shaun fenn shoots fed ex holiday
The phrase “checking it once, checking it twice” took on a whole new meaning for Shaun Fenn this Christmas while shooting a new multi-platform holiday campaign for FedEx, concepted by the Integer Group in Dallas.
At the outset, the assignment might have seemed simple enough; photograph a series of images of talent opening a FedEx package in a holiday setting. But add in that each of the 15 or so models had to be photographed in five different ways, each of the scenes had to look similar but different, and that a purple ribbon—FedEx’s signature color—had to be flowing naturally out of a shipping box, and the project got a lot more complicated really quickly.
“On every job, we learn so much because the whole industry is changing so rapidly. It used to be we were just shooting for print magazines. Now every one of these ads has to be applicable to a long list of new medium, each of which has a completely different crop. It’s a fascinating new challenge to create imagery for a global client like FedEx with so much reach in such a variety of places,” said Shaun.
The formats they were shooting for included horizontal, vertical, square, extreme horizontal, and extreme vertical. The shots would be used in FedEx store windows, in the mailer, on the coupon, and even on a mouse pad placed near store cash registers.
“I’m just trying to capture a wonderful moment of a child unwrapping a Christmas present, but it has to be kept fresh and authentic as you replicate it over and over again. That was the biggest takeaway from this job,” Shaun said.
The shoot took place in a Los Angeles studio over two days, but required a significant amount of pre-production to stay on schedule. Prop stylist Kyle Schuneman built three sets so that while Shaun was working on one shot, two others were being prepped.
While Shaun was shooting, representatives from the agency and the client were standing at a huge monitor approving shots and checking scenarios off their list.
“We had an aggressive shot list with extensive deliverables to get through. My producer Page Dorian and her team did a fantastic job of keeping the whole show on track. If you get behind with that kind of a schedule, it’s not good,” Shaun said. “The production support available in LA really is the best in the world.”
Stylist Holly Copeland was in charge of pulling the wardrobe together, including sourcing the perfect blue monster.
A big thank you to Art Producers Kerry McStay and Rudine Cooks for tapping Shaun for this great project and special props to Creative Director Wendy Bouis for being such a great collaborator and sending a hand-written thank you note after the shoot to thank Shaun “for being talented, flexible, and fun!” We can’t wait for the next collaboration.