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Some said we were crazy for filming an East Coast home in the dead of winter. We said, “Bring it on.”
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]It’s been months since the promise of a white Christmas encircled your heart with anticipation and longer since your sun-starved shoulders and sleeve-hidden forearms have seen the light of day. If you were in Washington, D.C., New York, the Midwest or any other snow-stricken area of the country last week, you’re likely really over winter.
Not coincidentally, right about now, the Interwebs start buzzing with advice on how to survive the tail end of the chilly season: everything from making like a Scandinavian to choosing the healthiest winter foods. We’re a marketing company, so we’re not going to dive into any of that stuff (at least not during work hours). And we’re also based in SoCal, so we won’t try to recount our own cold-weather suffering (or lack thereof).
But we have had to make the most of shorter days and cooler temps in a different scenario: filming our most recent project, Hurlingham, a 13-acre estate in Greenwich, Conn., in the middle of winter. Here’s how our crew turned a potentially drab situation into a beautiful one:[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” bg_position=”left top” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” class=”no-labels”][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
1. We embraced winter light.
Winter light is cooler and more fleeting than bright summer light. It makes color appear less saturated. Shadows appear softer and longer, if even appearing at all. In winter, a morning sunburst sparkles subtly instead of announcing itself boldly. Amber leaves look beautiful against a contrasting backdrop of gray twigs and sky. Soft afternoon light plays on furniture in an empty room gracefully, rather than lighting up the space in technicolor.
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Winter is about the family being together, thoughts of winter holidays, and having time to reconnect. It’s about wonder, hope, and recognizing times past. We crafted our narrative film around these feelings, incorporating some of the seller’s favorite memories, to best utilize the stage winter set for production. Lucky for us, the snow melted and we were able to push the greens in post so it seemed like the next season of life was soon to come in our ending aerial shot.
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2. When we didn’t have light, we made it ourselves.
Shorter days meant we had less time to capture sunny mornings, but that fact proved to be less of an obstacle than many would believe. In fact, sometimes, we prefer to shoot at night because we can control our lighting better than we can during the day. That’s the case with these two shots. Even though they were taken at night, we lit our scenes to appear like warm, evening light.
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3. We brought a dormant landscape to life.
Winter time is family time, so we were able to capture some fantastic indoor shots of mom and the kids reading stories together (see above), cuddling on the couch and playing chase. In addition to showing life inside, we took it outside, illustrating the good times that can be had in cooler temps. Both settings served as ideal backdrops for the emotional core of our marketing efforts.
The things that matter, for better or worse, are found in the everyday. At home. Instead of aiming for an elementary message like “you want an extravagant place like this,” we knew our buyer had to experience something deeper and truly meaningful. The value is not in luxury for luxury’s sake. It was about connection, meaning, and living an abundant life.
(By the way, It didn’t hurt that this property had a hockey rink, complete with glass, boards and gear to help convey the idea of winter fun. You don’t get that opportunity every day).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” bg_position=”left top” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” class=”no-labels”][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” bg_position=”left top” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left”][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]In Hurlingham’s short film, our narrator opens by asking, “What’s a full life?” This brand package gives an audience the time, sense of place and the right visual backdrop to contemplate that question.
Want to see more of our process? Look behind the scenes at Hurlingham.
Or, view the finished product at www.HurlinghamDrive.com.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]