Owner and Producer of Brisbane-based Tide Productions, Lauren shared some behind the scenes insight into the opportunity.
“Creating something so steeped in beauty and luxury was a thrill,” she admitted.
“The creative team behind the idea were passionate about making something different, something striking.
“I was fortunate to be approached by the Director, Alex Chomicz, on the back of a recommendation from a fellow Griffith alumnus Letisha Jenkins.
“I didn’t hesitate to work with Alex. He has a long history in architectural projects and he just knew how to bring the building to life. He brought everyone along on his vision to explore how dance and movement can respond to architecture in a playful way.” she said.
Reminiscing about the production, which took place in July and August, Lauren said there were a number of site visits and coffees from the Lobby Bar required to make everything ‘just right’.
“The shoot was designed around how the light interacted with the architecture, so it took a lot of location visits to fully plan the filming days,” she explained.
“As you can imagine it was all hands-on deck when it came time to film, but it was such a pleasure to be a part of.”
Lauren said it was incredibly important to capture the sequence when ballerina Sophie Zoric was gracefully dropped into the pool.
“We only had one chance to get the hero shot,” said Lauren.
“Camera angles needed to be aligned, the dress perfectly positioned to pre-empt the fall and the lighting the correct tone.
“There was certainly no backup for a second take when you drop a ballerina into a pool, wearing a custom made, billowing Bec Malouf piece!”
Lauren also praised the team at the Calile.
“At one stage, there was even an employee dedicated to pressing the elevator button for us,” Lauren said.
While the series of videos have been viewed thousands of times already and are receiving acclaim throughout the industry, seeing the passion in her employees’ eyes during the shoot was one of Lauren’s many highlights, as was working with her close friend and Griffith graduate, Lucy Bland.
A true collaborator, she couldn’t speak more highly of the entire production crew.
“Everyone involved was just amazing. I’m really proud of my Tide Team and what we have achieved,” she said.
“No one was stressed, which means I did my job.”
Four of the ten person team on the campaign were Griffith alumni.
- Lauren Panrucker, Producer and owner of Tide Productions
- Lucy Bland, Creative Director and owner of Studio Bland
- Harrison Hertick, Behind the scenes photographer
- Sabastian Byrne, Lighting assistance and data wrangler
Lauren also has ongoing affiliations with Griffith University, where she has returned as a sessional teacher at the Griffith Film School. Her company, Tide Productions, has also produced the Griffith University Annual videos for the past four years.
Images courtesy of Harrison Hertick.