Behind the screens: How we made our image video

Part of becoming Studio Direction 2.0 meant that we wanted to document ourselves in a filmic manner. We aimed to create a visual experience that’s as bold, fun, and distinct as our team. With the help of some creative wizards, we turned our ideas into a journey worth watching.

Conceptualizing

Rebranding with a cinematic look and feel felt like a step that will represent our story and distinguish us as a design studio. We wanted our brand story to be wrapped up in more than just words, images from the office or visuals designed by our team—it needed to immerse the audience in a visual experience combined with carefully selected music tracks.

Collaborating with talented individuals was essential to bringing this vision to life. Their unique expertise helped us capture the essence of our brand, using movement, lenses, sound, and light to recreate our energy. Above all, it was important to reflect the same level of commitment and mindset we bring to our work.

We were searching for like-minded individuals. Collaborating with Nađa, a creative producer and owner of Mother Studio, felt promising from the moment we met her. Through her thoughtful questions about our identity and work, we found the right words to express our sensibility, as a team and as individuals. The line "I am us and we are StudioDirection" perfectly encapsulates our philosophy. Storytelling revolved around the idea that, although we each bring our uniqueness, we’re united by a shared goal.

On the set

Through a few interviews conducted by Nađa, along with her guidance and suggestions, we developed a scene-by-scene plan for our shoot.

Each team member has their scene that highlights what makes them unique, showcasing their passions and sensibilities.

Vlada is a recreational sports enthusiast (you’ll most often find him on the basketball court), Bojan expresses his passion for music at the mixing deck, and Milica is our rock princess. Our three girls hold flowers—a symbol of friendship and unity—while Nemanja channels his inner Y. Yamamoto. Andrija K and Stefan enjoy a good game of tennis, and Andrija C shines in his DJ persona. As for Đurđa? Well... she’s a punk.

We were all hyped for the day of the shooting.

The fun started in the make-up room. Makeup artist Milan Bauranov ensured we were camera-ready, and Ghost Stylist carefully selected outfits that made everyone feel comfortable and confident on set.

Entering the studio was a special experience; witnessing the scene and the pro equipment being used made us even more pumped. We were excited to be captured by Džejlan Ibrahimović, a talented young DP who worked on a few projects we noticed. The IDJ Studios crew ensured we, a nonprofessional cast, felt safe and had fun. The production team—including the AD, camera operators, gaffers, key grips, and a couple of PAs worked harmoniously together, making us feel supported and in expert hands.

It was beyond exciting to see how a shot list from a PDF transformed our imagination into reality. Camera setups, music, and props—scene by scene—it all came together. Photographers Ivan Pantić and Nikola Doroslovački captured the pics for our new website and BTS moments, while the crew hustled to move, adjust, and prepare everything needed for the next scene. Right there on set, in the video village, we reviewed the playbacks and witnessed the magic as it unfolded.

It took us 9 hours, but it was an absolute blast—filled with professionalism and kindness from everyone involved. A day to remember and, quite possibly, the highlight of 2024 so far.

Special thanks to the whole crew:

• Production: Mother Studio @mother.rs
• Director / Script @subakov_
• DoP / Colorist: @ibrahimovicdzejlan Džejlan Ibrahimović‍
• Editor: Andrija Grkić @magicni_ratnik‍
• 1st AD: Sara Marković @sippy_kishitsa
• Photo: Ivan Pantić @ipanticc
• Sound designer: Dušan Banić @the.banic‍
• Styling: Ghost Stylist @naskeman
• MUA: @milan_bauranov
• Key Grip: Igor Deljanin
• Focus Puller: Igor Čavić
• BTS: Nikola Doroslovački @nikola.doro
• Location: IDJ studios

Postproduction

Shooting the video was just the beginning. Next came the challenge of deciding what would make it into the final one-minute cut. Several iterations with Nadja followed—choosing which scene snippets to include, and which to leave out.

We started working on the music in the planning phase, but now it was time to make the final decisions. Having a few team members as producers or involved in music in various ways gave us an edge in finding the perfect vibe for SD. After a few more adjustments, we were ready to add a voiceover and elevate the experience by choosing the right voice, engaging yet another layer in the experience.

Nemanja, our talented graphic and motion designer, has been an essential part of StudioDirection since day one. His knowledge, style, and skills make him invaluable to everything we create together. Nemanja consistently showcases his talent with each project, whether for us or our clients. As usual, he created our studio's latest showreel, which we used to enrich our image video—a piece we’re incredibly proud of—that perfectly captures the essence of 2024.

Finally, after color correction, we had our final edit.

The anticipation to see the video was huge, both for us and our close circle of friends and family (try explaining to your parents and grandparents why you’re recording a video with your team at work!)

Now, it’s online, and we’d love to hear your thoughts!