The test of a good filmmaker is in how much they can do within the parameters they’re given. Commercial shorts, as an example, aren’t traditionally long in duration but they need to pack a punch and create an instant impression on the viewer. That’s where Nicola Martini steps in with his film The Shape of Life, a commercial short created for jewellery brand Serafino Consoli that sees a lone woman dancing amongst a mountainous region slowly becoming intertwined with a malleable flowing entity. Under two minutes in length, Martini populates his short with instantly distinctive imagery that conveys power and intensity, leading all the way to its climactic finale. DN spoke with Martini about the ideas behind his pitch for the short, his evolution as a filmmaker within the commercial sphere, and the creative decision to combine classical and modern elements across each aspect of The Shape of Life.
What was your pitch to Jumpp for this film?
I wanted to merge nature, the mountain, with VFX, dancing and flying around a woman who, in turn, dances and eventually flies, in order to generate, in relation to the product, a climax of beauty, memories, and life. The storyline was built following this simple purpose, which is somewhat the soul of the film. Together with the Jumpp team, we immediately agreed to pursue a realistic and unpolished rendering that focused on visual and dramaturgical intensity, even if only hinted at.
With a commercial spot you’re often trying to convey a lot within a short period of time. For you, was it about translating that soaring, climactic feeling you mentioned there into the film from the off?
Every production choice was made to achieve that kind of mood and tone, both in interior locations and in the high mountains. This was also to ensure that the few shots taken in the studio with motion control and a high-speed camera appeared deliberately distinct, integrating into the storytelling with an immediately evocative and different impact. I wanted to bring a fragment of the mountain, obviously reconstructed with scenic materials, into the studio as a fragment of the past returning.
We immediately agreed to pursue a realistic and unpolished rendering that focused on visual and dramaturgical intensity.
You’ve been making commissioned films for a while now, working with many reputable brands. How do you feel you’ve evolved as a commercial filmmaker over the last few years?
Each project is a story in itself, and certainly over the years, I have grown as a director, even if not all commercial projects allow you to demonstrate that. The more I work in this field and grow, the less I care about trends, although obviously it’s vital to be aware of things and receive influences, and just the aesthetic impact. What I try to pursue, when the project allows it, is an emotional search, a personal dramaturgy that works intensely with the aims of the film, as well as aesthetic and narrative obviously. This means having something to say. The rest for me is boring, often all the same and of very little depth. I want to have my artistic and moral gaze on the stories I stage for brands and even more on my personal projects.
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How did you source both the mountain location and the interior? What were you looking for from each of them?
We searched for the locations carefully and then chose them because they conveyed something different and empathetic to us. I wanted them to be important, rich in history and authority. For example, I never looked for a classic dance hall for the interiors.
I want to have my artistic and moral gaze on the stories I stage for brands and even more on my personal projects.
Do you storyboard before a shoot or frame shots on the day?
Creating a storyboard is important for me, often fundamental. In some projects more, in others less. If I prepare a detailed storyboard, the work of the different departments is better and I, the director of photography and the actors have more flexibility and possibilities in looking for an instinctive and improvised shot that was not foreseen… it’s obvious but it’s one thing which I fervently seek because it is these unexpected and instinctive shots that usually give the film more pathos. Something that is not programmable, which amazes you and perhaps excites you, but which is only possible if you have previously programmed at least the base. Roland Barthes calls it the Obtuse Meaning and for me it is one of the pivots on which I turn my artistic and philosophical thoughts when it comes to directing.
What were you shooting on? Was it the same kit for both the exterior and interior shots?
We shot with Arri Alexa LF as the camera and Signature Prime lenses, and then with a Phantom for high-speed shots in the studio.
I wanted to achieve a piece with dramatic power that combined classical and modern elements, classical sounds with synthetic ones.
How long were you in production for and how much of an impact did post-production have on the finished film?
The shooting days were three, plus the necessary time for location scouting and technical, scenic, and choreographic preparation. Obviously, all the VFX work and post-production, expertly and tastefully handled by the Postwanted studio, were articulated, meticulous, and very creative. The same goes for the original music: I wanted to achieve a piece with dramatic power that combined classical and modern elements, classical sounds with synthetic ones. I could say the same for every aspect of the film, from cinematography to editing, etc.
You mentioned about combining classical and modern elements in each aspect of the film, could you talk more about that? Why did you want to blend these two forms?
Because firstly, they are part of me, they are part of my vision of cinema and art. For me, the truly successful works that manage to influence me and withstand the test of time are those that combine these two souls… of course, every project, every film, can combine them in different amounts. This is a skill that I seek a lot both as a viewer and as an author.
What will you be working on next?
I am working on several various advertising projects and I am also preparing a small narrative film that I absolutely care about, subversive and crazy
