Tinygiant Reflects on 10 years of ‘First Times’
Tinygiant is celebrating its tenth this year. Female-led and fiercely independent since the get go, the production company has established itself as a force that’s creatively fearless and committed to nurturing and celebrating emerging talent.
In the commercial realm, Tinygiant has collaborated with the likes of BBDO, Deutsch, Grey, and The Martin Agency, and produced work for brands including Verizon, IBM, Target, P&G and PepsiCo. Outside of advertising, its work intersects with culture, having produced an array of feature films which have premiered at festivals including SXSW, Sundance and Cannes Film Festival.
For this article, LBB’s Abi Lightfoot asked founder and executive producer Veronica Diaferia to choose ten pieces of work that epitomise ten years of Tinygiant.
From the company’s first independent feature film, Good One, to its first Cannes Lions win with Adaptoys, and the inventive advertising it produced during the covid-19 pandemic, Veronica reflects on the power of 'firsts' - and the enduring spirit that has carried the company through its first decade and into the future.
Check out her ten picks below.
Veronica Diaferia, founder and executive producer, Tinygiant
When I was asked to put together a top ten of the best work we produced in the first ten years of Tinygiant, the Brooklyn-based independent production company I founded in 2015, I quickly realised that a lot of my favourites coincided with most of our ‘firsts’. It made me realise that ten years are filled with first times, even for the most experienced producers and companies out there.
And the more ‘firsts’ you collect, the fresher your production approach and overall attitude are. This is what makes Tinygiant a special place, a company that is always starting afresh and doesn’t take any job or any client’s challenge for granted. The love of the craft and the duty to always deliver at the highest level have helped build our reputation for being a tiny but mighty, bold and fearless company, attracting global talent and brands. As we turn the corner and look at the next ten years, Tinygiant has a bright future ahead in an industry dominated by fear and concern for what’s ahead. We’re not blind to the challenges, but we are not afraid of first times. It’s in our DNA and in our motto, Reinventing Big, which means approaching the next job as if it were your first time, without fear and with all the enthusiasm your “first” calls for.
Here’s to our next ten years of ‘firsts’!
Good One (Trailer)
Our first independent feature film and one that premiered at Sundance and Cannes in the same year. If you want to see what creativity can do when you strip it all down, if you forgot what brilliant writing and acting combined can achieve, you can catch it on your next Delta flight. (Also, our first time catching ourselves taking selfies by an airplane monitor as a background.)
Adaptoys - Play Without Limits
Our first Cannes Lion winner. A project with lots of heart and one that catapulted Tinygiant into a new level of production. We learned that we love to give back to the community and those less fortunate. Today, Tinygiant regularly ideates and produces spots for charities and nonprofits all across the country.
JCPenney - Make Your Holidays Count
Our first spot shot with an iPhone by the iconic Peggy Sirota. Having Peggy operate her own video camera the same way she would a still camera made this one special for me. Nobody shines and comes to life on set the same way I witnessed Peggy do on this one. Do I want to film on iPhone Pro Max ever again? I sure don’t but it was fun!
Diageo - Haig Club
Our first overseas job and our first celebrity spot. We had so much fun filming this one in Shanghai, China. Ten years later, David Beckham only seems to get hotter and I sure hope this first doesn’t become the last opportunity to be on set with him!
Sunwink - Stick With Plants
The first job (and as far as I know, the only one) that figured out not only how to remote film the spot during covid (by then most people had figured it out), with our director in London and our set in New York, BUT also remote photographed the stills portion. This meant coming up with a technical solution as well as a legal structure that would allow the director/photographer to snap the picture from London through a proxy and ensure that she retained her legal rights to such picture. It was a wonderful headache and we proved to ourselves that nothing is impossible if you have the right team.
CSL Plasma - Sound of Safety
Another covid first. How do you film this remotely with the director in London, the set in NJ and the agency in NY? BUT also how do you keep everyone safe during the height of covid without shutting down a plasma donation centre because the public coming in to donate blood was vital to the health system then more than ever? Ladies and gents, I present to you a remote job that shot over 50 shots in one day (that’s insane even on a regular, non-covid shoot) and did it keeping everyone safe and smiling behind those masks. Teamwork, coordination, technical know-how, and superior bedside manners will do it!
Children’s Aid Society - You Holdin’ Up?
Our first post-covid shoot. We were alive, ready and NY proud. We were resourceful and wanted to check in with the community and help a wonderful client stating, “We’re holdin’ up. No, actually we’re thriving!” One of my favourites for sure.
CoorDown - Ridiculous Excuses
Our first job with the most ambitious idea and the tiniest budget. I wouldn’t change anything in how this one went down. We needed oh so many locations, we needed a big cast and great actors with Down Syndrome, we needed to keep it all in NY, and we needed to meet the expectations of one of the most successful creative teams with oh so many Cannes Lions on their shelves. Lastly, we needed a director with the biggest heart, the best comedy chops, and the ability to bring this one home with ease. The end result? This tinygiant job and another Cannes Lion.
Vital Farms - True Love
Our first job with an impossible timeline. A fun, last-minute idea around Valentine's Day turned into a beautiful little spot. The agency turned to us when the client approved the creative at the 11th hour. Awarded on a Wednesday, we locked cast and PPM on a Friday, shot on Saturday, cut it on Super Bowl Sunday, finished and shipped on Monday, it aired on Tuesday for V-Day… Oof! We are ok with this staying a first and last, but hey, it was nice to prove to the agency they trusted the right partner.
Orbit - Dress Up
Ok, this is straight up silly but indulge me. This is my first spot with a cameo courtesy of yours truly. Why hire background talent when your EP shows up in Cape Town with a pink cocktail dress? I also think the main character realising she is underdressed, and turning it around with a bold and fierce attitude, is very Tinygiant.
