Henry Scholfield and Spy Films: The Art of Acing the Creative Brief
Henry Scholfield’s reputation precedes him. One quick Google search produces numerous campaigns, music videos and special projects which demonstrate his esteemed ability to translate the objectives of a creative brief into note-perfect on-screen magic.
Adopting a guerilla-filmmaking approach led to Henry’s big break in the industry: shooting a slew of street-style music videos for UK rappers. Since then, the British filmmaker has been expertly fine-tuning his signature creative formula - kinetic tracking shots, superfluid choreography and awe-inspiring set pieces - captivating the creative industry with his trademark panache. Having found immense success shooting viral music videos for global pop stars like Dua Lipa, Stormzy and Billie Eilish, he is equally lauded by the commercial industry. His expressive style and directorial skills have elevated the creative vision of major campaigns for Coca Cola, Axe, and Pepsi.
Impressed by the trajectory of Henry’s craftsmanship, executive producer, Marcus Trulli, knew he would be the perfect fit for Toronto-based Spy Films’ roster. Joining forces with the production company for North American representation in 2022, the partnership has gone from strength to strength.
By carefully selecting and nurturing its talent roster, Spy Films has enhanced its reputation within the North American market, expanding capabilities and delivering first-rate results for clients around the world. “It was clear from the very beginning that Henry would thrive in the Canadian market,” says Marcus Trulli, executive producer at Spy Films. “His attention to detail and craft are exceptional. He has this fascinating ability to deliver a very high-end final product while simultaneously creating a collaborative environment for clients. In short, he’s a pro!”
LBB’s April Summers speaks to Spy Films about three stand-out projects from the last year, exploring how the production team works with Henry to accurately interpret objectives, effectively communicate the client's message, and deliver measurable results, advancing Spy’s commitment to creative excellence.
KFC – 'Sorry Utensils'
This 360 campaign was KFC’s first foray into Canadian advertising. A big brand spot, this film marked a major moment for the American fast food chain.
Collaborating with fellow Torontonians and KFC’s agency of record, Courage, Spy Films tackled the brief with prowess. The concept? A tongue-in-cheek celebration of the iconic ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’ tagline that would “flaunt how finger lickin’ good KFC is by showing people devouring it from the perspective of the forgotten utensils.”
Set to a soundtrack every bit as legendary as the Colonel himself - Air Supply’s 1980’s earworm ballad, ‘All Out of Love’ - the mouth-watering 60’ spot shows customers hungrily devouring KFC’s most popular items. Employing his famously fluid shooting style, Henry engrosses the viewer by incorporating shots from multiple perspectives, including that of the inanimate objects like sporks, forks, and knives.
Although the utensils functioned as the humourous hook at the heart of this spot, the brief referenced “appetite appeal”, emphasising the importance of the meal as the main character.
DoorDash – 'One Delivery in Three Acts'
Starting life as a discussion between DoorDash and Hard Work Club about how an online order plays out like a story of three acts with three heroes – Act One: The Customer; Act Two: The Merchant; Act Three: The Dasher – this theatrical marketing campaign grew into a fast-paced production of epic feats.
Told through the lens of The Customer, The Merchant and The Dasher, this DoorDash campaign was devised to shine a spotlight on how the takeout and delivery service can save the day.
Rapid action, forward momentum and progress in motion were key motifs from the brief that stood out to Henry, who incorporated the themes into his treatment. Both agency and brand wanted to give “brand heroes their main character moment” and Henry embraced this concept, casting the Door Dasher in a heroic light, rescuing customers from a famished state.
There was already a well-established shorthand relationship between HWC and DoorDash, given that this was their third collaboration in as many years. For this reason, Spy Films were able to easily slot into the process, utilising their skillset from the jump – coordinating all aspects of the production to ensure that the commercial was completed on time, within budget.
Taking the directorial helm, Henry cleverly devised a way to illustrate the innate human connection underlining the creative, by interweaving the stories of each hero through up-tempo, riveting choreography. Reminiscent of a stage show, with big set pieces providing the backdrop to the story as it unfolds, Henry’s decision to implement a theatrical visual style put a magical spin on the brief.
Sickkids – 'Heal the Future'
The most recent noteworthy project to come from Spy Films and Henry Scholfield is the production of hard-hitting healthcare PSA, ‘Heal the Future’. Working with Cossette and Sickkids, The Hospital for Sick Children, the director and production company put their heads together to ideate the most impactful way to communicate the ground-breaking ‘Precision Child Healthcare’ offered by the charity. For this campaign, the hospital wanted to show the ways in which PCH is saving lives and stopping disease before it starts, inspired by a real-life patient with a genetic condition, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Capable of diagnosing patients in faster and smarter ways, using machine learning, PCH is revolutionising children’s healthcare.
The campaign objective was to push boundaries, the same way the charity continues to do so, in the medical field. Tasked with crafting a story of “possibility, optimism and light” that accurately conveyed a visualised representation of the revolutionary healthcare on offer, Henry got to work writing a treatment that would do the heartfelt subject matter justice.
Acknowledging Sickkids' determined attitude towards ridding themselves of the “sad charity” reputation, Henry decided to follow an uplifting, cinematic approach. As the number one paediatric hospital in the world, he wanted to place the game-changing efforts of the research-intensive team front and centre, humanising PCH through a bittersweet story of a young man with a life-long heart problem.
Anthony Atkinson, ECD on the project, explains how much all parties appreciated Henry’s understanding of the balance between emotional storytelling and innovative execution. “There are two characters at play in this film: our protagonist and the medical science that saves his life. We needed our audience to feel something from both. It's challenging to explain such a complex subject like Precision Child Health, but Henry's vision set out to make our audience feel something from its power rather than explaining it. This balance of heart and technology is what drove the success of this film and moved our audience to donate in record numbers.”
Exceeding all expectations, the team expertly finessed the objectives laid out in the brief from Cossette and Sickkids, and Marcus tells me how immensely proud the entire team is of the finished film. “This was a very special project - on both a personal and professional note - for the entire team. We all took such care with this film and as everyone was personally invested in the process of delivering such an important piece of work.”
