How This Cruise Company Married Intimate and Epic in 175th-Anniversary Ad
When Fred. Olsen Cruise creative directors Nick Bell, Walter Campbell and producer Jonathan Davis started the ideation process for the cruise shipping line’s new campaign, they knew they wanted to create something outstanding in a sector that isn’t usually known for outstanding work.
To celebrate the cruise shipping line’s 175th birthday, marking another year of excellence in sailing, the brand’s very own creative team approached FLIPT director Kit Lynch-Robinson. In a coffee shop meeting in Soho, they showed him a test film of stock imagery set to music, showing ‘a day in the life of a cruise ship’ with masterful application of split screens.
“They approached me really early in the process,” says Kit. “They wanted a non-conventional approach.” So, with his experience working on epic travel shows such as ‘The Grand Tour’ mixed with his commercial experience, he was the perfect match.
The idea was to create a day in the life of a guest on any of the Fred. Olsen cruise line ships, anywhere in the world - not only showcasing the beautiful scenery, but the unfailing attention to detail that each member of the crew has.
Following his gut instinct, Kit started the project with a nimble crew of very talented people and “a documentary mindset with commercial sensibility.” He explains: “It was never going to be feasible to use lots of lights so it was always going to be a natural light shoot – the thing that made the difference was FLIPT taking the unconventional approach to the filmmaking and giving me beautiful lenses and more time; time to allow us to capture the magic.”
Fred. Olsen wanted big, bold and great, and more importantly, trusted the process entirely. The final product made waves - a beautifully crafted film submerging audiences in the world of cruising and what it means to do it with a heritage brand like Fred. Olsen.
LBB’s Zoe Antonov spoke to Kit to find out more about the making of the film
LBB> Tell me about the starting visuals of the film what was their significance?
Kit> It was of massive importance for me that we married the intimate, human part of the film with the epic. That to me is what a cruise is about – people and wondrous awe-inspiring things to see. Epic detail was a big heading in the treatment – and this means even if we are filming a table being laid or the ship crashing through the waves, the shots needed to have gravitas and scale.
The ship’s crew are all delightful and charming – we didn’t meet one who wasn’t fully committed to making their guest’s trip enjoyable and comfortable. They absolutely are passionate about doing a great job for the guests – real perfectionism in the art of hospitality. And genuine warmth. So, when filming them, it was a question of making them feel comfortable in front of the camera and trying to capture that warmth and that attention to detail that they all give. There is an immense sense of pride in doing a good job amongst the ship’s crew – they really care! This was a big part of the brief from the start and I expanded on it with the idea of portraits of the crew, so we saw them not just serving but their real pride in their job.
Seeing how engaged they are in their job really made all of us feel we wanted to do right by them.
We were able to tech scout on a cruise from Southampton to Liverpool over three days. This was a massive advantage as we were on the actual ship and could get our heads around the spaces of what would work. It was invaluable.
LBB> Were you filming during the cruises and if so, how many ships were you on? How did you accommodate the location with your crew?
Kit> We filmed on one ship for six days – from Dubrovnik to Malaga. We took advantage of one bad weather day to dress the guests in cold weather gear to match stock for a colder cruise!
It was an active cruise so there were real paying guests aboard so we were all on our best behaviour. Literally like being the kids at an important event – everyone was so polite and charming making sure we were as unobtrusive as we could possibly be. We were shooting early mornings and late nights, trying to only shoot in great light. Such is the inquisitive spirit of the Fred guests, I think the vast majority were actually fascinated with what we were doing. It was fun!
We all slept aboard in a variety of cabins- basically like any hotel on any shoot. The crew was handpicked not just for their skill and talent but for their personality… When doing these sorts of films you need a team that can get along, work hard and have fun together. Nothing worse than being trapped with people who don’t get on.
LBB> What kind of gear was used for the plethora of movement scenes to achieve the look of dynamism they have?
Kit> We shot on several cameras…our main unit was an Alexa LF with Arri DNA lenses – just an incredible combination. We then used the chicken for movement. The chicken - as it has now been dubbed - is a new gimbal from the drone maker DJI that is actually called the Ronin 4D that has the camera integrated.
I have always shielded away from gimbals in the past but this one is next level… Having the camera as part of the gimbal means it doesn’t suffer from unbalancing itself or malfunctioning. It is not anywhere near the LF and DNA in terms of aesthetic quality but once graded it matches pretty well. It’s incredibly versatile and has a tiny form factor– we used it on speedboats, in the kitchens, and all over the place. For drones, we used the Inspire 2 and the Mavic pro cine. We also had some underwater cameras, a Z-cam with underwater housing.
Often commercials are a bit snobbish about some equipment. I get to try a lot out in my TV job so am a lot more open to different ways of doing things. Having these options available to me meant that shot planning was a joy – drone shots, tracking shots, Goodfellas style shots for the dancers – fun! Our gaffer had one trolley of bits – some LED panels and tubes. Hardly anything at all. Everyone had to think laterally and this led to some amazing creative thinking.
LBB> And what about the shots of the food - how were they achieved and what was important in shooting them?
Kit> Nick Bell took great pleasure in writing some beautiful words in the script about omelettes and bacon – it was almost erotic his description of breakfast! So food was an important factor – both in the visuals of the dishes but also what the moment in time means for so many – meal times are about being together and being alive. The dinner scene was shot verité on long lenses to capture those real moments of interaction.
We shot some of the food in a separate auditorium kitchen used for demonstrations and cookery lectures and some of it in the real kitchens. The intensity and military precision of the kitchens was a sight to behold – I could have shot for days in there – all the metal and fluorescent light and activity.
There is a reason food filmmakers get paid well and get the time to do it properly – the chefs on board became our home ec and food stylists for the close-ups, another moment of two crew symbiosis!
LBB> Tell me more about your choice of splitting the screen and drawing parallels - for example, the sheet is laid on the bed next to the wave crashing. How did you come up with the parallels?
Kit> The split screen idea was in from the start – it would allow us to show much much more of the Fred. Oslen experience.
I really went down the rabbit hole of split screens in movies – Thomas Crowne, and Saul Bass ‘Grand Prix’ to name two of the most famous. What I felt was important was to maintain the narrative rather than just put images together. We had a basic storyline and I created pages and pages of reference shots with notes and ideas scribbled on them. Putting things together in prep, working out what works – whether it’s an aesthetic match or a wider narrative, whether it’s two scenes that are happening at the same time on one ship, or the same scene on different ships. It was a lot to juggle!
My plan was to always have 70-80% of shots planned but allow 20% to come from the magic of creative energy – lots of creative people, all in one place, working together, pushing in the same direction - this sort of energy brings stuff up to the surface you couldn’t have thought of. We took Nick Gilberg, the editor along with us – partly so he could immerse himself in the rushes as they came in but also to see if plans were working and if they weren’t how we could pivot.
LBB> Overall, what went into choosing the scenes you'd feature?
Kit> So many factors! The clients had a wish list of what was important and we all had our favourites of what we believed would be important. What would make a great film, what would be a memorable experience a guest might cherish as a holiday memory? And what looked great and had warmth.
LBB> What role did the music and sound play in creating the perfect film?
Kit> The ear doesn’t blink. All the emotion comes from the music, always. The right track can elevate a tawdry film into good and a good film into great. If you don’t believe me, watch a horror movie on mute. Even the classics are ridiculous. We wanted to elevate certain scenes with sound design but just as a bit of icing, not to have it throughout.
LBB> What was the target audience for the film and what role did it play in your directorial decisions?
Kit> It was important to try and attract new guests but also not alienate the existing customers – they are a loyal bunch and the clients wanted to make sure that was reciprocated. We took the decision to use real guests for the casting, some who were known by the client and some friends and relations. It was imperative we didn’t use models or silver foxes – I think looking at the competition they all use models and whilst it looks great – the ads lack genuine soul and warmth of authenticity. The type of person to go on a Fred. Olsen cruise is inquisitive and not looking for a floating hotel- they like the nautical feel, they like exploring the world and feeding their brains. The whole thing was guided by this – a real understanding of who the guests are and who would like a Fred. Olsen cruise.
LBB> And what were the most challenging aspects of it? What about the most fun?
Kit> The most challenging aspects were probably also the most fun- working with Nick and Walter! We all bought out A-game to this one – a tenacity to do good work and make something great. With that comes a locking of creative horns –all in a good positive way. We pushed each other hard and that was a positive challenge. Boring stuff like pushing gear carts around Dubrovnik but that doesn’t make for interesting tales. Trent getting the captain to turn the ship a few degrees to the right to put the sun in the right place for our frame was fun.
The film crew we assembled was a joy to work with -that’s always a fun bit. Day one, Trent, myself and Dan Bronks swimming with a camera off the coast of Dubrovnik agitating the glitter! Not a euphemism.
All in all, it was a job that was approached with positivity and the desire to make it great. A fun and talented crew all with a desire to do something good. Lots of laughs along the way. Sometimes you do jobs for love, sometimes for money, and occasionally you get both and they are very special.
