The video “Write” is all about moments.
“Write” is a short (01:14), life-in-a-day style film that celebrates life and the idea of capturing it with a pen and a notebook. It was produced by North of New York for Field Notes Brand, a collection of vintage-styled pocket notebooks. The video received numerous awards: Hatch Awards 4 GOLD Medals, IAC Outstanding Online Video, Addys Silver Medal and was the finalist at New York Festivals Advertising Competition and Golden Award of Montreux.
According to the Adweek, the video initially was a purely creative project about remembrance and family. Its director Matthew James Thompson, shot it on a 5D using only natural light over Fourth of July, 2014, in Maine. “I wanted to keep it extremely natural, like a video diary, so I kept everything very small and non-invasive,” he said.
Then, he pitched the project to Field Notes as a piece of branded content. They obviously loved the idea, especially along with the text that the copywriter Adam Cote wrote for this video:
“Let us never forget the sprawling genius of a midnight dream, and how silly it seems in the light of day. Let us never forget the mundane and the beautiful. Let us never forget why we write. To remember what happened… what could have happened… what didn’t happen. We write to find out how it ends. So let us keep writing. And let us never forget how it feels to hold life in your hand.”
The copy and deliverance create a strong narrative storyline for the piece to develop along. The copy is very short, yet strong and inspiring. For example, such words as “the sprawling genius of a midnight dream, and how silly it seems in the light of day” or “remember what happened… what could have happened… what didn’t happen” speak to all people. The writing style is cohesive and convincing – there is a call to action (instruction to the audience designed to provoke an immediate response – “let us keep writing”). The voice-over is done by an older man, the actor Jarlath Conroy. He reads the copy in a contemplative and captivating manner with a husky and gravelly voice.
The editing also deserves praise. It is smart and it evokes emotions. All the shots 
until 00:22 don’t have people in them, they are cut slowly to match the music. At 00:32 music goes faster and the editor uses quick cuts. The quick cuts of children and grownups—running, laughing, playing, just being themselves—are mixed with shots of stormy seas, late-night drives and fireworks to create an evocative editing. The music, the use of natural sounds, indoor and outdoor shots (rocking chair, glimmering lamp; dark cloudy sky, twilight sea, children, a toddler with mom, trees, spiders and night driving) help to create a thoughtful mood.
This short ad is a great example of using nonfiction storytelling with branding purpose. The use of strong narrative copy, sometimes shaky but intimate footage and eloquent editing techniques inspire viewers to take their pens and capture special little moments before they pass by.
The shots at 0:28, 0:39, 0:46 and 0:59 – dark, out of focus, or marred by shadows – seem noteworthy; it seems like the filmmaker purposely and effectively used those shots to make branded content feel more like real life. If they had been perfectly lit and in focus, the video might feel more like a commercial.