A Peak Behind the Curtain of Amazon’s Fable of Festive Fulfilment

The festive season is a time of giving - not just physical gifts, but also small acts of kindness. That’s the thinking behind ‘Midnight Opus’, a brand film from Amazon that tugs on the heartstrings as it recounts the story of how a theatre janitor’s hidden passion was discovered and celebrated by his colleagues. 

For audiences, the film has certainly hit all the right notes. ‘Midnight Opus’ has received a coveted 5.9 rating on System1’s ‘Test Your Ad’ test measuring audience reactions, the highest possible score. According to those tested, it’s a reflection of how Amazon has continued its tradition of eschewing extravagance and glamour in favour of simplicity, humanity, and nostalgia in its holiday ads - a habit that ‘Midnight Opus’ continues. 

The ad comes from within Amazon’s inhouse creative team. To reflect on the thinking behind it - and how it all came together - LBB’s Adam Bennett caught up with Amazon’s creative directors Joe Godard and David Lord…

LBB> What was the inspiration behind ‘Midnight Opus’? And how closely does the finished ad align with your initial visions?

Joe and David> Amazon plays a unique role in people’s lives, especially around the holidays. In creating this campaign, we wanted to go beyond the traditional gift-giving moments often depicted in other ads, and show how easy it is to share a little love. And no matter how you think you’d like to share that love with someone, Amazon can play a role. And finally, this is one instance, where the finished ad is really close to the initial vision. The biggest (and most exciting) surprise is how wonderfully the final casting came together to create a unique ‘work family’. 

LBB> The campaign is all about small yet thoughtful acts sparking joy and bringing people together. Why is that the right kind of story for Amazon to tell?

Joe and David> It seemed like a really timely message. The world seems more divided than it has been in a long time. Our film’s characters come from all walks of life and different age groups, yet they find a common ground when coming together to help a co-worker realise his passion. 

LBB> Tell us about the decision to base the campaign in a theatre, and make the janitor the unexpected star?

Joe and David> We chose this location because we wanted to fulfil our lead’s dream in a big way. Centre stage. In the spotlight. Where he belonged. 

The janitor was the logical choice for our character. He allowed us to explore the space of the theatre, and we loved the idea that he was a bit older than the other ‘employees’. Seeing everyone come together to help him out was a refreshing take.

The visual ornate style and colour palette of the theatre provided a natural holiday feeling. The golds, deep reds, and greens gives the film a holiday vibe that immediately sparks joy. And it does it in a beautifully, inclusive way. 

LBB> Why was Hungry Man’s Wayne McClammy the right director for the spot? How did he bring your vision to life?

Joe and David> Wayne is a longtime partner and collaborator with the Amazon team. He was the perfect choice for his ability to capture the little beats that elevate a simple story to something you want to watch over and over. His casting choices are always spot on. And his unique storytelling instincts are key to giving viewers the ‘feels’. 

LBB> From start to finish, the ad certainly ‘feels’ like Christmas. Did you look at any other ads, TV, or films, for inspiration on how to get the aesthetic and tone just right?

Joe and David> So glad you get that feeling. We looked less at ads and TV for inspiration, and more at human experiences. The experience of receiving an unexpected gift. The experience of coming together as a community to help make someone’s day a little better. And finally, the experience and feeling you get when sharing joy or love with someone else.

But because we wanted to tell a cinematic film-like story there was careful consideration given to not being too much like other in-theatre commercials. The behind the scene not-so-perfect little details that go front and back stage were important in creating its own unique, more human, style. We took little inspirations from films like Bird Man, The Prestige, and Whiplash, and tried to make sure we stayed away from getting too conventional. Or too ‘happy holiday’. 

This allowed us to create a space for his performance to feel that much more genuine at the end. We liked that it culminated in a show exclusively for his coworkers, compared to a perhaps more-expected big production. 

LBB> There’s no dialogue as such, aside from the sung words of ‘What the World Needs Now Is Love’, what was the creative decision behind this?

Joe and David> Visual storytelling is such a powerful tool - one that we find hard to resist. The message we were delivering is universal. Even without understanding the lyrics to the song, the audience can understand the act of giving that unfolds on screen. Additionally, this film is designed to run globally. It needed to travel across time zones and languages. So, we chose to lean into a more visual language to tell our story. 

LBB> And why did you decide to land on that particular song rather than something more directly holiday-themed?

Joe and David> Love is a universal message. Love crosses borders and religions. It bridges the gaps in beliefs and traditions. And while the song may not be directly holiday-themed, the message of love, and maybe needing a little more of it during the holidays, certainly feels like a message we should all get behind. 

It’s a time of year when loneliness affects many. And well, what better way to bring people together than love? 

LBB> What was the biggest challenge you faced in making this ad happen, and how did you overcome it?

Joe and David> Honestly, we were pretty lucky. A lot of our pieces fell together quite nicely. The search for our lead was exhaustive. Over a thousand auditions from across the country. It was such an important role, and we knew we needed someone special. And then, choosing the right song was also a pretty intense search. There was lots of debate! 

Once those were nailed down, the biggest challenge was filming to the very specific timings of our song. This was not just a soundtrack that could easily be adjusted, so the song drove a lot of our timings. We created a demo track, and filmed to the track. 

Editing was tough, because you couldn’t just edit a scene, you needed to accommodate a complete lyric. So we were fortunate to have Kirk Baxter from Exile Editorial on our team. He dove right in, from before we ever turned a camera on and plotted our edit in advance. It was challenging, but in the end, we believe it worked beautifully.