Working Late

Spotlight / Shoot Spotlight
xavierarnau
1296093744
Rachel Brinton Matthews
Feb 23, 2021
There’s something inherently cinematic about shooting through windows at night. The artificial light from the interior beautifully illuminates the world within, while the dark exterior frames the action perfectly. When thinking of fresh ways to capture themes around our work lives, I kept coming back to this visual – which is one I’d typically see when walking the streets of central London after work. The late hour and bustling activity conveys so many great concepts like strategy, commitment, teamwork, focus and connection. 
 
Photographer Xavier Arnau and I took our time when finding the right location for this idea, knowing that we couldn’t compromise until we found something special. When we saw the floor to ceiling windows and curved glass of this office space in Barcelona, we knew we had landed on our jewel! Beginning the shoot in late afternoon allowed Xavier to explore the interior spaces with the actors, utilizing the multiple levels and rooms. And once night fell, he moved the camera outside, directing remotely and skillfully capturing these cinematic moments.
 
The demand for authentic imagery about our lives at work is consistently high ‑ from traditional boardroom meetings to creative co‑working spaces.  With the arrival of COVID‑19 swathes of office spaces, once populating busy city centers and high‑rise blocks, moved to remote working. The traditional ‘office’ image has, therefore, had somewhat of a time‑out recently.  But as the global vaccine roll‑out continues and we slowly return to a sense of normality – we’ll find ourselves returning to these spaces, attending meetings in person, and inevitably working late.
 
Bold and Beautiful