A Week of Content for ICA: A Case Study in Production Velocity and Authenticity at Speed.

Working with a major retailer like ICA means one thing: variety. The pace is fast, the product range is huge, and the name of the game is adapting on the fly. It's a creative puzzle I genuinely enjoy, turning everyday locations into effective backdrops for a constant stream of content. A recent block of shoots was a perfect example of this production velocity in action.

Smart Prep for Fashion: The "Less is More" Campaign For one specific project, ICA's "Less is More" fashion collection, we had the chance to integrate AI into our pre-production. Creating storyboard sketches with AI was a game-changer for quickly aligning on a visual concept, saving time and ensuring the whole team shared the same vision from the start.

Ai (first pic) to quickly align on visual concept.

BTS in the ICA studio.

One of the campaign films

Behind the Scenes

A Look at the Lifestyle & Product Films

Beyond the fashion campaign, the project included creating a wide range of lifestyle and product content for various ICA departments. The common goal for all shoots was to efficiently produce authentic, high-quality content by using real-life locations and small, collaborative teams.

Here is a look at the individual films.

1. Lego Lovers

Objective: To showcase a new collection of Lego and children's clothing. To achieve a genuine feel, we worked with real families in a home environment, capturing authentic moments of play.

2. Picnic Food: Prep at Home, Finish Outside

Objective: To show the ease of preparing a meal for an outdoor trip. The shoot was split between two locations: a home kitchen for the food preparation and a coastal setting near Gothenburg for the final picnic scene.

3. Crayfish Party: The Main Course

Objective: To put the focus on the food for a classic Swedish crayfish party. We used a greenhouse as our primary location, which provided a warm and intimate atmosphere.

4. The Rain Gear Test

Objective: To demonstrate the durability of kids' rain clothes in an honest and fun way. We filmed in a residential garden, letting the kids, our "Toughest Test Crew," play freely with water.

5. Easy Meal Prep

Objective: To create a warm, summery feel for a food-prep scene in a home kitchen. The lighting was kept simple and natural, using one or two HMI LEDs to enhance the existing light.

6. Crayfish Party: The Atmosphere

Objective: To highlight the party accessories—hats, streamers, and decorations—that complete the crayfish party experience. This included shots of our own team enjoying the festive setup.

7. The Summer Dress Collection

Objective: To display several different dresses in a simple and appealing way. We returned to the greenhouse location to create a soft, naturally lit environment for the shoot.

8. The Vacation Flower Sitter

Objective: To clearly and simply demonstrate a useful product in its intended, authentic environment.

Our Production Approach

Our general approach for these location shoots was lean and effective. We typically worked with a minimal lighting setup to supplement the natural light, allowing us to work quickly and maintain an authentic feel. This efficient, collaborative process, relying on small teams and real-world environments, is how we consistently deliver a high volume of quality content.

Final Thanks

Good collaboration is key for these kinds of fast-paced shoots. A final word of thanks to the team at ICA Reklam for a smooth and productive process. It's always good to work with Andreas Sundgren, Carina Christensson, Nadim Elazzeh, Alvis Wolff, Karin Söderquist, Jennie Smith, Elsa Lansing, Anna Furbacken, Malin Svanberg, Kristofer Hjalmarsson, Rebecca Olsson, and the rest of the team.

Want to know more on me and my approach to being a cinematographer? www.nicklaskarpaty.com