Director Dunne on Being Untameable for Bacardi

Recent Caviar signing Sean Dunne has helmed an engaging piece of film for Bacardi’s Untameable series (above).

Shot over two days in New York, it follows Employees Only’s head bartender Steve Schneider as he recounts his personal and moving journey from US marine to one of the most famous and awarded bartenders in the world.

Drawing on his pedigree as an award-winning documentary filmmaker, Dunne tells Schneider’s story with honesty and warmth without making it feel too contrived.

Below, the director talks to shots about how his documentary skills lend themselves to working with brands without compromising on character and story.

The ad uses the serious, touching story of a former Marine getting his life back on track. How challenging was it to get the right balance between this and the alcohol brand?

For this spot I think it was more important for me to know and understand where the brand was coming from before I even met our subject, Steve. I didn’t want to make Bacardi’s story and priorities into his, instead I wanted to tell his story and allow the viewer to draw their own parallels between Steve and Bacardi.

So the idea was to honour Steve and throw all the other commercial/brand stuff out the window. We felt if we told a compelling enough story that captured Steve’s essence and didn’t overly focus on product placement then we could make something the audience respects and can relate to. That stuff transcends commercials and at the same time hopefully raises the bar.

Where was the film shot and how long did it take?

We shot for two days – one day in Brooklyn, New York, where Steve lives and one night at Employees Only, where he bartends in Manhattan. It was very small and casual and that was by design.

What were your favourite moments in the directing process?

The voiceover that you hear throughout the piece was taken from a two hour conversation I had with Steve about his life. That was my favourite part. No cameras, it was just him and me and a tape recorder and I think that really facilitated him opening up to me. We talked about all kinds of things and I didn’t steer him in any particular direction, I just wanted to capture a certain tone of voice, like he was speaking to a friend. I thought the whole thing would resonate more with the audience if I was successful in getting him relaxed.

My editor, Kathy Gatto, was able to take that conversation and put it together in a way that made his story really come to life. She’s an amazing, endless talent. We had a radio cut of the piece before we went to shoot. That helped a lot.

What reaction do you want to generate from people watching the film?

I want people to react to this the way I want them to react to all my work, personal or commercial; I want them to be transported into my subject’s world and get a taste of what it feels like. If they come out having a better understanding of Steve, great, if they come out having more understanding of humanity, even better. I know it may sound like a farfetched idea that these films can bring people together, but I’m not sure it is. These are real people and if their stories are told properly there’s no telling how far reaching the impact can be. Bacardi really grasped that concept and ran with it on this. I’m so honoured I could be a part of it.

How challenging was it to move away from the documentary style into a more commercial feel?

It wasn’t even a thought. I approached this the same way I’ve approached all my subject matter. I wanted the voice to be truthful and the images to be emotive. Crafting these stories is something that my team and I take very seriously, whether it’s for a big commercial client or for a project that barely anyone will see. It’s about the process and it’s about living and embodying that process, not necessarily shifting gears on a project-by-project basis. In that sense my commercial and personal work are one and the same.

Did you find your experience in documentary film was beneficial to this project?

Absolutely. I’ve had a deep and profound fascination with people throughout my life. I’ve pursued that and gained such a vast understanding about human nature through documentary filmmaking. So when I get a call for a project like this I feel like that’s what I’m bringing to the table, an energy and excitement about people and an ever-increasing bag of tricks to bring that to the screen.

What are your plans for the future?

We just put out my first feature length film Oxyana and we’re knee deep in the edit for our second feature length documentary Cam Girlz. We’re also working on a short documentary that should be out by the end of the year. Lots of exciting stuff that I think people are going to really dig. As for commercials, they’re a lot of fun. I love collaborating with new people and trying new things, a lot of that has actually informed my personal projects. I’m just going to keep doing my thing, if brands come along that want to collaborate, I’m all ears.