Andrew Lang on Bringing Volkswagen’s Story to Life

What was the core emotion or message you wanted audiences to take away from the spot?

I only want viewers to have a good time, so that they watch to the end!

How did you work with your actors: Rafaela López, Andrea Santibáñez, and Gonzalo García, to build that sense of family history in such a short span of time?

It all starts with good casting. Then it’s about having a playful attitude on set, where the actors are encouraged to bring ideas and bits of dialogue. Commercials are often quite mute, but I like to hear from the characters, it feels more natural and interesting. I write dialogue at the treatment and storyboard stage, and then the actors add to it on set. I think they enjoyed working this way as much as I did.

The spot feels both cinematic and intimate. What visual choices helped strike that tone?

The first choice was working with a great DP, Leo Calzoni. We talked a lot about how to frame reality in ways that feel slightly strange, so the viewer can’t ignore the images.

How was your collaboration with Type One Mexico and Wabi? What did each part bring to the table?

Type One was great to work with. They gave me the outline of the script, then I wrote most of the dialogue, which the actors refined on set. The creatives: Andrés, Carlos, and Cristian, were very trusting of my ideas, while also having strong ideas themselves. It was a great partnership.

As a director, what did you learn or re-learn through this project?

I gained confidence in letting actors speak in the scenes, and boldness in placing the camera at unusual angles and distances.

What’s your favorite part about filming in Mexico?
The people! Okay, also the tacos. I’ve been shooting in Mexico since 2014, and I love it more each time. It’s great to work with friends, old and new, and eat tacos with them.