Poptop’s brand new feature ad – ‘Meet Angel’ – is turning some heads in the events industry right now. We thought we’d sit down with some of the people behind to see how it came together. First off, we caught up with the video’s director, Rebecca Hughes from House Of Hues.
Before we get to the interview, go ahead and check out the video, telling Angel’s story.
The video came along with a hero photo shoot, featuring some incredible profile shots of Angel himself, along with some feature reels on his best-selling cocktails. You almost want to reach through the screen and grab hold of one!
Don’t worry, we can’t stop looking at them too.
Let’s hear from the director herself – the brilliant Bec Hughes. We started by asking her how she got involved and how she found working with the Poptop team.
1. How did you come on board with this project?
I was recommended to James and Lee by another client. Actually it was your Finance Director, Anita.
2. What was it like to work with Angel and the Poptop team?
I absolutely LOVED working with Lee, James and Angel. Lee and James have been fantastic communicators right from the get-go. Organised, professional, good fun, and I think we all felt we’d work really well together right from our first meeting. Creatively we are all on the same page and we seem to approach work with the same ‘hard working and good laughs along the way’ ethic. They are genuinely good humans who value other humans!
Angel is a super cool guy who was fantastic to capture on film and still images. He’s thought a lot about the aesthetic of not just his drinks but also his whole brand and as someone who works in that space, it’s always a buzz to work with capture things and people that look great. He was a little nervous about being interviewed so we started the shoot by getting him behind the bar in a space where he felt most relaxed, and I think that showed in the final product.
(Everyone feels this way about Angel, it’s his superpower) – Dom
3. Were you as inspired as we were by Angel’s story?
Absolutely. I’ve always been fascinated by humans. We’re such an interesting bunch. And I always say that everyone has an interesting story to tell. Angel is obviously no exception. I love that he’s finding some very well-deserved recognition and success. It was great learning more about him during the shoot and what inspires him and how he brings this to the cocktails he creates. Everything from music, to being near the ocean, and rollerblading. Such an interesting guy. A lot of what he spoke about really resonated with me.
4. What was the best part of the shoot?
Hmmm, that’s a tough one. There’s always a lot to think about and a lot to get through on a shoot day like that. So stress levels are high, for me at least. But I’m really conscious that, as the photographer/videographer, my mood and energy has a profound effect on everyone else in the room, especially the main subject. So I always try to stay buoyant and happy to keep the mood light and relaxed. This also creates space for creativity and for everyone to feel they can have some input and suggestions. After all it really is a team effort, so more brains are better than just one.
Thinking back to the shoot day, there were two things that really stood out. The first was hearing Lee and James over my shoulder getting VERY excited about what we were capturing.
(I know exactly what that looks like – giddy children) – Dom
To have clients get as excited about visual things as I do made me realise we are kindred spirits. It’s usually me feeling all giddy but hiding it on a shoot. But that day we were all geeking out on how great things were looking on the back of the camera.
The other fun thing was when Angel mentioned he could blow a bubble full of smoke and put it on the cocktail. Myself, James and Lee were nearly falling over ourselves at the idea of this. It’s simple, but so much fun. We also captured a bit of ASMR style sound effects from Angel working behind the bar. That was also super fun.
Aside from these bits, for me the overall feeling that we were working so well as a cohesive unit was super satisfying. No big egos. No one getting ‘stressy’ or demanding, just all of us getting on with the job at hand and staying focussed on producing great work together.
5. How is it the same or different from other projects you’ve worked on?
I shoot loads of different subject matter in loads of different industries: fine and contemporary art galleries, schools of all ages, engineering, travel and tourism, food and beverage, architecture and interiors, products, community projects, artists, the list goes on and on. So every shoot is different as is every client. I love my clients and I consider myself very lucky to work with people who I genuinely enjoy and respect. Poptop feels like another fantastic client for the reasons mentioned above and I’m really looking forward to seeing where this goes.
If you’d like to see more of Rebecca’s work at House Of Hues, just click below.