Directing Awkward Comedy for Cathay Pacific Ahead of Hong Kong Sevens
Ahead of Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, which takes place at Kai Tak Stadium from March 28-30th, the brand released ‘Nothing Beats Being There’, a comedic campaign that sees Johnny, a wannabe rugby aficionado pretending to be a fanatical rugby fan to impress his boss and potentially snag a trip with his colleagues to Hong Kong. He is ultimately exposed by his own web of lies and his dreams of attending the sports event go unfulfilled.
The Kitchen Film director, Jamie Lane speaks to LBB’s Sunna Coleman about the making of the spot, how he brought the characters to life and why it made him a better director.
LBB> What was the initial brief for this project and what ideas did you have?
Jamie> As soon as I saw the brief from Angie Cheung from The Kitchen (Hong Kong) I was very excited and I wanted to create something special. The idea was based around a character called Johnny who wants to impress his boss who is a huge fan of Hong Kong Sevens to try to get up the company ladder. He manages to wing it despite his lack of knowledge, except right at the end, he falls flat on his face and is caught out.
I looked at TV shows like 'The Office', playing on the idea of awkward comedy. I just wanted them to underplay everything and let the dialogue do the talking. It was all about the casting, the delivery of the lines and performance. I like to keep it simple and not move the camera too much to let the scenes play out.
LBB> Where was the ad filmed and how did you scout the location?
Jamie> The film was shot in Hong Kong and we saw a bunch of office locations via photos and Facetime but settled on a working office in the centre of Hong Kong. The brief was to find a European-style office, using photographer Lars Tunbjork’s book, 'Office', as a reference.
LBB> What was the casting process like?
Jamie> The casting process was very smooth and took place in London with my regular casting director, Belinda Norcliffe. The agency wanted top notch actors from the get-go as the casting pool in Hong Kong is very limited for English-speaking roles. All the casting was done by self-tapes and the brief was to find interesting actors from film and TV. The key thing was that Johnny and the boss needed to be likeable people that you could relate to. Chris Lee (CCO at Publicis Groupe Hong Kong) and myself were on the same page and direction for these characters.
LBB> What interesting production insights can you share from the shoot?
Jamie> I was very lucky to work with some great people on this shoot and experience a slick and flawless production. I work in a very organised and precise way and it tends to be a well-oiled machine. As we had a limited amount of time to shoot, each set up needed to be precisely scheduled. I had an amazing crew, from the DP, Ziga Zupancic to the art department and wardrobe. I can’t thank them enough for their hard work.
LBB> What were some of the production challenges you faced during the project and how did you overcome them?
Jamie> To be honest, there were no surprises. I had a very trusting client and the agency was amazing and very collaborative. This is how I like to work.
LBB> What was the most enjoyable part of the process for you and why?
Jamie> I love the whole process from pitching, to bouncing ideas with the creatives, to the casting and set design etc. I tend to be a step ahead in how I work. So when I am pitching, I’m shooting the job in my head and then when I am on set, I’m editing the job in my head too.
LBB> What are you most proud of on this project?
Jamie> I’m proud of this spot (I really enjoy storytelling) because of the trust and freedom the agency and client gave me from the start (which is very rare). Listening to their ideas, feedback and tips not only made this final film even greater but made me a better director.
