Many of us see TV commercials, especially during big events like the Superbowl, and chuckle or smile — especially if they’re done right. We wanted to give you a behind the scenes look into the preparation and filming of a commercial branding shoot this spring for Villano | MD — a facial aesthetics and plastic surgery center of Dr. Michael E. Villano in Bend Oregon.
From concept generation and talent planning to scripts and storyboards to executing the spot (that would be the filming), a lot goes into a 30-second commercial branding shoot.

Concept

The Villano | MD campaign is about timeless beauty. The nature of beauty is one of the most enduring and controversial themes in Western philosophy. According to Hume, “Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the mind which contemplates them and each mind perceives a different beauty.” We sought to capture stories of beauty, from daughters to grandmothers, embracing what they love about, and the beauty they see, in the faces they have. In addition to the final commercial, the shoot would provide valuable b-roll. B-roll can be used in different scenarios online as well as in the brand’s photography.

Preparation

Once the concept was agreed upon with the client and the videographers and director of photography were selected, crews were scheduled, location was set, and models were picked— in this case we selected real Villano | MD patients to tell their stories. We always use real patients and customers as models as possible for authenticity. Lighting was planned, interviews were held, scripts were written and dates were set.

Shoot

The first cast call was at 7AM. The second call was the surgeon’s arrival for preparation and shooting and following, models arrived for preparation and shooting. Each talent included b-roll, props, lighting changes— and of course hair and makeup fixes to ensure everyone remained camera-ready. For our Savy team and camera and filming crews, to our surgeon and models, our 6-hour commercial branding shoot went flawlessly.

Commercial

In the next few weeks, watch for the Villano | MD commercial branding spots. We are honored to work with clients such as Villano | MD in Bend Oregon, Santa Barbara CA and really across the world where we get to help tell brand stories.
What’s your favorite; the shoot or the behind the scenes, showing the creation of the shoot? Tell us in the comments section below. Cheers! – Christina