider team when the directors were ready for more feedback.
Other preproduction preparations helped ensure a smooth-running shoot day. In addition to the usual storyboarding, LEAP’s team also organised set design, camera rigging and stunt tests. Using our trusted production designers, we could confidently capture the scene of a foot crashing through the ceiling with perfect on-screen drama as well as adhering to health and safety precautions.
Following the shoot, our post-production team arranged editing and grading sessions which the agency creatives could attend via video links. Despite the remote set up, the process felt as collaborative as in our EC1 studios. Within a few days of the shoot, the team delivered three films in a variety of aspect ratios and formats ready for delivery across social media platforms and digital displays.
Find out more about the digital marketing campaign that tied into this project.