Where is Authenticity Located? Farm League's Directors Discuss
The word authenticity rears its head so often in the advertising industry that it has started to lose meaning. Yet we all instinctively know when a spot - or any attempt at storytelling - is authentic or not, valuing the ones that are above ones that aren’t. Brands and audiences are evolving symbiotically; mindless consumerism is starting to give way to more considered spending, with money going to brands that offer more than a product - and embody desirable values instead.
The first hurdle for brands, then, is having an authentic story to tell; the second is telling it in a way that connects with audiences. Farm League, a creative film company, was built with the latter idea in mind. The company’s roster of directors is distinct, with the majority coming to directing with varied backgrounds like sport, conservation, music, as well as deep sub-cultural roots. They don’t just tell authentic stories, they’ve lived them too. To date, Farm League has helped brands like Patagonia, Nike, Yeti, and Google to communicate authentic brand values through faithful storytelling that’s respective of subjects, audience, and brand.
Today, directors Chris Malloy, Miko Lim, and Britton Caillouette dive into the topic of authenticity, discussing what it means to reach beyond the surface, and create narratives that build emotional connection.
LBB> What does authenticity in storytelling mean to you? How do you approach it in your own work?
Miko> You are what you do. I’ve directed and shot hundreds of different people. Actors. Athletes. Real people, young and old. And the way you work with each one is always a little different, a little unique.
Developing trust quickly is always important. And I do that by empowering who I shoot to be a collaborator in the process, and not just a subject. I ask them questions and listen to them. Who inspires them? What are they proud of? Because ultimately I want them to be as committed to this project as I am. And you only get that when they buy in and collaborate. Then, we’re making a film together, instead of just me shooting them. Without authenticity, I don’t think anyone connects emotionally with what I’m making.
Britton> For as much of a buzzword as it has become, I actually think that the way that companies communicate with people is poised for a new wave of authenticity. Advertising still is, to a large extent, created in a traditional way: agencies conduct surveys, do research, or gather ‘insights’. Creative teams take that information and brainstorm words and images that would resonate with the customers. This gets tested and approved, and then handed to someone like me, with the guardrails on, to make it feel real. It’s a very top-down model which I think misses a lot of the nuance and truth of what the audience’s lives are like and what they truly care about. At the end of the day, it’s hard for this not to feel manufactured.
My best work takes a ground-up approach. I go out into the field without much of an agenda. I ask questions and deeply listen to people. I pay attention to what catches my eye and look for beauty in the mundane…the everyday moments. From these raw materials, I cast real people from the community, I craft scenarios that are true to what I have witnessed. I bring talented visual storytellers and the best equipment available to the table and let intuition guide me. Ideally, if this process has been successful, themes will emerge that begin to tap into something deeper and more universal. It is from those themes that the tone and messaging of the campaign eventually emerge.
Chris> I don’t know if anything is authentic. I do go through great lengths to find people that I believe are real, I get out of their way and I do my best to capture their days on film. When our subjects realise they are the most important part of the team they relax and carry on with their real life endeavours.
LBB> Why do you think authenticity matters so much to audiences today?
Chris> People consume such a wide range of content today. They can smell a rat from a mile away if you are proposing that something is authentic and it’s not. They can tell in six seconds.
Britton> People don’t want to be force-fed products they don’t need and faux “inspo” from social media. In a society lacking robust institutions which build true community, brands have stepped in to fill the void as a conduit for like-minded people to find each other.
LBB> Do you think brands are getting authenticity right? Can you give any examples?
Chris> A brand’s job is to make a really exceptional product and inspire people. Give them tools for the ocean or the back country or the kitchen or the road. If that is the compass, everything is honest and inspiring for the audience.
Britton> I’ve worked a lot over the years with Patagonia and Yeti and I think they do a pretty good job. From the beginning they disagreed with the idea of spending money on traditional advertising, opting instead to share stories about what people in their community of athletes and activists were up to. The people they chose to get behind were the most legit, salt-of-the-earth in their field…people who were not lacking in good stories to tell. No surprise that so many advertisers want to be like them. I like the New York Times campaigns too, they are an example of that ground-up style.
LBB> What, in your opinion, is the benefit of seeking out authentic stories for brands and audiences alike?
Miko> There's such a huge difference between sentimentality vs real heart, and for me, that’s authenticity. Authenticity in story and authenticity in style. If everyone we film and where we do it and how we do it is authentic, then we’ll connect and inspire our audience. If we attempt to contrive emotion, we won’t succeed. It's that simple. Your style, your cameras, your lenses need to be motivated by the very people you're filming.
Chris> Most people are authentic in their own way if you give them the tools and inspiration to be so. Humility and bad-assery combined goes a long way with our characters on screen.
Britton> You create a lasting connection that hopefully taps into something deeper than what’s current or trendy.
LBB> Do you think the concept of authenticity should be deeper than aesthetic? Does it (or should it) carry any other responsibilities?
Britton> Authenticity is not just about what is made, but how it is made. We all bring our life experience to our work and certain stories just need to be told from the perspective of an insider. For example, have you ever seen an ad for the paralympics written and directed by a disabled person? Might be different than what you would expect. Now that said, I think there is a lot of co-opting and lip service being done by brands for good PR purposes. Intention matters.
LBB> How can brands tell authentic stories with integrity?
Chris> Just have integrity. Make shit that people need and that they can depend on. Run a set with respect to the whole cast and crew and look each other in the eyes.
Britton> Make sure your products and services are a net positive for humanity and the planet.
LBB> Of all the projects that you've worked on, which one would you say feels the most holistically authentic, and why?
Chris> JT Van Zandt, Anchor Point for YETI comes to mind. I grew up on Townes Van Zandt’s music and to be honest, I didn’t want to meet JT. Townes in my mind was perfect the way that he already was, but after spending 30 minutes with JT, I knew I loved this guy. The final bit he says at the end - “Wake up, be a man, be a f*cking man,” that was after I had cut. He said, “No, I’m not done.” So the best line in the whole film was him? That was all him.
Britton> Generally, the longer-form documentary projects are my favourite because I have the most creative freedom in the process. Both the films Blue Heart (funded by Patagonia) and Wax & Gold (funded by Stumptown Coffee) were perfect expressions of how I like to tell stories. Neither film has a single product on-screen nor was the brand mentioned anywhere but the credits. In both examples a large portion of the budget went toward funding grassroots organisations associated with the subject matter in both films: protecting rivers in the Balkans for Blue Heart and music programs for kids in Addis Ababa for Wax & Gold. I have a new film coming soon called The Tengu Club sponsored by YETI, which also takes this approach. The film tells the story of the oldest fishing club on the West Coast, which was founded by Japanese Americans in Seattle as a way to counter discrimination and preserve their culture.
