Francois Rousselet Brews Up Tall Tale For Stella

Last Friday, Stella Artois celebrated its 600th anniversary with the launch of a new campaign. Created by Mother London, 'Be Legacy' centres on key events in the beer brand's history, kicking off with Sebastian, a rollicking Buster Keaton-esque yarn about founder Sebastian Artois.

Below, the spot's director, Francois Rousselet, tells shots about the joys of directing by Skype and why great ideas are better than beer.

The ad marks a new direction for Stella: why did this particular script appeal? 

Like any script, if it’s a good script it always appeals. Knowing it’s Mother and the heritage of Stella immediately appealed, especially when the creatives were motivated to make work that stood out and could be held up with the great Stella commercials of the past.

How far did you feel you could move the idea forward, and how easy was it to condense the story into a 60-second spot? 

If i was honest we spent a lot of time going back and forward over the story when we were storyboarding it. Although it is a simple story. it’s not simple when you have such a tight time frame when you then add branding, art direction, wardrobe, nuance, shots to glue it all together, a single performance of an actor as well as the story of his dog.

The ad was shot in Prague, can you share any anecdotes from the shoot? 

It was very cold and very long hours. But i must admit the local crew were amazing. One anecdote: I never left my trailer. I did it all on Skype!

The spot is nominally set in the 17th century, but incorporates references from other eras (e.g. the silent movie frames), what was the thinking behind that? 

We all liked the idea of the story being about an entrepreneur, so this led us to think about how we could reflect this in other parts of the story. Mixing in touches of different styles and eras can be interesting, especially if it’s done in a subtle way. Why not have a shop selling TVs? It adds interest and elevates the texture and feel of the film.

What was the biggest challenge? 

It could have snowed! We were all set with spades just off camera...

And the most rewarding aspect? 

To see the final film. It is great when you are allowed to help start a campaign but also to be given so much trust from an agency and client. 

Would you say the spot is typical of your style and aesthetic as a director? 

Yes. My work is all about craft, and that is whether we are animating, choosing wardrobe, a painting, a matte painting. I love doing this.

You also shot Carlsberg's Haircuts, what is it about beer commercials that appeals to you? 

Nothing. Beer is good; good ideas are better.