The Wade Brothers bring a unique 360 degree production approach to still and film projects

Well-known as conceptual photographers, David Lindsey Wade and Lyndon Wade recently began directing commercials and are frequently tasked with crafting all of a campaign’s components.

Their highly-acclaimed work for edgy British fashion company Fly53, for example, encompasses still photos for print advertising, broadcast commercials, and long-form videos for social networking sites, Fly53 microsites and fashion trade fairs plus POS materials for Fly53 stockists worldwide.

“Campaigns now need to rely on many different kinds of media and marketers are asking, ‘how can we bundle production?’ to yield print, motion and viral content all at once,” says Lyndon.  “For a successful outcome clients need a single creative team with one goal: to develop a cohesive approach to delivering all media efficiently and cost effectively.  Fielding different teams for different media just doesn’t work as well.”

“A single agency creative team working with one ‘360º production team’enables both to maximize resources across the board” adds Lindsey.

“Even campaigns that plan to roll out various media components atdifferent speeds – or that don’t necessarily know all their media needsupfront – still benefit from the creative continuity of working withone production team throughout, with all the cost-saving benefits thatgo with it. By getting involved early on with the concept and problem solving withthe agency and marketer, a single 360º production team can addressissues from a consistent look in all media to how to roll out thecampaign.  “We can explore how the various components play off eachother and strategize the way to launch them so the story unfoldsproperly,” Lyndon explains.

As conceptual photographers, The Wade Brothers are experienced withproductions of all sizes.  “We’re not product shooters: We’re used tobig sets and directing lots of talent,” Lyndon notes.  “We’reaccustomed to mixing CGI in print and shooting run ‘n gun with anunderlying story and purpose.  So our migration to video storytellingwas pretty seamless.”

But the Wade’s expertise in print production means they are often ableto implement a leaner, meaner approach to video production, movingswiftly and nimbly from set up to set up to capture all the assetsrequired for multiple deliverables.  “As photographers who have movedto motion, we know what small crews can do,” Lindsey points out. “While we’d never cut corners in production to compromise quality,we’re not locked into certain notions of crew size.  For instance, werecently did a one-day shoot for Microsoft that yielded six interactivevideos and nine print ads, all with a hybrid still crew.”

A single 360º production team is also able to allocate resourcesefficiently across media and avoid the kind of duplication that runs upthe budget.  “We’re able to utilize the same wardrobe and props, rentthe same lighting fixtures, build sets for print and broadcast, hirethe same support staff, stylists and players,” says Lyndon.  “Even whenwe power down to switch out lighting, for instance, there’s really nodown time.  We’re shooting continuously.”

When agencies and marketers opt to take the 360º production team approach with The Wade Brothers, they’re actually getting two directors who can pursue dual 360º production tracks simultaneously.

“It can be hard for one director to be responsible for so much imagery with such quick turnarounds,” Lindsey acknowledges.  “Sometimes Lyndon and I split a project: We take a divide and conquer approach.  The team aspect both of us bring to a job can be a big part of the production.”

“With so much more required from a campaign you often need more than one head on it,” Lyndon agrees.  “With Lindsey and I, one of us can focus on capturing the print assets while the other concentrates on the live-action assets, yet we both have a cohesive thought process.”

The expertise The Wade Brothers have already gained in two years of 360º production positions them well for the future.

“We’ve been able to adapt to the new production model more easily than many directors. We’re in the forefront of the 360º approach. Advertisers are changing how they communicate with consumers, and we’re excited about that. We want to support where the industry is headed as it moves into a new era,” said Lyndon.

The Wade Brothers are represented in Asia by Redorfe Photography. You can view The Wade Brothers work on the Redorfe website and also their own Wade Brothers website.