Every so often the parts of a project just fall into place; a simple concept, a trusting client, a watertight script, and solid local talent. It’s a synergy director Jules Lucas revelled in recently with client Chapel St Precinct, and the result is telling. Jules sat down and walked us through the happy process of ‘Don’t Netflix and Chill’, a series of shorts written and directed by Wildebeest’s resident comedic commentator.
How did the project come about? What was the brief?
CSP needed to draw people off the couch and back onto the famous strip. I imagine business is slower than it once was and so they needed to get the attention of a younger audience who are choosing Uber Eats over a lovely night out. Make them feel like the couch is a far worse option than getting out and living life.
How was the idea conceived and developed? Describe the process behind developing the brief into a concept?
Crafting any idea is a balance with creating an interesting idea that responds to the brief while ensuring that it’s achievable within the budget. My main focus was to really drill down on what the worst things are about being on the couch. Those moments that really crystallise why getting involved in life is always the best option.
I drew from some of my own experiences, being hungover on the couch and feeling like making the trip to the kitchen for a glass of water feels like climbing Everest. You become a pathetic person, who through self-inflicted behaviour, can barely operate.
The laziness of ordering food online has plenty of pitfalls, so I aimed to target these all in one go. I figured if I can paint the people on the couch as people we don’t want to be, then the alternative of going to Chapel St Precinct seems like heaven.
The client gave you a lot of freedom, how does that impact the project?
It was great working with CSP for that reason. They really believed both in the idea, but also in us to deliver it. This kind of freedom meant that I had the opportunity to really work with the talent and try different things on the shoot days to get the best performance and end result.
What other elements were made the concept work?
The right location was crucial. The Airbnb that we found already had so many aesthetically interesting element. It meant that we didn’t need to spend a lot of the budget on set dressing and expensive furniture.
I also wanted the couch scenes to feel very stagnant to reflect the laziness we see in each film. So shot everything on a tripod. Whereas the final Chapel St Precinct scenes are shot on a shoulder rig to get a bit of movement, with the actors having more energy to them.
Then from there, it was a matter of finding the right talent to bring the script to life. I’ve worked with Jackson in the past and so knew he’d be great for it. And I’d seen some of Hannah’s work and had always wanted to work with her. She was amazing and really brought the spot to life.
