For Mexican director, photographer, and writer Fernando Guisa, nothing is simple. Bringing immense passion and acute attention to detail to every project, his work is a reflection of what it means to give everything you have to your craft.
Developing his unique style drawing equally from history as well as the cutting edge, Fernando has been working in Mexico’s audio visual industry professionally since he was seventeen. Constantly creating for both work and pleasure, he is able to bridge the gap between narrative fiction and commercial advertising to create a compelling brand story. Take his work with “Agua Mágica” – a sipping Mezcal brand which centers the aesthetic ritualism and magic ceremony of celebration associated with the drink – an eccentric company which requires out of the box creativity when it comes to their strategic advertising. Never afraid to test the limits of commercial work as a medium, Fernando turned what could have been a generic thirty-second spot full of bottle shots and party scenes, into a stunning portrait of history, culture, and folklore, perfectly aligned with the brand’s ethos in the form of a short film.
As he continues his work with The Lift as an in-house director, he is looking to strengthen this connection between narrative storytelling and the commercial world. “You can’t attach yourself to the product, in that approach the art will suffer,” Fernando explained. “It is important to capture the experience, the expression of a brand, because that is what is truly being sold to the consumer.” When it comes to constructing these personalized portrayals, Fernando understands that a cohesive vision takes relentless effort. “I don’t sleep,” he stated with a smile, “I am working on two feature films, a new series, and I select new commercial work very strategically so I can continue to dedicate myself completely to my work.” Luckily, in his vampiric tendencies towards insomnia, his drive to create something new and compelling supplies him ample energy.
While watching Fernando’s work now and in the future, it is vital to be aware of his sleight of hand. Fond of magic and a practicing magician since childhood, Fernando values the true magic of visual arts – particularly how the unseen can prove just as valuable as what is shown plainly. “When I was younger practicing magic, I would never show a trick to others unless I could fool myself first in the mirror,” Fernando said, “It is the same with films, except now the mirror is the editing suite. Film is easily manipulated, and that is an essential part of the storytelling process – getting the magic trick behind the story to appear so subtly that the audience remains completely immersed.” Today, Fernando works behind the illusions and smokescreens of filmmaking to deliver a genuine emotional experience for audiences.
Scroll below and click here to experience a piece of Fernando Guisa’s enchantments for yourself.
