TREATMENTS BY FREDDIE

An INtroduction

[Husky Tools / Home Depot]

Anyone who has ever been on a film set knows that it is all about the tools. So much of what we do as filmmakers is about working with our hands to literally create the bigger picture. I’d argue that being a filmmaker is a way of life enriched with people, places and tools. We understand their value and how essential they are.

One of the things that excited me most when this project first hit my desk(top) was the aesthetic of covering a man working with his hands in his sacred space. It didn’t take much thought to connect the dots as to why that spoke to me. So, I’m taking this job, with good humor, as an opportunity to indulge one of the things I love most about filmmaking: the endless joy of working with my hands, with love of my tools, to create something bigger than any one person.

how i like to work

[Rocket Mortgage / Quicken Loans]

My number one priority is ensuring that we hit every mark your team laid out in the brief, through sound and moving image. I’m aiming to create the need for loyalty and faith on behalf of the customer. It’s my responsibility to invoke them with the feeling that Rocket Mortgage is the one and only place to get a mortgage and, that Rocket Mortgage is as invested in helping them buy a home as they are in owning one.

What you put forth in your brief was so thorough. I feel like the best way I can help you is by taking you through step by step, exactly how I would translate your vision into a filmic expression —with a little passion. After all, what is a home? There’s something, dare I say sacred, about claiming the hearth. That’s the kind of depth I want to mine as a filmmaker.

But, we know well that the act of buying a house is far from holy and that at the end of the day we just want to make things easy for people. Your leverage is convenience and that ultimately comes through trust, in knowing what you do best and sharing how you do it. So, let’s let that be the point.

Visual approach

[Advil]

Overall, we want to keep things simple. One thing I love about echoing the circular imagery is that it tends to really ground things. Within that world we will have a few polished shots, particularly the high angle top-down shots that showcase the circular shapes. But getting up close will likely require us to be handheld and that’s desired. It’ll maintain the documentary feel to a point, but if we are artful with light and shadows and play with speed ramping, then we can create an elevated sense of style and energy. I feel strongly that if we use darker shadows on the court or in the pool water then we will be able to create depth while making our subjects pop; contrast creates energy. There is also the added benefit of creating that darker “Advil Blue” color if we employ shadows on these already blue surfaces.

There are a few dynamic shots that I would like to pull off. For example, when our young woman is falling into the pool float, I imagine it would be compelling for the audience if the camera followed her as she fell and stopped halfway while she continues to splash down into the pool. This creates a kind of moment that takes us for a bit of a ride if only for a moment.

the physical space

[Budweiser]

The physical space needs to be clean, obvious and iconic. When I say obvious, I mean that it shouldn’t be questionable as to what we’re seeing. It’s clearly a restaurant, it’s clearly a park, an office, a house party. We don’t have time to elaborate on the physical space in a way that invites visual exploration. But we don’t have to sacrifice taste.

Creating a more iconic feel to the locations is the best way forward. In doing this, we should be able to tell that the art director put some craft into showing exactly what they want you to see. Only in the end when we’re at the final party do we stray from the conventional. The final club scene supports more dynamic frames and of course this choice supports our narrative.