The Brief / Addison Group / Perfetti Van Melle / Nick David

The Brief is a regular feature on the LPA blog which takes a behind the scenes look at a photoshoot, from brief to final images. For this edition we take you behind the scenes of Nick David’s recent Perfetti Van Melle shoot, even including a handy photoshoot glossary!

Photographer: Nick David Client: Perfetti Van Melle Agency: Addison Group Art Director: Ben Baxter Production: LPA Production Stylist: Charlie Cave/ LPA Style HMU: Claire Portman/ LPA Style Shoot date: July 2014 Usage: Corporate website

Perfetti Van Melle are one of the world’s leading manufacturers and distributors of confectionery and chewing gum, and the brand behind household names such as Chupa Chups, Mentos and Fruitella. Their agency Addison Group approached us looking for a lifestyle photographer with a spontaneous feel to his work, and they certainly came to the right place as Nick David is amongst the best in the business!

THE BRIEF

The brief called for seven key lifestyle shots, each featuring a different Perfetti Van Melle product. The client wanted the imagery to be fresh, genuine, bold and fun so we knew Nick was the perfect man for the job - a master of the natural and candid approach! Nick is also particularly gifted in capturing children being children (as you can see from the recent commissions below) which was an important part of this shoot.

Addison Group and Perfetti Van Melle provided us with a very detailed brief stipulating preferred settings, activities, models and products and our original shot list looked like this:

1 – Young adults sharing/enjoying PVM products in a park (a – relaxed, b – excitable) 2 – Children interacting (a – still, b – playing) 3 – Parents treating children to PVM products (a – father and son, b – mother and daughter) 4 – PVM employees gesticulating with PVM product in their hands 5 – Various models eating/opening/blowing bubbles etc with PVM products 6 – Family having fun and enjoying/sharing PVM products 7 – Various models enjoying a beverage with a packet of Mentos Nowmints/Frisk

THE ESTIMATE

The brief required a full production so one of our producers Cassie set about putting together an estimate. We included:

Photographer’s fees and expenses:

• Shoot fees to reflect the usage and for a 1 day shoot • Recce fee • Photographic expenses – digi-capture, post production and equipment & lighting

Talent:

• Casting Director (to source suitable models  via an online casting) • Model fees (for 5x adults and 3x children) • Children’s performance licence fees • First Aider

Location:

• Location hire fee • Location library fee

Crew and their expenses:

• 1^st Assistant • Producer

Styling:

• Wardrobe & props stylist (including prep & returns days) • Hair & Make-up Artist • Stylist and Hair & Make-up Artist's expenses

Misc:

• Catering costs • Insurance, telephone, couriers etc.

THE PREPRODUCTION

Once we had received a PO approving the costs, we could commence on the preproduction. Our ‘to do’ list looked something like this…

1) Organise advance from client for shoot expenses. 2) Confirm dates with Nick and the client. 3) Send out brief to model agencies (including important client and usage details as well as the look of models and what they need to do). 4) Prepare an online casting document which included pictures, sizes and agencies of all the shortlisted models we have selected. 5) Addison and PVM to approve final models and LPA to confirm with model agencies. 6) Confirm and brief crew. 7) Confirm wardrobe and props brief plus sizes of models for the stylist. 8) Prepare call sheets and send to everyone.

THE TALENT

For this shoot we cast the models online which enabled the process to be really quick and efficient. However when conducting an online casting it's important to double check that the models still look as they do in their images, and to ask the model agents for character recommendations. We had certain considerations to bear in mind at the request of the client, such as a broad representation of ethnicities, and also no child models under the age of twelve. We cast two adults, three young adults and three children.

THE LOCATION

Perfetti Van Melle’s original shot list required a variety of both indoor and outdoor scenarios which ranged from a park to a workplace. With this being a one day shoot, we had to find a versatile location which could convincingly represent each of the seven scenarios. We settled on a location house in East Finchley which could act as a family home whilst providing us with an appropriate space to simulate an office environment. It also had a large outdoor space which worked as both a garden and a park.

THE STYLING

LPA stylist Charlie cave and LPA hair and make-up artist Claire Portman both did a brilliant job as always.

The client wanted the wardrobe and props styling to be 'casual, bold and vibrant' to match the PVM branding, and we love the way Charlie has injected pops of colour in every shot to compliment the fun products. Here’s what she had to say about the shoot:

"PVM was a really nice shoot to work on with a great team, lovely client & shooting on location out in the sunshine. The wardrobe & props brief was very clear from the client, who wanted a summer feel & lots of kids garden toys. The shoot day went smoothly with the bonus at the end of the shoot that the outrageous amount of goodies that the client had brought with them had to be divided up between us."

Hair and make-up artist Claire said:

“My requirements were for natural/summertime makeup and hair but it was a busy day as there were lots of models - both adults and kids. It was a lovely day in July so it was great to be out in the garden for much of the day and there were certainly lots of sweeties around to keep our energy levels up in the afternoon!”

Behind the scenes / Claire Portman (hair and make-up artist) and Rosalind Keep (stylist's assistant).

THE SHOOT

"I had a great day shooting for PVM - makers of some of the biggest sweet brands including the legendary Chupa Chups lolly! We wanted to keep the shoot fairly loose which suits my style - this also helped with the children as they were able to relax and enjoy the day. We had great weather too which meant there was plenty of opportunity to shoot outside. The main challenge was making sure we had covered all the different brands - Ben, Charlie and Rosalind did a great job making sure everything ran smoothly." - Nick David

Behind the Scenes / Nick David and models.

"I’ve always been a huge admirer of Nick’s portfolio. He captures excitement and genuine passion with such vibrancy – I knew he would be perfect for the Perfetti Van Melle brief. LPA’s meticulous planning and experience meant that everything ran without a hitch on the day. And a result, we got some absolutely fabulous shots and a very happy client." Ben Baxter / Art Director

Here's a selection of our favourite shots:

PHOTOSHOOT GLOSSARY

Advance: It is wise to obtain an advance of funds to pay for crew and expenses prior to the shoot.

Call Sheet: A document detailing all the important details on a shoot: where, when, who, plus contact numbers.

Children's Performance Licence: Required for shoots involving models under the age of 18, obtained from the child's local authority.

Digi-capture: The process of taking the photos on a photoshoot, capturing the images with a digital camera.

First Aider: This is legally required for shoots with children.

Location House: A property for hire for the photography, film and TV industries.

Location Library Fee: A database of locations which are available to hire for photoshoots. A fee is paid when you use a location from the database.

PO: A Purchase Order. A legally binding document from client to supplier detailing the exact services required, authorising costs and detailing all terms and conditions.

Post–production: Digital manipulation of the images after they have been taken.

Prep: (In this case with regards to the styling) Initial preparation for a shoot, e.g sourcing/ buying/ hiring clothing and props, as well as preparing moodboards and online research.

Preproduction: The production which takes place before a shoot happens, to make sure everything runs smoothly on the day.

Recce fee: The photographer's fee for time spent viewing potential locations prior to the shoot. This helps to plan lighting, logistics and to ensure everything runs smoothly on the shoot day.

Shot List: A prepatory list of shots the client wants to achieve during the shoot.

Talent: The models or people who are being photographed in a photoshoot.