2016 Winners & Shortlists

MAKE BETTER CONNECTIONS

BrandVODAFONE QATAR
Product/ServiceNETWORK/COVERAGE SERVICES
EntrantTHE TALKIES CAIRO, EGYPT
CategoryAchievement in Production
Entrant Company THE TALKIES CAIRO, EGYPT
Advertising Agency MEMAC OGILVY & MATHER Doha, QATAR
Production Company THE TALKIES CAIRO, EGYPT
Production Company 2 INNOVATION FILMS Doha, QATAR

The Campaign

Today, our misuse of constant mobile connectivity leaves us more “detached” than we have ever been. A technology that is originally created to bring us closer, made us grow even further apart. This is a film about this contrast. It aims at reminding people that being connected has always been an enabler to living a fuller life. Not a preventive from it. Set in Doha, Qatar, the film starts by slowly and heavily portraying scenes of people too fixated to their phones to enjoy life happening around them. Too detached to even notice it. “How did we let this happen?” the VO wonders. The film then gradually picks-up tempo, and tone. It starts showing scenes of the opposite nature. “It’s time we use our phones in a better way” the VO continues. In a rising crescendo we see many energetic, light-hearted and positive scenes of people using their mobile connectivity to enjoy their lives to the fullest. We start small and get bigger. Intimate indoor settings transition to vast open deserts. Taking the viewer on an empowering journey to the most remote point in Qatar, while still being connected. The film concludes with the simple yet impactful, “Make Better Connections”.

Creative Execution

Director Ali Ali has never set foot in Qatar till this day. This commercial was shot over 2 days in Egypt. A different producer and DP were flown to Qatar to pick-up a set of 6 pre-planned sequences; closely coached by the director and lead producer in Cairo through the process. No CGI whatsoever was utilized to reach the final product. This model was deemed the most efficient due to time, budget and director’s availability constraints (detailed in next section). Below is how it was executed: Through careful location-replication, flying-in 8 Qatari actors and under the guidance of a Qatari consultant we managed to acquire 80% of our target shots in Egypt, including: - 100% of the extremely-iconic Qatari desert. - All indoor sequences (homes/ malls/…etc.) matching real authentic Qatari counter-parts. Only the Doha Skyline sequences (6 in total) are those shot on location. After carefully studying Egypt’s rushes and a long director’s brief, The B-Unit flew to Doha, and continued the shoot. Utilizing all forms of technology in the process –skype, live “whatsapp” feeds, instant rushes uploads- the Cairo team was remotely following up on every step. In a way, even the production of this commercial made better connections!

Credits

Name Company Role
Sherif Farid The Talkies Executive Producer
Khaled Zaki The Talkies Senior Producer
Ali Ali Director
Omar El Zohiery Director's Producer
Shady Amir Cairo Producer
Yasmine Nazmy Doha Producer
George Chalouhi Innovation Films Doha Executive Producer
Pierre Mouarkech Director Of Photography Egypt
Mark Bliss Director Of Photography Doha
Hany Kardous The Talkies Production Manager