Epoch's Mike Long Keeps Halifax In Plane Sight

We all like to be rewarded for flourishing. Whether it's a pat on the back for a job well done or a digital thumbs-up for a particularly witty status update, nothing beats a bit of positive reinforcement. It's this concept of remunerating proficiency that forms the basis for Adam&EveDDB's 2013 campaign for Halifax, in which everyday people are given financial recompense for their jovial spirits.


 
In his latest film for the brand, Epoch's Mike Long tells the tale of a hard-working airline stewardess whose work-woes are given a small boost by the bank's cashback scheme. Like the previous commercials in the series, the piece is comedic and full of witty moments. However, 'Stewardess' is of particular note as it took a bunch of extras and sat them on an actual 747 Airbus, as a set just wouldn't cut it.
 
We managed to grab some time with Mr Long to discuss the creation of a montage film like this, the unsung heroes of the campaign and what it was like to shoot in the belly of a working aircraft.
 

 
What was the idea brought to you by the agency? Are stewardesses on your list of favourite people?
 
The original script was very concise and based around a well written voice over, so there was a pretty involved period of script development with the agency.
 
Stewardesses are of course on my list of favourite people! Especially British ones.
 
After the research and working with a 'technical advisor" on the shoot, I've got the inside track on what their job entails and what they get up too.
 
Did you help grow the list of unsung heroes?
 
No, the agency came to us with a clearly defined list.

 
With montage-style films like this, do you just shoot what's scripted or do you come up with alternatives during the day?
 
There's always room for happy accidents within a set up and alternative takes on the day.  We prepped to shoot more scenes than scripted to give us options in the edit.  Then we pre-planned everything to maximise the shoot day.  Going into this kind of shoot without a solid plan, that's been really well prepped, doesn't generally end well.
 
How was the shoot? How long did you have to spend in the plane?
 
There shooting process was really intense due to the amount we had to shoot and the shooting environment but as I had most of my favourite crew and knew the agency really well, there was still time for some laughs.

We shot for 2 x 12hr days.
 

What were the restrictions of shooting in such a tight space? Did you have to get clever with equipment?
 
We ended up shooting on a real 747, standing in for a short haul holiday jet, as the available standing sets & mock ups were too small and narrow.   Even on a 747, the aisles are not designed for camera crews and dollies etc…. But we managed to get 2 cameras in there with a narrow dolly and track.  My DP, Patrick Duroux, and his key grip, came up with some great and simple solutions like shooting into an optical mirror when couldn't get the camera into a tight space.
 
The lighting design was huge though.   Shooting on a 747 meant everything has to be 20ft in the air, five giant scissor lifts, three generators and banks of 18ks outside, not to mention a whole raft of Kino Flos and LED's rigged inside.
 
The spots have a warmth that's not normally associated with banking. How do you endear audiences to the stories?
 
It was crucial to all three scripts that you liked, engaged with and rooted for our leads.  The audience has to sympathise and relate to their everyday lives - if you don't sympathise then you can't really celebrate them as "everyday" heroes.   All of this was taken into account in the script development phase.
 
The casting process was also really exhaustive and the warmth within the spots is a direct result of the care taken when coming to select the lead actors.

 
Are you pleased with the response to the commercials so far?
 
They seem to be well received, so I'm happy the amount of work we all put into the 3 spots paid off.
 
Who are the unsung heroes of a commercial shoot that deserve a halifax-style reward?
 
The on-set runners. They work longer hours than anyone else for the least pay. The team we had with us on the shoot we're superb. 
 
What's next on the plate for you?

For now I'm back in Brooklyn working with Droga 5 on Motorola.