We had filmed with designer Ross Lovegrove on a previous project for the Hong Kong Design Centre
Ross is an acclaimed designer who has helped shape products for Apple, Sony and LVMH, and whose designs feature in the permanent collections of MoMA and the Centre Pompidou.
He is known for using the latest technology to create futuristic, organic forms with a signature style that can be found on computers, fragrance bottles, aircraft seats, concept cars, and in this case, two bathroom ranges for Bocchi - New Age and Strata.
One of the great pleasures of working with Ross is that he brings to the filming process the same analytical and detail-orientated mind that he applies to his own designs. Unlike any contributor we have worked with, Ross shared in advance an image of what he planned to wear - an acid-yellow t-shirt and an off-white Y3 bomber jacket - so we could choose a suitable background to shoot against.
As with our previous filming, we chose unusual interview camera angles and a monochrome look & feel to contrast with the colourful b-roll shots of Ross with the two ranges he designed. For each range, we featured a different background with Ross in a different outfit. The backgrounds were textured with paint, and the products were displayed like works of art on specially-made white plinths.
Ross’s interview and the b-roll came together in several different edits for Bocchi. There’s definitely a risk when talking about and filming toilets, sinks and bidets that the subject matter alone will put people off taking it seriously. However, because Ross spoke so clearly and unashamedly about the thought and effort that went into the design and manufacturing process, and because of the unapologetically filmic look to the b-roll material, the end product feels elevated, serious, and even elegant.