If this article were a film, we would open on Snow White working as a producer in Dubai in 2006. We would slowly close-in as she bites into the apple that puts her to sleep… for 15 years. Cut to her waking up in 2021. It’s a new world.
She begins her new journey trying to navigate social distancing norms while getting to know the handsome prince waiting there. What other changes would she wake up to in today’s production industry here in Dubai? Let’s cut away to follow her through some areas where she finds some startling differences.
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Snow White sees some changes in how agencies work. Firstly, the rise of the in-house production company in recent years has not only affected the market, it has further blurred the lines between production and agency. She sees the coming of age for the agency producer, who is now more integrated in approach compared to how things were managed in the past. She scratches her head and thinks to herself: “Does it make sense for the client? Is he getting the best resources from the market?” And she realises that’s the old way of thinking. The new agency with the new agency producer makes sure the client is getting the best value for his buck.
We follow her as she discovers there are many new ‘digital’ independent agencies now, which approach ideas differently and make them more experiential, more immersive. She wonders if they have perhaps lost some of the imagination-based perspective of the creative agencies? Nah. Old thinking again.
The new agencies are in fact closer to the consumer with the data-crunching and analytical tools to make videos that are insightful and timely. We zoom out as we see her comparing a creative campaign with a pay-per-click ad. Brands are still building, and selling, she assumes. Good for business.
She decides to visit a set. She sees how involved directors are in the aesthetics of the image, and is relieved that not all things have changed. Directors today are equally involved in storytelling for the brand and the marketers as they were back in the day, if not more so. Pretty awesome. Not worried about 30-sec any longer, she loves the new storytelling techniques. 35mm died a while back, she knows, and she is overjoyed to see that everyone, from client to production, is still excited about producing great looking commercials. Hang on; the shots somehow seem different. While peering into a playback monitor, she’s informed that it’s not about horizontal framing any longer. The deliverables include vertical and square formats. Aha. She begins to understand the new ways of the world.
What else has changed, she wonders?
Cut to her watching the Emirates commercial with the stewardess standing on top of the Burj Khalifa. What a great ad. She is especially impressed by the compositing. Hold on. It’s not a stewardess. And it’s not chroma. And so, she understands the journey of the commercial. Everyone has watched the commercial, but it’s also about the social media campaign supporting the commercial that goes viral. The behind-the-scenes video and the commercial go hand-in-hand, creating an ad that is entertaining, effective and informative. And the videos supporting the commercial create content that is equally entertaining, informative and somehow personal.
It is impressive that social media is an integral part of the campaign, adding to the creative, media and production.
It begins to dawn on her that despite the uncertainties of the past year and a half it’s not old vs new ways of thinking. Its old and new that are working hand-in-hand. While newspapers are almost extinct, in a world of ad-free streaming and power to ‘skip this ad’ at a click of a button, it seems that creative and consumers are working together. What a wonderful equation. If it’s not interesting, no one is going to watch. Simple.
And so, for Snow White, who has only just scratched the surface, it’s not a happy ending… but a happy dissolve to a new beginning.
