I had the pleasure of meeting Claudia while she was working with another company, later we crossed paths again during Pitti in Florence, here is where I shared my idea of a photo and video production shoot in the Algarve that would be perfect for her client. We discussed producing a country-style shoot that would tell the story of MCS Wild and country soul that made the brand famous in the 90s.
The client contacted me in July, we planned to organize the shoot for September/October.
Our goal was to produce about a 100 images for the website and the social media content of the year 2023 , and we had until February for the delivery of the materials, which gave us plenty of time to work on the project.
Have a look at the look book page on Mcs website 😍
The visit at Mcs showroom
Claudia and I were in touch we decided a day to see the collection in Milano. The brand had undergone several transformations over the years and wanted to go back to its origins, to his wild and country soul that made him famous in the 90s. The collection of the Spring Summer 23 had many garments and different styles and colors. They had a lot of options so I trusted my taste and I did the selection of the clothes remembering what in my imagination were the classic garments of the brand: suede or leather jackets, denim, t-shirts, plaid shirts, country belts. I should think about 10/15 looks that I would prepare in Portugal, once I was there with also all the accessories. I thought of using used boots, hats and some necklaces/bracelets that I should search by myself to complete the looks.
Location scouting in the Algarve with Massimo & Joao
I video called Massimo the day of the visit at the showroom and sent him all the clothes I choose for the photo and video production, in our call I told him I had seen horses on the dunes of Carrapateira, and it seemed to
me a right proposal for MCS, so Massimo the photographer, and Joao the video maker discussed the project together and went location scouting a couple of mornings in the area of Carrapateira where they found an old farm, a rock backdrop that had perfect colors for the collection and a desert street for the wide pictures at this point with the clothes and locations in mind they brainstormed a story that would bring the vision of the production to life in the Algarve.
A Country story about two friends who reunite in the Algarve after a long time apart and go horseback riding together.
One of the characters would drive an old pick up , coming from far north and the other one a man living in the beautiful area of the Algarve with the passion for horse riding.
At this point, we also needed to find a "vehicle" for one of the protagonists, Massimo found an old rusty Nissan pick up belonging to a Restaurant owner from Sagres . It was perfect.
The Models
The customer asked for two models.
Local people, as we have always done in our productions that could best interpret the Algarve country images we had in mind. We thought of Francisco, a handsome man, friend of Massimo from Lisbon, and Laszlo a local guy from Sagres with a very interesting and photogenic face and long hair.
Massimo met both and snapped some quick shot to showcase to the client , we forwarded the pictures
and the customer liked them right away.
Planning theVideo and photoshoot days
When planning the video and photoshoot days, we knew that every minute would count. We had scheduled the shoot for the end of October, and we only had two days to capture everything we needed. That's why we took great care in planning out every aspect of the shoot, from the locations to the models to the wardrobe and equipment.
One of the key aspects of our planning was figuring out how and where to move location after location. We wanted to make sure that we made the most of our time, so we planned out every detail, allowing time for a nice lunch at the amazing local restaurant, Carlos. It's safe to say that the food there was absolutely delicious, and taking a break to refuel and recharge helped boost morale and energy levels.
During the shoot, we remained flexible and ready to adapt to any unexpected changes For example, when the weather suddenly changed and started rain, we had to switch up the order of the shoot to take advantage of the best lighting conditions.
Overall, planning and flexibility were key to the success of our video and photoshoot. We were well-prepared and able to handle all the challenges that came our way, resulting in a fantastic final product that we're incredibly proud of.
The editing process
After the shoot, we selected a wide number of photos for the client we made them choose 100 between our favourites after that we edited the photos and video footage, selecting the best shots and putting together a cohesive story that would showcase the brand in the best possible light. The final materials were delivered to the client in January, well before the deadline.
The client was very happy with the results, and the photos and video were used in the brand's social media campaigns, website, and print advertising. The photo and video production shoot in Algarve perfectly captured the essence of the brand's country style, and the natural beauty of the Algarve made for a stunning backdrop.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and we were grateful for the opportunity to work with such a great client and showcase our skills in photo and video production.