Campaign

Champagne and Campaign

Hello. We're back home now, suffering with a severe case of Cannes-Flu. Any tips for a remedy? This was my first year and I don't think my liver was quite ready for it. It is very strange being back in Noho trying to brainstorm again, on a more normal time-frame compared to the craziness of the competition. I've attached a picture of us celebrating on the beach, having handed in the final film, and catching up on the news before we started back at work...

Anyway, like at the end of a school trip, we thought we'd write a little list of some things we learned out here that we didn’t expect to…

1. The Nigerians and their gods. On the first night, at the Young Lions party, we were chatting to them about how they come up with their ideas. They said that any creative idea they have is simply God speaking to them. They don't just go for a run when they have creative block, or mess around on Facebook, no;  they sit and wait until God is ready to speak. I (Lolly) was shocked - as an atheist I have to wonder where mine come from?

2. If you go to a posh party at a lovely villa up in the hills, don’t expect to ever come home again. There are NO cabs in the hills past 1 am. None whatsover. And none of the numbers work. At all. Expect to stay over and get a cab in the morning, as I did, narrowly avoiding missing my train home.

3. It's going to be very strange going back to normality, and not having everything we do be documented. We got so used to being able to comment to the camera about what was going on, it's now quite odd just being Lolly and Nat, brainstorming on our own, not suddenly finding an MTV lens in our face every five minutes! But I actually like it, it's calmer...

4. Being up against 30 other talented teams from all around the world, all of them speaking different languages, it really was incredible that they all had to think and write in English, despite being from Nigeria, Agentina, all over... We were impressed, and more than a little humbled by their talent and their linguistic prowess. Seeing some of the final ideas that got entered, it really became clear that language is kind of irrelevant when it comes to ideas; that the greatest ideas are universal. I’m not saying anything new there, I know. I guess that's what the Lions festival as a whole is all about. Either way, we're definitely going back next year, so we'll see you in the gutter bar. Or the I can’t believe it’s not gutter bar.

Lolly & Nat x

Oh and p.s. my visa card actually worked in the ATM. Thanks Lloyds, sorry I was a little harsh before.

Files, Formats and Drunken Sailors

Swap 'til you drop - a chick-lit style account of our film shoot (sort of)

Chapter nine

Nat and Lolly stood on the side of the street, their Nokia N95 cameras poised and ready to film. Their hearts in their throats, they watched and clicked 'record' as Isabella from Milan, walked down the busy Cannes high street. She stoppped in her tracks, having seen something across the street. Lolly looked over to see the very striking Olga from Russia, her hair golden blonde, a figure to die for. Olga and Bella checked each other out and smiled at each other. Then, in the bare light of day, Bella pulled her black top over her head, revealing her full double E cup bosom that was bursting out of an iridescent white bra. A shocked crowd of onlookers looked on at the growing spectacle.

Olga looked up, and nervously began to do the same. She's going to bottle it, thought Lolly. She's going to be too nervous for sure... Bella is totally relaxed and in her element, but Olga seems less sure. But hang on, what's this....

Lolly and Nat looked on, amazed as Olga pulled her royal blue dress over her head and stood in her bikini on the street, smiling. A hilarious strip-tease then ensued; the crowds of onlookers laughing and watching with amazement. Then, Lolly and Nat capturing it all on their video cameras, Olga and Bella began to throw their clothes across the street over the traffic. A belt here, a red stiletto shoe there. Then suddenly, a passing motorcylclist received a flying red belt in his face as Olga sent hers flying into his path by accident. Lolly quickly got to her feet and ran after him.

'Je suis desolee monsieur!  Ah i'm sorry! Merci, merci....'

***

Author's note

Luckily our poor cyclist was fine and no one was hurt in the making of this viral film. The police seemed to enjoy the whole thing; the only one who didn't was Mr Grumpy Shop-owner who demanded that we stop or he call the police. We just pretended to finish up and moved further down the street. Luckily our continuity didn't suffer... Anyway, I think we did really well to write the ad, find our cast and location, produce, film and direct it and still have time to buy the cast some bieres, all in one day...! Also it was nice the way we both naturally adopted certain roles - Lolly was head of bag-holding, background artiste cinematography, and making sure all the 'talent' was fed and watered...oh and helping direct the performances. Nat was the main camera(wo)man and did everything else I can't remember now! We worked really well as a team, and most importantly there was No Squabbling!!

All that was left to do by the end of thursday was edit. Mmmm, shouldn't take too long, surely, we thought? We know what we're doing in iMovie! Well, all except for a little thing called the file format converter droplet.

                                                                                                                                                                                                To be continued...   

We open on a beach

'Challenge NatandLollyeka.'

Scene one. 

We open on a beach in the South of France. Lolly and Nat are strolling up and down, scouting for 'talent'. It's boiling hot.

LOLLY: Look here's one. She's got her top off. She looks comfortable with her body? 

 NAT: She's got such an amazing figure! OK. you say it.

LOLLY: No, you.

NAT: NO. I'll help you out. But you're good at this stuff.

Lolly shrugs and they both walk up to Isabella, a stunning Mediterranean sunbather.

LOLLY: Excuse me. Parlez vous Anglais? Sorry. I'm frightfully sorry to bother you. But we have to ask you something which will sound really strange.

BELLA: Hello, yes?

LOLLY: Don't be offended, but we wondered if you were a model, and if you'd strip off in our ad for charity? it's for MTV. We have no money and we have to film it today... It's crazy what we're asking you but you'd be helping us out...No, I can see what I'm asking is nonsense. Don't worry...

BELLA: Sure, i'll do it. When?

Scene two

Another bit of beach. Nat and Lolly scouting for boys. You'll have to imagine the rest as we're running out of time on the computer. Apologies for the radio silence. We have been busy CREATING. It really is incredible what they expect you to do here with no budget, hardly any time and no cast members (except for the Dutch, who have their entourage of 40 fans!). But it's been so much fun and we feel really lucky to be here! NEedless to say we pulled it off, we hired Bella, Olga and two lovely French guys, and they all did an amazing job. More to follow...

C'est fini

It's done. 2 days of creative mayhem, almost being arrested and having nervous breakdowns etc, and the film is DONE. we are too tired to write anything but will do so tomorrow... ! bye for now!
Managed to upload that picture finally too!

Cannes Couture

We just tried to upload a picture of us in our fetching Cannes T-shirts. It may or may not be attached. Do we need technical help with uploading jpegs?

We are not procrastinating. Honest.

Brief Encounter

Bonjour,

A very quick post from us just to say we're just about to get briefed... Then it's probably going to be all quiet on the Lolly & Nat front for 2 days.  

Had our MTV interviews this morning, very early this morning. We were asked questions completely on the spot such as 'how do you define the role of the creative director' and 'what is the 'line' all about' if you had to explain it to martians? We also had to sign lots of scary forms saying that local theory are allowed to use ANY footage of us at all. So if they film us at our very worst, collapsed in hysterics on the floor they can use it... Must try and be on our best behaviour at all times, otherwise 160 countries will be witness to our outbursts. 

Went to Young Lions Party last night on the beach, didn't have our passes so had to BEG the secuirty guards to let us in. We kept saying over and over again - We REALLY are the Young Lions. They didn't believe us, but they finally gave in and we were allowed through. After a welcome glass of champagne, we met creatives from all around the world-including a VERY friendly Nigerian creative team, and a whole brigade of Dutch teams - they all take it so serioulsy, they all came in a big branded Dutchbus! The Dutch won the Print category so they were over the moon.

Today has been relatively calm, we took our hungover selves to the beach and the swam off the rose. And it's gloriously hot which is nice. Right we're going to be late for Final Cut Pro training so have to go..bye for now

L & Nx

We are all in the gutter bar, but some of us are looking up at the stars *

So we’re finally here. After weeks of preparation, we’re here in our gloriously non-plush hotel room. Knowing we don’t have a lot of play-time scheduled in, our first thoughts were – Rosé – and fast – so we’re off in a moment to paint the town red white and blue. We’re just sprucing ourselves up before we go to, cliché of clichés, the famous Gutter Bar, and possibly the Young Lions party... Before that, I’ll quickly tell you all about my train journey. Note: I promise not all of these blogs will be about trains.This is the last, I am certain of it. Anyway, on arrival at the Eurostar terminal (with 45 mins to spare, I might proudly add), I was mortified to learn from Pierre, my friendly Frenchman in the Eurostar booking office, that someone, somewhere, forgot to actually confirm the booking. I had the reservation in my fingertips, printed out, but as Pierre kept saying on a loop, it was an unconfirmed booking, therefore not worth the paper it was written on.

Breaking into a mini panic about missing the train from Paris to Cannes, I quickly phoned the IPA’s travel agent who very slowly, gingerly, after about 6 phone calls, arranged to buy me another ticket so I could still make the train – and therefore the connecting train - by the skin of my teeth. Issued with fresh tickets only 5 minutes before the train departed, I then sprinted through the terminal, cleared security with all four of my bags (don’t ask) and made the train in seconds. But any mounted stress was quickly soothed by the fact that I was now sitting in First Class (economy was now sold out). Joy to the world. A silver lining. I don’t know who’s footing the bill for that boob, I’m hoping it was the travel agent and not the IPA or the nice people at Bauer, but either way I’d just like to say a hearty thanks. I didn’t plan to get light-headed with champagne on the way to Paris, (nor to scupper my bikini diet with a nice dinner of roasted lamb) but it was a very nice surprise. I’ve never travelled first class for anything, and I can SO see what the fuss is all about. I’m certainly taking this journey with me.

OK, so we’re off to the Gutter now. It seems fitting that we’re starting our time here at the lowest point, so to speak. I guess the only way really is up. Fingers crossed we’ll be up in the stars by the end of the week.

Oh and also we promise to try experimenting with blog genres a bit more - we haven't quite had time until now...

Lolly & Nat x


*I wonder, does Oscar Wilde get wheeled out this time every year? Forgive the repetition if so, but it’s just so apt, isn't it?
 

Planes, trains and automated phone systems

Hello

Firstly, our apologies about the length of the last blog. But in the words of Pascal, ‘we didn’t have time to write you a shorter one’. Actually I’ve just looked up this reference to check it was indeed Pascal and it seems there is much web-based disparity over who is in fact the author of this phrase. It’s Samuel Johnson to some people, Mark Twain to others. Oh well, I’m sticking with Blaise, since he predates them all.

Anyway, we are almost on our way. So, some people keep saying to me – ‘oh the glamour  - you and your jetset lifestyle.’ To this I keep having to reply no, not jetsetting, rather, trainspotting. You see, I’m not allowed to fly until August (touch wood) on account of my scuba-induced ruptured eardrum. But it’s fine, really. I think I actually was a trainspotter in a past life. My mum’s the same. We just get really excited about foreign trains. Is that so wrong? I mean, the one from Paris is a double decker!

Anyway, as well as being very nervous about the competition, I’m also very anxious about the moment I get to any French ATM in order to withdraw my first batch of euros. You see, for the last three times I’ve been abroad, Lloyds TSB have blocked my card, ‘in a bid towards fraud prevention.’ Nevertheless, every time, just before I go abroad, I try in vain to call up their call centre to try and forewarn them – ‘please don’t cancel my card, I’m going to need it to work.’ And yet, every time I get the same automated response. ‘No, we can’t put a note on your account. Computer says no.’ So every time I go to take out money, I have to then make a long overseas call to Lloyds, sit in another automated queue to have them reinstate it. Anyway, the reason I say all this is that I find it bizarre, not to mention deeply ironic, that of all the banks on the high street, Lloyds TSB seem the least willing to cooperate with their customers about when they’re going abroad. They are ‘for the journey’, but only in a deeply metaphorical sense. If you’re actually going abroad, it seems you’re better off with another bank. For instance, I’ve heard that some other banks actually have a place on their site where you can let card services know you’re going away. Anyway, rant over. I’ll let you know if my card works or not…I’m sure you’re all on tenterhooks.

Right now I’m off to watch some classic short films on Youtube by way of research. Interestingly (or not) the first one, Le Ballon Rouge, has someone called Pascal as the main character. Ho hum. Anyway, when that’s finished I’ve really got to spend some quality time with my drastically overflowing suitcase(s), try to squash them down a bit…rationalise on a few pairs of shoes… Then it’s off to King’s Cross to begin my epic train journey to Cannes via the Paris metro. All being well, we’ll both write more from Cannes after the Young Lions party...Bye for now,

Lolly.

Meet Lolly and Nat (sort of)

Watch these videos to find out more about us.

Meet Lolly and Nat part one:

Meet Lolly and Nat part two:

Britain’s hopes for Cannes Young Lions glory resting on two blondes

So hello. I'm Lolly, I'm the writer. I write a bit of everything. Ads. Novels. Articles. Post-it notes. And now, apparently, blogs...so here goes.

Only, the trouble is, we’ve hit upon a slight quandary. Most blogs are written by one person. So how does one creative team write a blog?

We’ve decided to try and make our blog a little different. We’ve decided to muck around with the genre itself. We’re going to try and do each one in a different style. One day a screen play; one day a romance novel, another day a we might even write a poem.

For now, we’ll kick things off with the über-girlie ‘diary’ format. We thought we’d have a go at what made old gargantuan-pants Ms Jones so famous – and see what all the fuss is about. Don’t worry, next entry will def. be vvvvv. masculine. But for now I give you Nat’s (with a little input from Lolly)’s first blog/journal entry…

“Dear Diary,”

Hurrah. Countdown has officially begun.

Yey to free lunches at Rushes pool parties, yey to free drinks at the ddb party, yey to feeling like you’re rich and famous, yey to free boat trips and not-so-yey as to chatting to creative directors whilst in microscopic bikini at pool party. But. This year is going to be a little different methinks. Am actually going to have to work. The upside – whole trip is paid for! Hurrah! Is all in exchange of having to create a 60” ad in 48 hours for Cannes Young Lions Film Competition! Against 27 other countries between 8am on Thursday and 5pm on Friday. Gnash! But Why Oh WHY in name of cellulite does the buggering sodding Shots party have to fall right in the middle? It’ll be so tempting…must vow to, upon landing in Nice, quickly metamorphose into perfect conscientious über-industrious party pooper with no desire to go and meet hot men and drink plush rosé on tap whatsoever.

So with only few days left… OK that’s it, I’m sorry, I’ve had enough of Bridget. It’s exhausting and it’s cluttering my train of thought. There’s just not room for three of us ladies in this blog. Sorry Bridge, you’ve got to go. And you Lol. Bye now.

Now where was I?

Yes. So, before I fly like at true easy jet setter to Cannes, I’ve been wondering how to prepare myself as much as possible for the competition. We’ve never made a 60” ad in 48 hours before, nothing even close.  We’ve done briefs with tight deadlines before but never had to also execute an idea in such little time. To make it even harder the brief we have to conquer is also always for a charity. I find doing emotive stuff really hard.

So to try and be as on fire as possible for what will probably be the most stressful 48 hours of my life, should I try and eat lots of brain enriching foods, and exercise a lot to release deep hibernating super sonic creative thoughts? Any tips welcome…

For the previous Young Lion Competitions, creative teams were asked to make a 30” ad in 48 hours. The thing is, this year we have to make a 60” second ad.
Without sounding whiney, I think the art of creating an entertaining 60” ad is much more difficult. I’ve mentioned this to a few people. A lot of people think that 60” is easier as you have longer to tell your story and don’t have to rush it. Whereas I think you have to work doubly as hard to keep people interested for longer. So in the irritating words of Carrie Bradshaw, “I couldn’t help but wonder, are 30” ads harder or easier to make than 60” ones?” What do you think?

The whole thing is about working with what you’ve got. You have to shoot it on a Nokia N95, find a suitable location in Cannes, find free actors, use little dialogue so everyone can understand it AND edit in iMovie. Have I mentioned that this has to be done in 48 hours?! There’ll be none of that sitting in The Mill eating posh sarnies. No, it’s fast-paced iMovie edits in our very own ***-to-ice-cream department, in our suite within the festival hall. It is a little strange that the competition enforces that we the creatives, have to shoot and edit our own ad as well as writing the script. Is this a good or a bad thing? I mean, in the real world that’s not how it works. Shouldn’t everyone be excellent at one or two things, rather than a jack of all trades? But maybe that is what will start to happen. Maybe that is the future. One day creative teams will become triple talented creative, director, editing teams. Should this happen or should we leave the art of directing and editing to the experts? Answers on an e-card.

We’re going to be up against 27 other countries. They look amazing, if the Nokia website is anything to go by at nseries.com/cannes. I wonder what all the other countries’ work will be like? Will their styles be really different? Knowing me I’ll get all competitive and devise ways to sabotage any of their good ideas. Maybe I should introduce them to The Gutter Bar…

The UK have never won this competition before so there’s even more pressure to this year. It goes without saying, we’d give our right boobs to win it. Lol and I have only been together for 6 months so this is the perfect chance to prove what we’re worth. Fingers crossed that a true award winning genius thought will pop into our heads at exactly 8am on Thursday morning. If not then, hey at least we got an expenses paid trip to Cannes. Thanks, IPA…

Bye for now. Will write more in Cannes.

Love,

Nat and Lolly x