This is the rhythm of Swift
Swift
Brand Film
The Briefing
Each year, Swift organizes Sibos, an international event that brings together financial industry leaders from around the world. This year, Beijing was the host city. To welcome the thousands of visitors, Swift wanted a movie that showcased their services. The brief: to be as epic and cinematic as possible!
The story we wanted to tell
We’ve defined a gallery of characters in different parts of the world. They are connected by instant financial transactions. Regardless of time or place, we demonstrate the stability and flexibility of the Swift network. We use visual and audio metaphors to illustrate the instantaneous nature of the transactions in our lives, to the beat of the “get it now” era…
Laurent Stine, Film Director.I love making this type of film, which is based on a frenetic pace, with particular attention paid to the staging of situations.
The Creative Process
Producing a film for Swift is always a challenge, as the messages to be conveyed are always quite abstract and complex. You have to be able to create a metaphorical visual universe while staying in line with Swift’s very corporate goal.
The starting point here was a copy that we were able to rework to incorporate rhythm. The idea of structuring the film around a musician, a timpanist, whose powerful instrument immediately establishes a very assertive and imposing side, allowed us to give the narrative a dynamic feeling. Next, we integrated visual universes that were different enough to allow the viewer to feel the international scope of the company.
Production
The biggest challenge was to make this movie without traveling. We shot everything in Brussels. So scouting was essential.
We also decided to keep the camera moving most of the time. Handheld, Steadicam, golf cart dolly, slider, the camera moves to the rhythm of our characters.
Post-Production
We used 3D to recreate the Shanghai skyline. The buildings were reintegrated in post-production into shots shot on a rooftop in Brussels. We also used a green key for the Tokyo skyline.
Beyond the image, sound also plays an important role in the narrative. A musician composed an original score to set the rhythm of the film and bring our timpanist to life, filmed without live sound.