My first freelance missions were to create vision films for Publicis pitches for major luxury brands.
Vision Film: Showing What Doesn't Exist Yet
At first glance, a vision film would be comparable to a "video moodboard": a visual reference that brings together various elements from existing sources to show the spirit of a campaign or project before its birth. Except that video is infinitely richer: beyond aesthetic and graphic references, the vision film allows combining editing, music and infographics to tell a story and create real emotion.
It's a formidable tool for selling a project, a vision: all the elements are there, presented within a custom creation that has been expertly adjusted, tested and works every time. There's no better springboard to start a pitch or presentation: the project is no longer an abstraction, we see it, we feel it, it exists.
This is why Publicis never participates in any competition without producing a vision film.
L'Oréal Signature · Bring Beauty to Life
Although vision films are often made from existing sources, the image above is extracted from a shot that I set up and filmed at the last minute to illustrate a specific idea in the film.
Amusing detail: the English voiceover that I had recorded myself for the mockup was so well-received that it was kept for the final version. Two years later, I was asked to record a new one in the studio for a L'Oréal Corporate film that I also directed.
Vuitton · Change is our Journey
Vision films often use 2D and 3D infographics to adapt existing images or even to bring concepts that don't exist yet to life.
Club Med · This Place is my Club
Music plays a very important role in creating emotion in a vision film. Often, the voiceover and images are re-edited to follow the emotional progression of the music.
Ferrero · A special Moment
Despite the diversity of sources, good vision films don't scatter. The aesthetics, rhythm and message are tightened around a strong idea that must come across at all costs.