ENTRIES ARE CLOSED | STAY TUNED FOR THE WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Winner Story
MSC Ocean Cay by The Warhol Creative
A stop at an exclusive island destination is a massive selling point of any cruise line’s itinerary, but MSC Cruises wanted to highlight their different approach. They partnered with The Warhol Creative to create a short documentary film about the company’s environmental conservation efforts at Ocean Cay, an artificial island in the Bahamas formerly used for mining. Chris Lockerman, Executive Producer at The Warhol Creative, shared how their Davey Award-winning video spotlighted MSC’s island restoration focused on coral reef rehabilitation and their new resort for cruise guests.
What are some of the creative risks you took during the creation of the video?
The two biggest risks we took while creating this particular video for MSC were 1: determining camera placements on the giant cruise vessel, and 2: traveling with a severely scaled down location lighting kit, knowing the island was more than likely going to be baked by the sun. Even flying the drone around the island or diving underneath the waters weren’t as difficult or as risky as trying to conduct interviews in the Bahamian sun without a full gaff kit and proper light modifiers. Since we couldn’t travel with the necessary amount of diffusion (or the grip gear to mount it) or sufficient external location lighting, we were forced to pivot and make small(ish) reflectors and 3 small 6 light LED bi-color battery powered travel kits work. Building a wall of light with 18 small(ish) LED lights was simultaneously ridiculous and hilarious, but it provided the hint of backlight we needed and got the job done in a pinch. And finding safe areas to mount a camera to the side of a gigantic cruise ship, then safely running timelapses with them was by its very nature anxiety inducing. But again, with a little creativity we were able to make it work. Other than that, working with a client and crew that you enjoy, respect and have fun with, while filming in paradise, really made this project kind of risk averse.
What was the biggest obstacle for the video?
The biggest obstacles for this production were the logistics of getting our crew and gear to MSCs Ocean Cay Island and marine research reserve. We had to scale down our gear requirements and really make some run and gun setups work overtime. We also had to file loads of paperwork to legally fly a drone and bring our crew and gear into international waters and then unload in another country. In the end, Field and his team at MSC really were incredible and led us without fail through the entire process. Everything ended up being smooth sailing – pun intended.
What made this partnership with MSC and MSC Foundation special?
This partnership was special because it allowed us to work on something that a giant multinational company is doing (of their own volition) that is intended to make our world, our environment, our future, better. We were able to dig into the research with them and help them craft a unique visual story. A story that needs to be told; a story that needs an audience. We helped define MSCs commitment to sustainability and to provide some guidance to our future generations as we navigate our civilization’s effect on our environment. And personally, as a former student of science, I took particular interest in learning how the process of researching and reintroducing engineered coral into our warming ocean waters could affect our future and perhaps even begin the process of saving our coral reef systems. It’s truly a remarkable endeavor.
How does Warhol Creative define creative success?
Our success is defined by the process of creating, not necessarily by the programs produced. If our team and our people are enjoying the process and learning about the process and getting better at the process, that means they are invested in the idea of creating the best film and video programs possible. They will become the best filmmakers they can be, and the product will take care of itself. Needless to say, the process of creating this film was a blast from start to finish.
What projects are you all currently working on and excited to work on in the future at The Warhol Creative?
We’re really excited to continue our work with MSC Cruises. They are making big splashes in sustainable cruise ship development, and we are humbled to help them visually tell that story. We are also excited to bring our first Original Feature Documentary to distribution later this year and to continue to produce our new docuseries, “Life, Art & Legacy”. And we’re always excited about our work with The Andy Warhol Museum, The Pop District, and our filmmaking fellowship programs for creators across our region. It’s going to be a busy end to the year.
