Brian Williams Is Properly Showing Off

How often have you heard directors described in gushing hyperboles wanging on about their extraordinary range of abilities? But very occasionally the long list of credits on one beautiful film might justify it.

Wearing ten hats as the creative, director, DoP, drone operator, production designer, model maker, editor, VFX artist, colourist and sound mixer, Brian really demonstrated what he can do in this spot for Expedition Iceland, part of the Hurtigruten group of adventure cruise companies.

This is a level of dedication usually only seen in music videos. But here he’s turned it into a commercial that’s as much for the Arctic cruise ship as it is for Icelandic tourism.

Brian describes how the creative concept came about, "Huldufólk, or hidden people, are elves in Icelandic and Faroese folklore. I came across the story from a wonderful storyteller I met on the trip and it completely captivated me. The story seemed to emerge through the lens as I shot, and the film came to life in the edit.”

Asked if he missed the comments coming from the video viewing village his response was, “This project is very close to my heart, reflecting a way of working I adore where I can truly explore the imagery in my own time.”

He used a technique similar to one used on the film 'The Creator' where he used real people in the footage and painted their faces out in post. The ice section was created in the studio using frozen photographs in chunks of ice. Thanks to my patient wife for putting up with a strange-looking freezer for a while.”

Bang producer Jeremy McWilliams summarises, “Brian saw an entirely different Iceland to the one we filmed for Range Rover Spillway: gorgeous, gentle and whimsical. Proof that beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder.”