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Efficiency United is a group of 16 Michigan energy providers with the primary goal of increasing energy-saving practices in the Great Lakes State. The organization was looking to create images promoting energy efficiency to consumers and ended up turning to Detroit-based photographer Marek Dziekonski. After he sent in his bid, Efficiency United and CLEAResult, the agency working on the project, realized that Marek’s creative eye was the perfect fit for the job.
While the CLEAResult team handled the shot list, styling, and props, all the other components of the shoot fell onto Marek’s plate. Location scouting was of high importance, and Marek had to ensure he found homes that matched the client’s market intelligence report and customer profile. Understanding who Energy Efficiency is trying to reach was central to Marek as he pieced together the visual components of the shoot successfully.
Armed with this information, the Detroit local looked around for two specific houses. One would be a newly-built home without drywall installed, and the other being a 1950s-70s abode. After consulting the client and the agency, everyone agreed on three locations, the third being a home ideal for the laundry room shots.
With the locations finalized, Marek set his sights on the talent, relying on his go-to agencies in town Real Style and The iGroup. Marek’s favorite talent scouts didn’t disappoint. After evaluating all the prospects, Marek and CLEAResult chose two of Real Style’s candidates and two of The iGroup’s, making sure both his preferred spots for casting were happy.
Then began the toughest part of the talent scout: pets. Pets, especially dogs, can be unpredictable on set even under the best of circumstances. A feral dog ravaging the catering on-location is not a scenario you ever want to deal with.
I was in touch with a good friend – Suzanne Rondeau – who is a Copywriter and Creative Director by day and a passionate animal rescue hero by night. She casted perfect puppy talent options right out of the gate for us, all of which were rescue dogs. Side story: both dogs got adopted not too long after the shoot.
Once all the heavy lifting was done, Marek crossed off the remaining items on his to-do list, starting with catering and moving on to his support crew and team members, most of whom were his regular band of cohorts. Then the actual work began, with Marek and his crew smoothing out a few hiccups along the way as is usual on most shoots. His experience also informed him about the best way to approach working on-set.
Over the years, my team and I have found that keeping the atmosphere at our shoots very light helps us … in addition to all the usual pranks my team and I pull on each other throughout the day, Shane (my production manager) made sure to tell Polish jokes to anyone who would listen to him throughout the two days. This was a sure help as there were usually 15-16 of us (plus a puppy!) ‘stuck’ in a small house for two days.
Besides the fun and games, the team worked diligently to capture the exact aesthetic feel the client wanted. The final images required both winter and summer scenarios, the latter being a challenge for outdoor shots in the middle of March. Consequently, making sure the talent didn’t catch the sniffles was a mild concern.
Other concerns during the shoot revolved mostly around the lighting, which needed a sun-soaked quality on a consistent basis. Close to impossible in the basement for the furnace and water heater rooms, the crew remedied the situation using gelled strobes to simulate sunlight in these spaces. After that, it was smooth sailing for the remainder of the project.
The agency contacts at CLEAResult, Creative Director Christina Meisner, and Art Director Diana Maes were more than pleased with the final results. Feedback from Efficiency United was also really positive. The client was looking to purchase 40 images at the end of the shoot, but after seeing how well Marek’s deliverables turned out, they decided to acquire an additional 34 photos for both print and digital platforms. It was definitely time well-spent on Marek’s part in providing more value to the client over a two-day shoot. Talk about being efficient.
Credits
Photographer: Marek Dziekonski
Client: Efficiency United
Agency: CLEAResult
Creative Director: Christina Meisner
Art Director: Diana Maes
Talent: Real Style, The iGroup
Puppy talent & handler: Suzanne Rondeau
Production manager: Shane Tincu
1st Assistant: David Heslip
2nd Assistant: Tim Heslip
Catering: Neiman’s Family Market, Rudy’s Market