"¿Was the Film Craft category the most underestimated at the Cannes Advertising Festival 2023?"
Apparently the Film Craft category at Cannes 2023 was a tailor-made award for Advertising Film Production companies. Style was favored over content.
However, it remains a valuable resource for learning about the art of creative advertising. It still offers a valuable space for copywriters or art directors who want to grow because it presents unexpected results. Exceptional pieces in their own way. Perhaps not in the way award juries expect.
Advertising Film Production pieces focused on social impact were overrepresented this year at Cannes.
Campaigns focused on social impact/social justice should be evaluated at advertising festivals with a more demanding eye.
I believe this year's jury might have celebrated Advertising Film Production pieces with a more challenging task to achieve than they did.
For example, the Gold Lion for Sotetsu had an enormously difficult task: to advertise a new train line on a railway network. But the charm, craft, and creative style employed to achieve this were on another level. On the other hand, the Gold Lion for Apple automatically touches an emotional chord due to its theme. Essentially, it's simply a series of inspirational vignettes that are beautifully conceived and professionally crafted. But was this film craft challenge as difficult as Sotetsu's? In my humble opinion, no. I would argue that another great Gold winner with a focus on social justice for Telefonica is a similar case.
Nevertheless, the category also provided many highlights this year. Here are the standout aspects of the Cannes 2023 Film Craft Lions.
2023 Cannes Film Craft Grand Prix. High-level Advertising Film Production.
The Grand Prix winner was Kendrick Lamar's music video, titled 'We Cry Together'. There are restrictions to watch it, but click here and you'll find it on YouTube. You won't regret it. It's a masterpiece of film craft and Advertising Film Production.
Gold Lions for Film Craft de Cannes 2023
The Sotetsu piece in Japan, which, for us, should have won the Grand Prix. The seamless visual work is top-notch. Impossible to look away from it. A great piece of Advertising Film Production.
This upcoming piece of work for Telefonica is on another level in terms of craft. It has an extensive duration for a communication piece, but it's highly recommended. Watch it in its entirety.
'The Greatest' is the title of the piece for which Apple wins the following Gold Lion. It's a bit disappointing for the Gold, but it's also excellent and rightfully earned its place at the festival. Perhaps a Silver would have been more fitting.
Finally, there's another music video that received the Gold Lion, directed by Pharrell, 21 Savage, and Tyler the Creator. The finish is on another level. Simply incredible. If you can't watch it, search for these artists on YouTube, and you'll find it.
2023 Cannes Film Craft Silver Lions
Another piece of work was presented for Apple in which, in my opinion, they managed to do a better job than the Gold Lion winner for the same brand. This Advertising Film Production piece is perfectly executed, without any flaws in its execution. It is truly remarkable.
The following advertisement from Panasonic in Japan is a clear example of the wonders of the Film Craft category. Although the concept itself may be a little difficult to grasp, the production quality and emotional impact of the images fully make up for it. It's impossible to look away or not be moved. It's a charming, strange, and wonderful advertisement.
The piece of Commercial Film Production from the Royal Ontario Museum shown below is extraordinary and astonishing. Undoubtedly, it deserved the Gold award. Pay special attention to the sound design in this work. It grows and explodes with impressive power. It's fantastic. Although this piece of work wasn't recognized in any other category at the Cannes Festival 2023, it highlights the importance of the Film Craft category as a fundamental place for creatives to learn and improve their skills.
From Thailand, we present an advertisement for a yogurt, yes, a yogurt. It is truly unique. Extraordinarily strange and beautiful. The way it unfolds, the cast, and the editing are of great quality.
Next, I present to you this magnificent piece of work, once again in the realm of Social Impact Communication. The talent of the director and everyone involved in the production is undeniable. It is exquisitely filmed. Although the subject is extremely worthy of attention, creatively, it does not pose a significant challenge.
Libresse continues to expand its successful legacy of great works with this latest piece. It is truly well-crafted.
Here we have another beautiful narrative piece. Again, a touching story and another impactful social work. The director's skill is undeniable. The editing is wonderful, and the sound design is perfectly executed. Moreover, it features a truly interesting composition. It's definitely worth watching.
Dove has been a frequent participant in award festivals for about 20 years, ever since they decided to take a stance on body image and body positivity. They have done remarkable work over the years, and this continues to prove it. Pay close attention to how this communication piece is constructed. It's incredibly well-done. It stays true to their legacy but also paves the way for their future development.
An impeccable recreation of Rocky. This piece of work is amazing. It's refreshing to see something positive and full of energy being recognized in this category, which, to be honest, has been a bit disheartening until now.
2023 Cannes Film Craft Bronze Lions
Do not underestimate the Bronze Lions! Many creatives only focus on the Grand Prix and Gold winners, overlooking the rest. However, there are always gems among the Bronze Lions, regardless of the category. Maybe not all of them will catch your attention, but there will always be something charming and unexpected.
Let's take, for example, this first piece of work for CashApp. I love it. I wish it had received more recognition throughout the festival. Its appearance is simple, but achieving simplicity exceptionally can be enormously difficult. This work captures that aesthetic perfectly.
Here we have Apple again. While it's well done, for the most part, it's simply a product demonstration ad. Although the cast and editing are beautiful. Good job.
This next piece of work from Squarespace managed to win several Silver and Bronze awards in different categories during the Cannes Advertising Festival 2023. If there was any category where it deserved the Gold award, it would definitely have been in Film Craft. Despite deserving Gold, it ultimately received Bronze. But that's Cannes and the randomness of who makes up the jury (and who leads it as Jury President) at that moment. Still, it remains an excellent piece of work.
The next Coca-Cola ad is quite fun. The ad itself is good, but the technical mastery is impressive. The integration between live-action and animation is beautiful. Though we've seen the same concept before, a large multinational budget takes it to another level.
This brand, Penny, won the Grand Prix in the Film Craft category in 2022. They've kept the same style of work in this new ad. Although, in reality, the 2022 Grand Prix is just a little better.
The essence of this beautiful ad lies in the wonderful original song composed exclusively for it. Sometimes, simply singing your proposal in a charming way is all that's needed. As an example, we can see "Dumb Ways to Die". Having talented musicians in a creative department is always an advantage. Check it out directly on YouTube.
And once again, here we have another work with a Social Impact approach. This one stands out among the majority in this category. It presents a captivating concept, directed and produced exceptionally beautifully.
Here's a simply brilliant piece from Thailand. It's fun and full of good humor. I love it!
Here's another cleverly twisted idea that is amazingly well-executed. It's really joyful.
This is a notably subtle and elegant direction piece from New Zealand. I hope the director rewarded their editor for their effort on this project.
The last Bronze Lion of this year is for another social impact campaign. The camera work and film grading are excellent. However, I believe the theme has influenced the attention it received in the Film Craft category at the Cannes Festival 2023. Do you have a different opinion? Let me know!
In summary:
There is so much spectacular work in this category! But I encourage you not to worry about the color of the award each one received. Many Bronzes deserved Gold, but as always, the juries are different each year and always leave their personal touch on the awards.
Let's hope that next year's jury recognizes a wide variety of cinematic styles! Nevertheless, there is much to admire. I hope you enjoyed exploring the Film Craft category at the Cannes Festival 2023, and that it was beneficial for you!
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