Vision films for client pitches produced for Publicis before the founding of ChezFilms: L’Oréal, Vuitton, Club Med.
Vision Film: Showing What Doesn’t Exist Yet
At first glance, a vision film might be compared to a “video moodboard”: a visual reference that brings together various elements from existing sources to show the spirit of a campaign or project before it comes to life. The key difference is that video is infinitely richer: beyond aesthetic and graphic references, a vision film combines editing, music and motion graphics to tell a story and create a genuine emotion.
It is a powerful tool for selling a project or a vision: all the elements are there, presented within a bespoke creation that has been carefully calibrated, tested, and works every time. There is no better springboard for starting a pitch or presentation: the project is no longer an abstraction – you can see it, feel it, it exists.
That is why Publicis never enters a competition without producing a vision film.
L’Oréal Signature · Bring Beauty to Life
Although vision films are often made from existing sources, the image above is taken from a shot I set up and filmed at the last minute to illustrate a specific idea in the film.
An amusing detail: the English voiceover I had recorded myself for the rough cut was so well-received that it was kept for the final version. Two years later, I was asked to record a new one in a studio for an L’Oréal corporate film I also directed.
Vuitton · Change Is Our Journey
Vision films frequently use 2D and 3D motion graphics to adapt existing images or even bring to life concepts that do not yet exist.
Club Med · This Place Is My Club
Music plays a very important role in creating emotion in a vision film. Often, the voiceover and visuals are re-cut to follow the emotional progression of the music.
Ferrero · A Special Moment
Despite the diversity of sources, good vision films do not scatter. The aesthetic, rhythm and message are tightened around a strong idea that must come through at all costs.