Our recent work for Svedka is a prime example of the exciting opportunities that arise when creatives come together. Eager to share more about the project, we caught up with Francesca Lentini, a producer behind the Svedka spot, to hear more about the creative process, her favorite moments, and more!
What was your experience working in Mexico City and how did The Lift add value to this experience?
It was really amazing. I enjoyed working closely with Magali, as she takes so much pride in her job and always strives for perfection, which is the same outlook that I ask of my team in LA and NY. She really helped keep me abreast of what we could afford and not afford to do, and every single crew member truly utilized their best talents to execute a difficult job with lots of moving parts.
What makes Mexico City stand out from other cities?
Honestly, Magali and Patricia! I have worked around the world (Paris, London, Buenos Aires, Rio, Lima, Moscow, Capetown, Sydney, Melbourne, Berlin, Munich, Bangkok, Mumbai, Shanghai, and so much more!) and I’ve never been assigned such an amazing local producer and guide. They both went above and beyond to make sure we had a good time and learned about Mexico City.
In your opinion, what was the highlight of this project?
I was just filming in Sydney and was wishing that I was back in Mexico City! It was really nice to be serviced and taken care of. Everyone really wanted to do the best possible job they could and go beyond that—nobody was doing the bare minimum of what was simply required. Of course each project has their own strengths and weakness, but the strengths totally overshadowed any of the weaknesses, and the creative spot totally shows that collective care that went into creating it.
What were the biggest production challenges of the shoot?
Finding the right talent. Certain ethnicities were difficult to source out of Mexico City so we did have to use some supplemental casting from LA to help cover that area.
How did you and The Lift work together to overcome these challenges?
Everyone put in their best efforts to bring in people from all walks of life. The casting director found the most enigmatic man, and he even requested his own dancing music (The Bee Gees), which was fun. It was really difficult to find an older couple that could dance and not come off sad. Our team at The Lift went above a regular scheduled casting session and hosted additional sessions to help us find the perfect cast that would bring the entire narrative to life.
Stay tuned for more Svedka stories!