Behind 'Voicemails': A FLANNEL Film

Where did the initial idea for the film come from?

Jed: It actually came out of our first brainstorm. We all asked each other "who is the FLANNEL girl?" and pretty quickly ended up with more questions than answers. You can't quite pin her down. She's not one thing, and that gave us somewhere to start. 

Catherine: It starts with a feeling of how our FLANNEL girl moves through the world, and how she creates her own universe with light, sound and color. Everything evolves from that inspiration. 

How did you go about translating a fashion brand into a story?

Jed: The lovely thing about this campaign was that it celebrated the brand's whole journey. We weren't tied to a particular season or capsule, so we had room to build a world around her. We wanted to bring together the coasts FLANNEL calls home: WA, Australia's east coast and California. That sunny, carefree energy, with a bit of city life mixed in. She feels at home in all of it. 

Catherine: Kristy and Liv have always trusted me to find the essence of FLANNEL. That freedom opens my imagination to create a story that unfolds naturally. 

Were there any particular films, places, moments, directors or books that inspired the direction?

Jed: Elaine Constantine has a photo book called Inspired by 90s Girlhood. And Justine Kurland has one called Girl Pictures. These were the main catalysts for me. We thought capturing an essence like that would be the ultimate goal. We weren't trying to explore the biggest moment of her life, or the darkest either, it was all about the everyday. The moments in between that end up filling the most space in your life. So we aimed to set up spaces to just exist in, and the girls were given free rein to chat and be as natural as possible. 

Location scouting helped shape the story too. We were looking at beaches, houses and bars, choosing places for how they made us feel. We started imagining someone who moved easily between them. Someone who travels, drops in, lifts the mood of a room. Then the voicemail idea brought it together. You get to know her through the people trying to reach her and the suggestion of those relationships. We then watched Swingers and When Harry Met Sally to see how phone calls and voicemails in film feel. 

Catherine: Sofia Coppola and European indie films have always influenced the work I've done for FLANNEL. Capturing the eclectic spirit and embracing the vintage beauty we can still find in modern life. 

What are a few details people might not notice, but you love?

Jed: There are a few little nods to FLANNEL's history tucked into the voicemails. The boy at the beginning leaves a callback number, which is actually the number for FLANNEL's Claremont store. The coat-check message mentions the Vista Theatre in LA, a nod to the brand's Californian connection. They're small things, but I like that they have a reason to be there!

Was there a happy accident on set?

Jed: The opening shot, actually. Lily, our FLANNEL girl, was about to bite into a piece of fruit, and we stopped her, moved the camera around and made her fall on the bed 5 times before biting the plum!

What’s your favorite frame from the finished film?

Jed: The final shot of our FLANNEL girl and guy standing on the steps. It was late, we were running out of time, and that whole scene was lit by the streetlights already there. There's something very FLANNEL about how it came together. Going with the flow, but still finding something considered and beautiful. 

Catherine: I still love our shot with the bird; Lily was hesitant, but in true FLANNEL spirit she conquered her fears and embraced it... it's real! 

If you had to describe the FLANNEL girl in three words, what would they be?

Jed: Magnetic, carefree, effortless. 

Catherine: Artistic, soulful, adventurous.

Do you have any other projects coming up that we can keep an eye out for?

Jed: A few commercials and a music video in the works. But hopefully there will be another FLANNEL project on the horizon too! 

Catherine: Two very bold creative projects with director Dougal Wilson. 

Follow their socials: @jed.wesley @andomob @finchcompany.

Watch Voicemails, a FLANNEL Film. 

All BTS images photographed by Jed Simkins.