The Octave

Duncan Taylor came to us with the idea of bringing different art mediums together with their whisky, The Octave. For this three-part series, they wanted to collaborate with Quỳnh Anh Lê, a painter based in Hanoi. The initial treatment from the Duncan Taylor team set out to capture Quỳnh Anh’s creative process and how she carried her artistry into the concept of time. I chose to focus on the details and the material, using them as a form of narrative flow throughout the story. I broke down Quỳnh Anh’s story while keeping a branded format around the bottle, so it stayed at the center of attention alongside the artist.

I built a visual treatment and moodboard, so every party could picture the project, holding to that same detail and precision for both the artist’s work and the Duncan Taylor brand, while keeping a sense of prestige and luxury in the end product. The treatment ran from an introduction to time and its relation to her work, into the state of flow where her artistry excels, and through to the final product, where the finished artwork appears on the Duncan Taylor Octave bottle.

Moodboard · storyboard · production requirements

We began by scouting the art studio, preparing the location and set dressing around the camera access. Once we finalized the set, we briefed the crew on how to build up the environment, from carefully positioning each artwork and frame on the walls and floor, to placing each material and brush for added detail.

With the setup arranged, we prepped and adjusted the lighting, testing different setups and positions, and set an exact key on the whisky bottle so it held its significance in every frame and kept the attention on it.

Shot list · T-script · art-studio scout

When production began, we ran through the arranged plan, with all the key elements set and placed within Quỳnh Anh’s art space. We broke the production into two phases. The first correlated to her words from the script, letting her focus on her artwork and draw on the inspiration and foundation behind it. The second kept the attention on the bottle, where we watched her creative flow take shape as the brush moved across it.

Once her flow state began, it took precision and speed to capture the session. There was only a small window to catch the right moments, so each shot had to be perfected as it happened.

On set, the artist at work

After delivering the film, it premiered at the ICUC Burns’ Supper, an annual event held at the Sheraton Hanoi. The Burns’ Supper is a traditional Scottish evening in honor of the poet Robert Burns, centered on Scotch whisky and readings of his poetry, which made it a fitting setting to unveil The Octave alongside Quỳnh Anh’s finished bottle.

The numbered release · Octave × Q.Anh