ETAM, the Spanish lingerie brand, recently launched the “Free from Labels” campaign: a manifesto that incites all women to free themselves from the pressures of unrealistic beauty standards imposed by the fashion world.
The protagonists of the advertising campaign are four very different women: the acclaimed actress Blanca Suarez and a variety of women representing different ages and backgrounds. Each performs a typical daily ritual: they look at their image in the mirror, but instead of scrutinizing their bodies with perplexity on their faces, it is possible to discern a feeling of appreciation and pride in their reflection. And this is the element that unites them.
Director Pablo F. Garvía and DP Ignacio Barreto Gutiérrez take us behind the campaign, discussing the unrealistic ideal of the perfect body that looms over women today and how they shaped this concept into images using the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K.
Image Credit: Rossana Diodato
Produced in Madrid, Ignacio explains that the script involved capturing the commercial’s four protagonists on any given day in their respective bedrooms.
“I remember that one apartment was located on the fourth floor with no elevator access and a balcony measuring less than half a metre wide. The limited space available posed a big logistical challenge, so we shot everything hand-held. That is where our choice of the camera came into its own, affording us a greater range of movement despite the lack of space and led to a less intrusive approach,” he says.
“For the shoot, we chose Sigma Cine 18-35 T2 zoom since they shorten the distance and create a more intimate atmosphere. We wanted the viewer to empathise with the women when they look at themselves in the mirror and accept their bodies as if they were there with them,” Ignacio continues.
White light was a key element throughout the entire shoot, according to Ignacio. “We wanted to create a soft and diffused atmosphere and give a feeling of acceptance. All the shoots happened indoors with natural light coming in from the windows of the bedrooms. I rated the camera natively at 400 ISO, underexposing by 1 stop to achieve the right balance of detail in the shadows and good contrast levels elsewhere in the images.”
Image Credit: Rossana Diodato
“Exposed to all manner of idealized body types, the purpose of this campaign was to address those stereotypes and make women feel happier in their own skin,” explains Ignacio. “We took four very different women as part of this and wanted to reproduce what makes each of them unique. That required accurate skin tone and color representation that was authentic yet cinematic, while still retaining the delicate details and finishes of the lingerie they modelled.
Having multiple resolutions and frame rates at one’s disposal is crucial in the advertising industry, where the watchword is to adapt to the ever evolving ecosystem of social media platforms. “We acquired in 4K UHD at 50fps using ProRes HQ, completing the edit and grade in DaVinci Resolve,” says Pablo.
“Having captured images capable of creating empathy, our goal in the edit was to create an aesthetic developed around warm tones and an almost ethereal atmosphere that reinforced the broader message of the campaign,” Pablo continues.
Image Credit: Rossana Diodato
The “Free from Labels” campaign was broadcast in all of ETAM’s stores to remind women to break the mould, get rid of labels, and feel comfortable in their skin.
“The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K has helped us to carve a moving yet defiant campaign with an amazing imagery and a number of creative angles. Also, we are proud of having created visuals able to offer a different approach at perceiving women’s beauty,” the director and cinematographers conclude.
[source: Blackmagic Design]
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