People. Love. Global Stories.
When we’re traveling the world telling stories on a global scale, it's not just a professional endeavor for us at Revery–it’s a personal journey for all of us who are fortunate enough to play a role. Over the past ten years, these international experiences have become an integral part of who we are. Our 'global storytelling network' isn’t just a concept or selling point–it’s a genuine community of storytellers from around the world who are fluent in the shared language of film.
Beginning with our first overseas campaign in London a decade ago, Revery has consistently taken the opportunity to follow stories across the globe. Forty-some countries and every-continent later, we’re still learning. Experiencing unique culture and the invaluable human connection that comes with it is why we jump at the opportunity to tell these stories, but with international production comes a barrage of challenges that take an entirely different toll on each member of a production. The reality of international production means unfamiliar environments with new collaborators in a culture we are likely experiencing for the very first time–all the while balancing the standard (and self-imposed) pressure to deliver the same quality of work we would be expected to deliver if we were producing these stories in our own backyard.
This was the case earlier this year when season two of our AWS docuseries 'Future Self' – a series highlighting underrepresented youth transforming the tech industry – took us from the Netherlands to Nepal in one 15-day whirlwind of creativity and collaboration. In terms of similarities, you won’t find many between Rotterdam and Kathmandu which meant that how we built our team and how we defined our filmmaking approach would be even more crucial to bringing these impactful stories to life.
With each project we take on we begin by building a bespoke team to ensure we’re elevating everyone involved to tell the most genuine and impactful story. We believe this intentional and customized approach to team building brings those with the right voice and vision to the project and creates intimacy and genuine collaboration between us, our clients, and our local partners.
We started this season of Future Self by taking a look at how we built season one and decided to streamline our approach.
Revery creative Alex Gilbert and I shared nearly all creative responsibilities through the entirety of the creative and production processes this season beginning with co-directing each episode. Alex and I truly love collaborating in an environment that allows us to wear multiple hats. The multi-disciplinary Mr. Gilbert (who also directed the pilot episode of season one) took on the role of cinematographer for season two and even edited our Nepali episode. Reducing the team to this sole partnership allowed Alex and I to be hands-on and own the creative for the entire project lifecycle. From casting our students and developing their on-screen story arcs to managing post and finishing, we were able to cultivate a unique level of intimacy with our clients and subjects while reducing any obstacles (and budgetary waste) en route to delivering these deeply personal stories. We were able to move through each stage of the project seamlessly including the flexibility on set to navigate all creative decisions on-the-fly in true documentary fashion based on whatever was thrown at us each day.
Keeping us in line through it all was Revery Team Dad™ and Senior Creative Producer Max Solomon, who was by our side every step of the way solving each logistical nightmare and creative puzzle we came across. But of course a successful international production really begins and ends with the strength, depth, and intimacy of that global creative network. Our local fixers and production collaborators in both Rotterdam and Kathmandu took each and every one of our hair-brained schemes and made it all come together with true grace and professionalism.
While these local teams over delivered on the traditional expectations of the job – finding exceptional locations, hiring talented crew, suggesting the best food, etc – the true value of our global network is in the shared collaboration and support of telling these stories in a way that honors their culture and empowers the voices of the subjects who live there. When we hire a local team we’re not simply hiring day laborers to complete a task. We’re carefully curating a team of equally inspired storytellers who are critical to helping us tell genuine and authentic stories of what it means to be human.
It takes a village of dedicated people working tirelessly to bring these films to life, beginning with our collaborators at AWS who have continuously fought to create a platform that honors our subjects and their stories first as a way to communicate their brand’s mission. These stories afforded us the opportunity to travel to the other side of the world and create work we are proud of with amazing people who are equally dedicated to story and humanity. As is often the case with this type of production, you arrive as peers and you leave as family. And for this alone, we are forever grateful for the privilege of spending our days telling stories.
