Ever-hungry social media platforms put an incredible pressure on marketing departments to produce cost-effective yet quality content.
Instagram is particularly keen on very short loops, short enough to be viewed before the inevitable swipe-left.

We were commissioned to produce original Infinite Loops that would get the selling points across while being creative and shareable.
The results include Bird-headed Cocktail Lovers, a Jacuzzi Cosmonaut, a few Magic Sunglasses, and a Boomerang Dancing Duet....

If you are still having trouble deciding which artwork to feature in your living room, imagine sourcing artworks for an entire Contemporary-Chic 5 star hotel...

To feature the decoration elements we choreographed our camera moves to be wholly zeitgeisty.

If you think that mixing the perfect cocktail is an art, try filming a series of "how to make... " cocktail videos.

Focus on the female mixologist... Not masculine enough
Feature the whole back-lit glass wall with bottle display… Too wide
Show the ingredients in extreme macro… Too close
Too many details... Not enough step-by-step information

Fortunately Filmages came to the rescue, shaken not stirred.

Founded in 1883, the Ladies’ Recreation Club is a private member’s club located in the heart of Hong Kong.
With five-star sporting and dining facilities and outstanding service, the Club offers its members a place to gather, socialise and enjoy an array of activities for their families and guests.

https://www.lrc.com.hk

“The new ALVA hotel is unique. It is a project that I was immediately attracted to.
Given the proximity to the lush hillside and the Shing Mun River, I envisioned the start of the guest journey with a double-volume height lobby, filled with natural light..."

While the Alva Hotel was still under construction with large parts still bare concrete we produced this soft-sale creative promotion for the Alva Hotel with star interior designer Norman Chan.

This included aerial shots that had to wait for last-minute-to-edit due to the construction elements still visible from the sky.
Those aerial shots had to be carefully rotoscoped and colour graded to make the building stand out from the summer humidity fog.
Oh, and we may have had to romaticized the delicated colour palette of the the Shing Mun River's waters...

“When birds are landing, they angle their wings carefully.
That graceful shape is what inspired me when we started the new ALVA Hotel by Royal project in Shatin..."

While the Alva Hotel was still under construction with large parts still bare concrete we produced this soft-sale creative promotion for the Alva Hotel with star architect Daiji Chikuba.
The production included also filming birds "angling their wings carefully", which turned to be a lot more challenging than PR and Marketing could possibly imagine...

Challenge accepted.

Who could truly enjoy their stay in a 5 star hotel without sharing the luxury experience with their beloved pet?

Feel adventurous and try the latest gastronomic fad?
Or enjoy real delicious food in a classy atmosphere at the Murray?

We had great fun desiging a rubbery rack of lame, barbed spaghetti, and nuts and bolt-size dim sum delicacies...

The right talent make all the difference! We were fighting against Nature when a typhoon came crashing down on our shoot.

We had to adapt fast; turning our camera angles away from the falling rain, adjusting the lighting to make up for the gloom outside and then applying every colour-correcting trick we know during post-production.

Although it's not always fun and games we want this is kind of energy in front of the camera, as well as behind. 

Not many people know this, but Gaddi's is the first restaurant in Hong Kong to introduce the Chef's table where guests can experience the service in an otherwise closed kitchen.

We collaborated with the Peninsula team to showcase their impeccable fine-dining restaurant with snapshots of staff serving and interacting with guests along with closeups of the tantalising dishes. 

Drums and dragons and lions - oh my! 

In the 15 years we have been filming in Hong Kong, there is not much that compares to getting amongst the Chinese New Year celebrations. 

When you are tasked to capture all this vibrant energy we were definitely spoiled for choice at The Peninsula Hotel Hong Kong with 10 lions, a dragon and a dozen drummers filling their hotel lobby. 

The glory of unveiling a hotel is highlighting the efforts that go into bringing such luxury experiences to their guests.

Filmages often go behind the scenes to capture these moments; mood lighting, place setting and a whole lot of teamwork!

Although it may seem simple to film an empty box, we creatively used timelapses, camera angles and visual tricks to truly showcase the flexibility of the Murray Hotel's ballroom.

To the newly weds and soon-to-be weds, which do you think is more strenuous; arranging a wedding or staging a fake one? 

Of course the answer is the former! Our Client recognised the lengths people are willing to go to fulfil their dream nuptials, so we went even further to recreate that experience.

Just like a true partnership, we worked in close collaboration to source a glowing cast and put them in full wedding attire to pull "the Big Day" together.

After a successful soft opening, it was only a matter of time until The Murray Hotel was paid a visit by these bringers of good luck and fortune.

Balanced by vibrant Chinese New Year themed b-roll, we packaged scenes of the dancers into this video greeting card.

It was a humbling opportunity to work with one of the best Lion Dance troupes in Hong Kong, Ha Kwong Cheong Group, with whom we collaborated to channel the true spirit of this celebration.

It takes a village to open a hotel so the old addage goes... maybe... ok not really.

But when it comes to opening a new hotel it takes a strong team, dedicated to creating an impeccable guest experience.

Every staff member is a key player and we went behind the scenes to see what it took to be a part of The Murray Hotel team.

The "Old Town Central" initiative by the Hong Kong Tourism Board celebrates the convergence of culture, arts, heritage and cuisine with a series of five walking trails running close to The Murray.

We caught up with Anthony Lau and on of Hong Kong's many visitors to talk about what makes this city so vibrant.

Creative expression comes in so many forms. It can begin as one thing and be turned into something completely other. 

Michael Craig Martin took his vision to the Peninsula and turned one of his works into a standing monument, visually representing this shift in perception. 

We stayed up well into the night to watch this sculpture make its home at the Peninsula during Art Week 2017.

Standing high on the hillside, Hong Kong Parkview cultivates a lifestyle with an appreciation for art and a healthy, family-oriented community. Their exclusive members club has all the facilities and amenities to make it an oasis away from the city.

Capturing the serviced apartments, with 8 different decor themes, offered up some of the most enviable views in town.

Timing the shoot was crucial to make sure we caught some of the winter sun, which bathed the rooms in natural light.

Although our cameras could capture only so much of this warmth, we endeavoured to recreate this glorious glow in post-production. 

Standing high on the hillside, Hong Kong Parkview cultivates a lifestyle with an appreciation for art and a healthy, family-oriented community. Their exclusive members club has all the facilities and amenities to make it an oasis away from the city.

Upon arrival, it takes next to no time to realise that art is integral to the Hong Kong Parkview experience as these artworks are spread throughout the property.

Their galleries are open for viewing to anyone, even non-members. Our cameras were spoilt for choice as we could only select a handful of pieces to highlight such a vastly diverse collection. 
 

Standing high on the hillside, Hong Kong Parkview cultivates a lifestyle with an appreciation for art and a healthy, family-oriented community. Their exclusive members club has all the facilities and amenities to make it an oasis away from the city. 

The numerous athleisure spaces challenged our ability to show guests having fun without over-staging it. 

Their well-equipped gym facilities gave us the opportunity to make their talented PT's sweat, for once, as we were the one's calling for more reps, probably more than twice. 

Working with their tennis club members and a spritely trio of kids meant we could focus on getting the right drone and steady cam shots while they focussed on keeping their energy up. 

Standing high on the hillside, Hong Kong Parkview cultivates a lifestyle with an appreciation for art and a healthy, family-oriented community. Their exclusive members club has all the facilities and amenities to make it an oasis away from the city.

The appreciation of art and creativity extends to the numerous F&B outlets; Ming Yuen, George's, Teahouse, Oasis, Teppanyaki, Lifestyle Café, Karaoke and The Whisky Bar each have a space that is carefully designed to please the eye and taste buds alike.

Huge sets and professional actors aren't always necessary to tell your story.

Along with a lite crew, we sent in some furry friends to brighten up the scene behind delicate product close-ups.

The camera always eats first at Filmages, and with over a dozen cakes to showcase we wasted no time in getting up-close with Kerry Hotel's Cake Shop latest offerings.

Besides a zen-like focus on the task at hand, we brought a selection of displays and platforms on which to present this feast for the eyes.

For many Hongkongers, the Murray is more than a familiar sight; it's a living memory, and a dream realised by the architects involved in it's construction and recent renovation.

We revisit interviews with Ron Philips and Colin Ward to remind ourselves, and the audience, how the Murray was designed to hold its place in Hong Kong's ever changing cityscape.

With a city as dense and diverse as Hong Kong, virtually every neighbourhood has a unique quality and character.

Finding the right group of friends to explore Hung Hom was a good place to start.

How could our talents keep their cool and beat the excruciating summer heat?
Work hard by playing hard for the crew, of course!

As the first hotel to open on Kowloon's shoreline since 1995, Kerry Hotel is the new kid on the Hung Hom block.

This new character on the Hong Kong hospitality scene had to stand out without being compared to its luxurious parent company, Shangri-La, or their hip, inner-city sister, Hotel Jen.

Filmages brough a range of talents around various hotel spaces to show that Hongkongers and overseas visitors alike would find themselves at home at Kerry.

Of the many Chinese traditions to celebrate, Dragonboat festival is not one to be missed!
Hundreds of teams go oar-to-oar across the city in vibrant long boats in a fantastic show of strength and camaraderie.
And for those who stay ashore, they savour delicious rice dumplings while cheering on the races with family and friends.
But that was no rest day for Filmages' sharp shooters, baking under the sun to capture some of those ephemeral yet extraordinary moments.

We had two days to shoot all the footage necessary for three different edits - hotel, food & beverage and spa. Therefore, to avoid disrupting the guests at Banyan Tree Macau, it was essential that we planned production down to the smallest detail. 

Storyboarding each scene was crucial as our movements had to be carefully coordinated with access to locations limited to specific times during the day. 

Admittedly though, it was the first time talents asked for more takes. 

We had two days to shoot all the footage necessary for three different edits - hotel, food & beverage and spa. Therefore, to avoid disrupting the guests at Banyan Tree Macau, it was essential that we planned production down to the smallest detail. 

Storyboarding each scene was crucial as our movements had to be carefully coordinated with access to locations limited to specific times during the day. 

We had two days to shoot all the footage necessary for three different edits - hotel, food & beverage and spa. Therefore, to avoid disrupting the guests at Banyan Tree Macau, it was essential that we planned production down to the smallest detail. Storyboarding each scene was crucial to maximising our time at each location. Our movements had to be carefully coordinated with access location limited to specific times during the day. 
 

A Tale of Two Apps...

The brief was to create 3 different edits, showcasing the HK Disneyland Park app, PhotoPass app, and one edit that would combine both. Pressed by the upcoming holiday season, we had to pull the whole production - storyboarding, location scouting, talent sourcing - in just a couple of weeks. Shooting from sunrise to sunset on one of the hottest days of the year certainly added another level of difficulty, but made it happen.

During post-production, the challenge was to tell a story that demonstrated the two different apps' functionalities without being too long or confusing, and up to Disney's high standards.
 

A Tale of Two Apps: A young couple discovers the magic of Disney through their smartphones.

Filmages was asked to create explainer videos for Hong Kong Disneyland's apps. Shooting from sunrise to sunset on one of the hottest days of the year was not ideal, but we had to make it all happen fast. Building everything from scratch, we storyboarded, talent sourced and pulled a shoot together in a couple of weeks.
 

A Tale of Two Apps:

Filmages was asked to create explainer videos for Hong Kong Disneyland's apps. Shooting from sunrise to sunset on one of the hottest days of the year was not ideal, but we had to make it all happen fast.

Quality control was essential. Storyboarding, talent sourcing, editing and motion graphics had to be kept up to Disney standards. Not to mention tying it together into a neat 30 second clip for the app store!
 

In 1969 the then British Administration of Hong Kong commissioned young architect Ron Philips to design what was to become a major post-modernist landmark.

How The Murray was to become a flagship of luxury brand's Niccolo Hotels was left to us to show and tell, using a bespoke mix of interviews, timelapses and breathtaking drone shots to create this pre-opening movie.

One can expect nothing short of the spectacular upon entering the Peninsula, and this LoveArt instalment was no exception.

A hulking machine that danced with light in the middle of the neo-classical lobby was a surprisingly elegant sight to behold.

Our cameras had to play along to find the right angles that captured it's unique movement.

What's not to love about a New Year's Eve party?

Well, one with media crews that get in your face and in the way of your good time.

The good news is we've mastered the art of filming in stealth mode.

Filmages does their utmost to minimise disturbance to guests and work alongside hotel staff and security, all while moving our crew and gear among the large crowd incognito.

Adorable kids, a tree and 5 cameramen captured the wonder of the holidays at the Peninsula Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.

The Peninsula's Maitre Chocolatier, Marijn Coertjens, shows us how he and his team craft their artisanal chocolates in the holiest of holy places: "The Chocolate Room"

The team are constantly pushing their creative boundaries to bring us mouth-watering, haute couture delicacies

For chocolate lovers there will always be time for this sweet treat.

However there was a time when chocolate was not so widely available in Hong Kong.

A few years ago, The Peninsula's Chocolate Room began their iconic production of these artisnal delights.

For many visitors it tops their to-do list to taste the latest flavours, and bring a box back for loved ones at home.

Peking duck is the ubiquitous dish always found in the best Chinese restaurants.

This dish is still celebrated all over the world today, and was first feasted upon nearly 400 years ago.

While all chefs naturally guard their recipes, Spring Moon's Executive Chef Frankie Tang kindly reveals his secrets to making this signature Chinese dish. 

The delicacy of Dim Sum is unheralded, so we shot this story to epitomise the heart and flavour that's carefully wrapped into each piece.

A jewellery box of handmade heart-shaped chocolates,
2,000 premium Ecuadorian red roses,
a fleet of 14 Rolls Royce Phantoms,
set amongst a breathtaking view of Victoria Harbour...

... all converge to create a timeless moment of gastronomic excellence and romance.

When it comes to decorating for the holidays, there should be no half measures.

The Peninsula brought in the festive cheer with full force, building a life-sized gingerbread house and a giant model train set, and of course, there was still room for a Christmas tree!

Shot over three consecutive nights, the crew became completely jetlagged but had to quickly shift back to other daytime shootings before shifting back once again for New Year's Eve party.

The Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong are producing a special range of products and activities in support of Breast Cancer Awareness throughout the month of October.

Proceeds from the "Peninsula in Pink" campaign went to the Hong Kong Breast Cancer Family Registry.

The Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong are a creating a special range of products in support of Breast Cancer Awareness throughout the month of October. "Peninsula in Pink" is a campaign with proceeds going to the Hong Kong Hereditary Breast Cancer Family Registry.

This video features Ludovic Douteau, the Executive Pastry Chef at The Peninsula Hong Kong and he creates the Pink Opera Cake.

The Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong are a creating a special range of products in support of Breast Cancer Awareness throughout the month of October. "Peninsula in Pink" is a global campaign with proceeds going to Breast Cancer charities here in Hong Kong.

This video features Hovan Lam, the Senior Bartender at The Peninsula Hong Kong and he creates the Pink Amour Cocktail, a delightful French themed cocktail.

The challenge set by the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong was relatively simple:

1) Shoot a highly ambitious, yet low budget project 
2) At 7 different locations, including 2 Michelin Starred restaurants 
3) In the course of a single day without creating any disturbance to their guests or operations

We proposed to bring Charlie Bear to life without using any 3D artifice to maintain the human element and the holiday feel.

This project required a meticulous storyboard and tight management of our production schedule.

We had five different bear puppets, each with different movement capabilities such as walking down a staircase, using chopsticks, or diving in a pool.

The proceeds of the Charlie Bear sales were given to the Hong Kong Cancer Fund
 

Nice footage and good music makes for a pretty easy editing process, but we wanted to go a bit further and really bring the best out of those ingredients.

After some serious colour grading, we created engaging text animated with a mix of motion tracking and crafted transitions to convey the dynamic and excitement of regatta as if the audience was at sea.

Paradorn Srichaphan was the first men's singles player from Asia to be ranked in the top 10 of the ATP rankings, reaching a career high world no. 9, but as the guest of honour he was very friendly and approachable with his tennis clinic pupils, both young and old.

We filmed and edited the highlights of that fun day of competition and community tennis at the Clearwater Bay Country Club.

Under the Song Dynasty (420), the 15th day of the 8th lunar month was officially declared the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it would never be complete without the famous Moon Cake delicacy.

We go in to the kitchen and observe how Chefs Frankie Tang and Yip Wing Wah prepare to make a staggering 470,000 moon cakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival, using the Peninsula's unique recipe of a traditional dough mixed with a British-inspired custard filling.

Valeriiiiiiieeee, Popopoopopopoker Face, etc...
For TimeOut's open mic night at the über-trendy Salon de Ning bar we went into stealth mode and captured the rapturing performances of not-so-amateur singers.

Over time the American Club became a lot more than a home-away-from-home for US expatriates.

It became a place where all expatriates and locals alike could socialise, network, and create a friendly atmosphere with an american twist.

It rightfully became part of Hong Kong's heritage, and the American Club wanted to capture the voice of their long-standing members and their fondest memories.