Giorgio Bruni on the Intricacies of Filming Sport Stars
NM Talent director and Filmmaker Giorgio Bruni started his creative journey as a painter and student of fine art.
A desire to meet new people and engage with clients on more eclectic projects sparked his transition into filmmaking. He gained early recognition directing music videos (thanks to having friends play in bands), which led to him earning a nomination for Best New Director at the 2012 UK Music Video Awards.
Through his action-packed and fashion-forward work, Giorgio offers a glimpse into the lives of individuals within the context of sports, fashion, and contemporary culture. The juxtaposition of raw, human moments with carefully composed visuals is what makes his style so distinctive.
Charming and relentlessly enthusiastic by nature, Giorgio is a master of creating good energy on and off set with his infectious personality and inspiring professionalism. With a keen focus on sports commercials, his clients include Nike, Adidas, Vans, Sony and Real Madrid for Nivea.
LBB> What are sport stars' strengths and weaknesses on camera, generally speaking? And how do you work to make sure you get the best out of them?
Giorgio> You always face challenges when filming elite sports men and women. The time you have with them on set is always limited, often they’re not able to give you 100% physically, and they’re not actors, so dialogue or any form of acting can be tricky. But, when they’re in full flight, whether it be sprinting on a track or running with a ball at their feet, this is when they really come alive.
Let’s take footballers as an example; every minute of their shooting day needs to be active, otherwise you're at a risk of them losing interest or even sometimes losing them… So preparation is everything. Having a walk-through rehearsal where you run through every shot, choose the lens, the camera position, mark it all out, so that when they arrive on set we (behind the camera) have already made all the important decisions and I can solely concentrate on performance and delivery.
I’m always looking at ways of making the day as fun as possible. Any down moments we have I get a football and do a ‘rondo’ (a glorified game of piggy in the middle) with the player and the stand-ins. This keeps the energy up and the player engaged, as well as feeling that they are part of the team.
LBB> How do you work with a sportsperson to make sure the message they're delivering resonates with their persona and fans in the right way?
Giorgio> Using footballers again as an example; I always want to get as much of their personality on screen as possible. Whether that’s building in specific skills or footwork into the choreography, I like to add something that really reflects the type of player we are working with, or I like to dial into the narrative their character traits build, something unique to them that shows off their personality. Yes, footballers are good at their sport, and look great doing it, but I also like to capture a human side to their performance, a subtlety that might give you a little glimpse of what they’re like behind closed doors.
For example, I just did a job with Vinicious Jr - what a top bloke. Always smiling, upbeat and fizzing with that cheeky Brazilian humour. On the day we made a few tweaks to the choreography so we really emphasised his bubbly personality. By doing this we managed to get a really genuine performance out of him, one that I thought captured his character and showed the lovely human being that he is.
LBB> Sporting figures have their own brands to take care of and won't do any ad just for the money. What are some ways you've made sure a film works for them as well as the client and the fans who are the audience?
Giorgio> Some players are more precious than others, but they are professionals at the end of the day and this is a massive part of who they are as professional athletes. I always do a mood film on the rehearsal day or recce where we shoot the ad using an iPhone for capturing what I need. Then I edit it so we can start to understand the pace and shot selection, especially if you’re doing a 15 second film, each shot needs to be meticulously planned. I show this to the player and it helps give them a good understanding of what the day entails, what their role is within the campaign and how they can bring their own spin to the film. Being very animated on set, and physically showing them each action always helps too.
LBB> How do you keep yourself up to date on sport and sporting culture to make sure that your work can fit into that culture?
Giorgio> I’m a massive sports fan, whether it’s going to Arsenal or watching the boxing down the pub with my mates. I think it’s important to have a keen interest in different leagues, transfers and a finger on the pulse of sports news. Instagram is also a great resource, as well as all the subcultures, fashion brands and fanzines that have different perspectives and cross over the worlds of sport and culture.
LBB> Technically, what does it take for a director to become a specialist in this kind of film?
Giorgio> Getting a chance, that’s all it was for me. I started in music videos and then transitioned into commercials, mainly comedy bits to begin with, then an EP at Stink, at the time Dan Scott Croxford, knew I was a big football fan and we shared a love for Arsenal – so I got the opportunity to direct an Adidas spot with Pogba, Suarez, Oil and Bale. Then it all really snowballed from there.
Working with sports people means you have to work fast, plan meticulously and bring an energy to the set that is relentless. I always approach shoots with a very technical angle, trying to find new and innovative techniques to capture movement. I guess it’s the combination of all these aspects that have led me to where I am today.
LBB> What piece of work are you recently most proud of and why?
Giorgio> I’ve just got back, today, from a Rexona shoot that was across four different cities in Europe. It was a mammoth project with back to back shoots, squeezing in rehearsal days and tech scouts in-between. I can’t wait to see the outcome. A highlight for me was working with Vini Jr and building a football pitch in a shipping container yard. I’ve been putting container yards in treatments for as long as I can remember so finally getting the opportunity to do it was amazing. As always you’re only as good as the team around you, and having a stellar team made this project really memorable.
LBB> In a dream world, what sports person would you most like to shoot with?
Giorgio> I’d love to work with some more boxing professionals, I love my boxing so working with a big personality like Ben Whittaker would be great. I love his energy, style and personality and I think he’s taking the sport to the next level. Plus, he reminds me of Prince Naseem who’s the all-time GOAT.
