VIDEO DESCRIPTION:

Play, download and edit the free video Reverie - Commercial Spec for GABRIELLE CHANEL ESSENCE - written directed by Kaitlyn Fae.

Featuring the GABRIELLE CHANEL ESSENCE Eau de Parfum Spray.
Shot on the Black Magic Pocket 6K.

I was lucky enough to be able to write and direct this Chanel fragrance commercial spec--entitled "Reverie"--for Firelight Production last summer. Following COVID-19 safety protocol while sitting in cramped car seats and directing actors to passionately kiss was no joke, but the whole experience was as rewarding as it was challenging!

Since the majority of the team at Firelight Production is Asian-American, we were extremely excited to be able to cast AAPI actors for this piece. With the rise of hate crimes against AAPI up 1600% in the last year alone, we believe it of utmost importance to be able to celebrate Asian culture through art, media, and entertainment (among other sectors).

I thought it would be cool to create a narrative inspired by old 1940's and 1950's Hollywood glam, starring BIPOC characters. Since classic Hollywood movies predominately feature white heroes/heroines, it's always been a goal of mine to delve into cinema that sets empowered people of color within historically claimed "white" spaces. The result is this commercial spec/short film about longing and memory, told through the voice of an Asian male narrator. The "present" portion of the spec is meant to evoke old school noir imagery, while the "past" section is nostalgia wrapped in the lush, dreamlike texture characteristic of Chanel fragrance commercials.

We shot the spec over the course of two days on a Black Magic Pocket 6K, using the MoVI Pro gimble and Sigma art lenses. Astera tube lighting for accents, and for the studio scenes, an Aputure 300D with a spotlight mount was employed to create window patterns in the background.

For the flashback sequence, we incorporated a variety of lighting softeners with the Aputure series of lights. Pro-Mist filters completed the look by giving the visuals an ethereal, almost illusive quality.

Studio scenes were shot in Downtown Los Angeles. Everything else was shot in Pasadena, primarily Pasadena City Hall.

We really didn't have a lot of time to shoot on either day (dang location fees!), so even though we weren't able to get in all the shots and cool angles I'd originally wanted, we made do with the time--and hours of sunlight--given us. We hope you enjoy "Reverie"!

CAST:

Male model: Mao Sun
Female model: Rebecca L'Amore
Male narrator: Stephen Fu
Female narrator: Kaitlyn Fae

CREW:

Director/Writer: Kaitlyn Fae
DP: Dominic Doan
Camera Op/Editor: Allen Chen
Producer/1st AD: Vicky Nguyen
Gaffer: Chandler Desforges
Audio/Boom Op: Jared Payzant
Grip: Moses Munoz
Production Designer: Katie Nguyen
Costumer: Tracy Hang
Makeup: Mai Yang
Hair Stylist: Jenapher Zheng
COVID Compliance Officer: Sapphira Dai
BTS Photographer: John Tieng
Composer: Valerie Tambaoan
Colorist: Fernando Torres
Sound Mixer: Brandon Caldwell

Follow us on Instagram at @firelightproductions
Website: firelightdigitalmedia.com

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