Cinemagraphs are a new, efficient and concise way to present your business to a more and more image-savvy audience. It combines the “moment décisif” dear to Cartier-Bresson with an element of moving image that adds a pinch of cinematography into a still image.
Because “an image is worth a thousand words”, here is a case study from an assignment for INSEAD featuring cinemagraphs:
With my friends at thephotoagency.asia, based in Singapore, we had the privilege to film a hidden gem lost in the the Indonesian waters. A private archipelago turned into an eco-resort, a preserved island one accessible for a handful of lucky adventurers, only accessible by boat or sea plane from Singapore. The architect Sim Boon Yang from Eco-id designed villas and restaurants in a Bali Lo-Fi style, using local ressources and genially structuring bamboo together while keeping the experience at the highest luxury level.
Arriving at this retreat from a sea plane made you imagine how the first sailors would feel when they reached areas that were preserved from human presence. Arriving there you would experience wildlife mixed with the luxury lifestyle provided by the entirely thought out design. Just stepping on the pier from the plane you would just see shoals of colorful fish, and on the sand beach, lazy lizards sunbathing among the turtle hatchlings tracks.
It was easy then to focus on the brief : texture, wildlife, and minimal landscape. Trekking the primal forest, wandering on the beach and sailing around it almost made work feel like holidays. Almost. 4K cameras and equipment is still too heavy for a tropical island!
I wrote, storyboarded and shot a one take, slow motion music video that focuses on the mood in Hanoi traffic and tries to reestablish a little bit more justice for the women of this amazingly resilient country. I saw it as an homage to all the Vietnamese women as well as an ode to the motorcycle culture of Vietnam.
Check out some amazing behind the scenes stills from war photographer Xavier Bourgois!
An interesting assignment in Hong Kong, where location scouting landed us in vintage looking Shek O, which fitted perfectly for the art direction we wanted.
With the founding members of this architecture studio, we designed together a concept video to highlight the company's uniqueness in Asia. After the storyboard was drafted with all the scenes they wanted to include in their presentation video.
Every shot was made in slow-motion at 200 frames per second while on a slider, with a side motion from left to right. No compromise was made during the conception of the final video, which gives it a feeling of continuity and confidence.
The original storyboard from the first meeting with client.
