Behind the scenes of IIVO Hoogendoorn Global Brandfilm

Today we are with both the Director of Photography Roderik Patijn as well as the directors Duo Merel Klomp & Elmar Janse Encrite to explore and share an ambitious and fascinating project they worked on about an important theme that’s not easy to communicate, especially if you want to do it at night: Horticulture. 

They had the delicate challenge of lighting one of the smartest greenhouse control systems in the world by using a LED drone system, LED display, and a lot of other special tools to visualize the connection between nature and technology. 

Before diving into the technical aspects – as usual – this time we want to tell you more about the creative and aesthetic aspects of this work. If you haven’t seen it yet, take a look at the final video below!

So, can we start talking about this project from a creative perspective? We mean from the agency brief…

At Encrite we love to push aesthetic and creative boundaries to create unique work. That’s why Narwal creative agency asked us to visualize their idea of creating a new perspective on the world’s smartest greenhouse control system. We found a perfect match within the creative brief / graphic style Narwal developed for this global brand film. The challenge for this project was to create a commercial that would bring an ode to future growers and stand out in the global horticulture sector.
Merel & Elmar (Encrite)

What was the initial idea and the challenges and how is this shaped into a commercial film?

Since all the existing greenhouse commercials were shot in daylight Narwal came up with the idea to shoot this commercial at night. Shooting at night created the opportunity for us to use several light specials and shape the greenhouse as an interesting decor for this film. During the concept phase, we looked for an unconventional way to reveal the smart side of the future greenhouse. We wanted to capture several personas who are involved in the story of IIVO from investors to future growers and data scientists. We asked Roderik as a Director of Photography for this project because of his experience with portraying people and his hands-on creative solutions in unique environments. Merel & Elmar (Encrite)

Why is red the predominant color on this project?

Red is the main color of IIVO – Hoogendoorn’s visual identity which is developed by Narwal creative agency. Narwal came up with the idea to use the red color as a characteristic key element within the entire commercial so everyone within the horticulture would recognize the brand immediately. The combination of motion design on a 3×4 LED screen and several red light sources created an interesting visual language. Together with Roderik, we searched for a perfect balance of color and light to preserve the sense of depth.
Merel & Elmar (Encrite)

How did you go about lighting the specific spaces on this project? And how did you approach it from a technical standpoint and what solutions did you come up with to illustrate the connection between nature and technology?

The Agency came up with the idea to use a lot of unique ways to light the environment. During the concept stage, we immediately thought of the opportunity to work with Kiwi Aerials @kiwi_aerial_shots for this project. They provided a drone lighting system that contains a 1200W LED source which gives us the possibility to raise the bar.
Merel & Elmar (Encrite)

As the director of photography on this project I was excited to hear about the idea to have a large LED wall and a drone equipped with 1200W daylight LEDS in my lighting package. The concept was to show the greenhouse from a new perspective showcasing it in the darkness, which created a very interesting playing field. During recce, we chose the best place for the LED screen so that it would reflect on the glass walls of the greenhouse to create a massive feeling of width and depth. And at the same time, we could decide what the angle and flight path would be of the drone with LEDs. This way we created a world in which we could place talents and decide on the camera movements, operated by the very talented Steadicam operator Maric Dam. All of the above in combination with the unique features of a greenhouse resulted in some very nice dynamic and creative scenes.
Roderik (DOP)

What kind of film equipment is used to accomplish the agency’s vision as well as the director’s vision?

For this project, I went for the Arri Alexa Mini paired with Leica R Cine rehoused lenses. This combination gives a pleasing organic look with more than enough detail without getting clinical. The latter is something I find very important when shooting with talents up close. Because of the large size of the locations and the wish to have the talents move through it, we went for Steadicam and Mōvi shots. I think the controlled steady shots also added a layer to the concept of the product (IIVO) we were shooting for, which basically is a very powerful computer system to keep track and control everything that goes on in the greenhouse at any time.
Roderik (DOP)

From our point of view, the final output is awesome! We loved it so much. Congrats again on it. Do you feel like you have managed the agency and the client’s expectations without losing control over the creative process? 

As directors, we like to realize projects such as these where we challenge ourselves to tell the brand story in an aesthetic way and by this captivate the interest of the audience.

We are convinced that we found the right balance between graphic and human elements to create tension and translate the connection between nature & technology. Every shot, from studio to greenhouse is customly created in camera for this brand film.
Merel & Elmar (Encrite)

It was 100% teamwork with Encrite and Narwal and they gave me their full trust to light and frame the project within the concept. It was a great project to work on and personally, I believe that it came out the way we all aimed for.
Roderik (DOP)

At the end, was everyone happy and satisfied? Were you happy and satisfied with the work? What did you learn from this experience?

We look back on a powerful collaboration between the agency, directors, DOP, and crew. What started as a wild idea is shaped into a visually pleasant brand film. The creative freedom and trust of the client resulted in an energetic and passionate team. 

We are convinced that this is a key element to creating meaningful work.
Merel & Elmar (Encrite)

I am very satisfied. I like to work in situations and environments where on one hand I can rely on my knowledge and skill set, but I am also challenged to create and think of new solutions. Working in this amazing location with these lighting tools gave me that extra push to explore new ways of lighting and shooting. Last but not least, I want to thank the amazing crew because without them this would not have been possible.
Roderik (DOP)

CREDITS

Client: Hoogendoorn Growth Management

Agency: Narwal

Production & direction: Encrite

Concept: Narwal

Treatment: Encrite

Creative direction: Jelmer Scheffer & Justin van der Velden

Account / project manager: Romi Wijnen

Direction: Merel Klomp & Elmar Janse

Art direction: Merel Klomp & Elmar Janse

Dop: Roderik Patijn

1st AC: Nick Duijnmaijer & Thijs van Geenhuizen

Gaffer: Sean Vogel

Best-boy: Bruno Vogel

Steadicam: Maric Dam

Drone: Kiwi Aerial Shots 

Photography: Glenn Mostert

Motion graphics: Remko Scheffer 

PA & BTS: Jesler Muntendam 

MUAH: Ilja Guepin

Styling: Linde Helene 

Edit: Justin van der Velden, Merel Klomp & Elmar Janse 

Grading: Wietse van Bezooijen

Music & Sounddesign: Six Feet High

Copywriter: Jenni Williamson

Voiceover: Atta Otigba

Talent: Aaron Wan, Tom Munneke, Fabianne Gondrie & Pieter van den Berg

Next Blog

So, guys, we are at the end of this blog, thank you so much for sharing with the community your awesome work and experience, and see you guys on the next blog!

We are already cooking the new piece, so stay tuned and subscribe to be sure to not miss the next one! Have a great day on our channels.

FilmmakersWorld Team