shots gets the filmic treatment

The recently launched Treatments is a new tool which radically simplifies, streamlines and consolidates the pitching process for all involved. 

Enabling users to manage their media, design their content, and deliver and track their treatments, all in one place the new tool is a brilliantly effective way of quickly, collaboratively and economically creating amazing pitch documents. 

But how best to tell people about this new product? Advertising, of course. But not just any old advertising, a carefully planned, beautifully crafted film that tells the story of what Treatments does in a compelling and creative way. Called Deck it Out, the film sees a producer meeting with a group of treatment writers and designers as they grapple with the complexity - and expense - of creating a pitch deck, with the integration of CGI to show just how convoluted the process can be, and an Armageddon-style explosion for good measure. 

Above: The new film, called Deck It Out, written by Adam Kreutner and directed by Charley Stadler.  

Behind the creation of this film are a slew of people, all fully credited below, but, here, we talk specifically to director Charley Stadler and writer Adam Kreutner about the creative decisions they made for and the challenges they faced putting it together. 

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What was the brief you received, and did you immediately have an idea of how you wanted to approach it?

CS: James Straker, the inventor of Treatments, approached me in Cannes and asked if I would come up with a creative idea for his new app. He said he liked my “crazy brain", and I was immediately excited about the concept of Treatments. I told him I would bring my movie screenwriter partner Adam Kreutner on board to help develop the idea. After a few conversations, Adam suggested a dialogue battle, which became the central concept. We pitched this idea directly to the Treatments team, and they loved it.

AK: For me, the brief was Charley telling me about Treatments and his conversation in Cannes with James. Charley said James and him wanted something edgy and disruptive. As a writer, that’s music to my ears.

Could you understand the appeal of the product and did that help formulate the story? 

CS: I was actually one of the first people to try Treatments out, so I was deeply involved in its development over several years. This firsthand experience gave me valuable insights and made it easier to write and direct a complex, dialogue-driven concept. I understood the appeal of the product, and that helped shape the narrative. 

AK: I did. It absolutely helped me formulate the idea. The costs, time and inefficiencies in the current model inspired the concept and dialogue.

Above: Stadler [seated centre], with the cast of the film on the Hyperbowl virtual set in Munich. 

Can you tell us about the cast? Where did you find them, and what were you looking for in the actors? 

CS: I specifically wanted to cast movie actors because I envisioned the film having a feel similar to sci-fi movies like Inception. I needed actors who could portray characters with a dark, comedic edge. For the role of Jason, the commercial producer, I immediately thought of Seumas F. Sargent, who plays the lawyer in the Netflix hit The Billion Dollar Code. For the ghostwriter role, I wanted a female actor with a slightly ethereal quality, and Stephanie Lexer fit the bill perfectly. For the designer, I thought of Hollywood actress Laura Bilgeri, for her outgoing and stylish nature. Laura is a fantastic, powerful actress who starred in the Wesley Snipes movie The Recall. 

For the role of the Head of TV we wanted someone with a bold presence, so we cast Komi Mizrajim Togbonou, who brings energy to the role. We also had a casting hiccup right before the shoot, when we lost one of the most popular young German actors for the role of the Treatments guy, Charlie. Luckily, my casting agent in London, Andrea Clark, found upcoming star Ryan Nolan at the last minute, and he flew in a few hours later to join the shoot at 4am. 

AK: I didn’t envision a specific actor for any of the roles. Of course, Charley and I developed each [character] and I took direction from him when writing, so each would represent his vision. I didn’t have any part in the casting, other than Charley showing me some photos. As an aside, I did name two of the characters Patrick and Charley. It was my way of paying fun homage to the dudes who live this every day.

Above: Stadler and some of the cast taking a well-earned break from filming, and them hard at work. 

You shot at Hyperbowl Virtual Production Studio in Germany; what benefits does a virtual studio production bring, and what challenges does it pose for a director?

CS: Adam and I wanted the film to take place in a big, stylish New York office. James Straker once mentioned that he didn’t want to involve a New York agency for the idea, and this location got stuck with us. To shoot a large-scale set in a cost-effective and efficient way, producer Patrick Höchstetter and I immediately thought of using Hyperbowl, a Virtual Production [VP] studio near Munich. We’ve shot there around 20 times in the past three years, so we’re quite experienced with the technology. From a production standpoint, virtual production allows you to produce scenes quickly and in total control, which is its main advantage. And of course, no weather days.

However, from a director’s point of view, it’s like learning to fly a helicopter — you have to understand how to fully utilise this tool. It’s radically different from shooting in real locations, and many directors only use VP as a backdrop. VP is a dream come true for imaginative directors who like to create worlds. The sky is the limit.

Above: It's a wrap! Celebrations ensue post filming!

Why did you decide on the CG slot machine effect and the imagined nuclear explosion and what do they add to the finished film?

CS: When I spoke to Julian F. Krüger, the 3D lead artist at Hyperbowl, he mentioned something about explosions. That idea sparked a connection with James Straker’s comment about production companies spending up to half-a-million dollars on these treatments, which I thought could cause the mind of an executive to 'explode'. We turned that idea into a dramatic, internal nuclear explosion, which was already referenced in the dialogue because the other characters are pushing him to make more money out of the pitch [shouldn't this read 'spend more money on the pitch'?]

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Initially, we experimented with 3D dollar signs over the characters’ heads, but we weren’t happy with the result. Then I realised that the whole treatment-writing industry — creating polished booklets that mainly end up in the trash once the pitch is decided — resembled the Vegas casino gambling vibe. That’s when I thought of incorporating slot machines into the scene. It added a sense of randomness and chance and, visually, it worked well with the overall aesthetic. Since advertising today tends to steer away from straight dialogue-driven narratives, I also wanted to add some visual 'eye candy' to keep things engaging.

Above: Last-minute cast member addition, Ryan Nolan, on the set.

The music and sound design create an ominous atmosphere; why did you choose this approach?

CS: During editing, my editor Christopher Klotz added the foundational elements of the sound design, which had an ominous, dangerous quality I really liked. At first, it was a bit too dark for the Treatments team, so once we added slot machines their sounds lightened the vibe and gave it a unique twist. I then reached out to Vikram Gudi, the owner of the London-based Elephant Music, and he immediately came on board. 

He handed the project over to composer and sound designer Marco Caricola, and we spent quite a long time fine-tuning the sound. It was a challenging but rewarding process especially because Marco has created some of the most famous movie trailers. For him to say, 'I’ve never done anything quite like this before', reassured me that we were on to something.