“There really is a frame for every face”: Camille Boumans on her inclusive TikTok-inspired campaign for Ace & Tate

In a new campaign for the Dutch eyewear brand, The Netherlands-based director creates an inclusive video to represent the brand’s commitment to diversity.

Date
16 February 2022

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Often the best way to learn a new skill is by throwing yourself into the deep end. That’s exactly what Camille Boumans did, a director and editor from The Netherlands. Growing up, she always knew she wanted to pursue a career in film, which resulted in her attaining an audio visual degree from Willem de Kooning in Rotterdam. However, she decided to quit school in her second year and began working on her own film projects instead. “The projects became bigger and bigger,” she tells It’s Nice That. “By the time I stopped studying, I was fortunate enough to work-full time right away. I have learned so much on the job just by doing it.”

After landing her debut job as an editor, Camille soon became aware of her passion for directing. Now, she takes on both titles, working on her personal films and on commercial jobs for the likes of Adidas Women, Elle, Creating Space, Fifa21 x Copa90, Jagermeister and Nike. Her most recent commission is an empowering campaign for Ace and Tate entitled A Frame for Every Face. Working with HALAL Studios, Camille was invited by the Dutch eyewear brand to direct the campaign, while Nick van Tiem shot the still photography, with Pascal Duval on the creative direction. Together, the team responded to the brief's tagline of “Through the Frame”, says Camille. “The title actually explains the concept quite clearly.”

GalleryCamille Boumans: Ace & Tate x HALAL Studios, A Frame for Every Face. Photography by Nick van Tiem (Copyright ©Nick van Tiem, 2022)

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A Frame for Every Face is a multimedia campaign that represents Ace & Tate’s longstanding commitment to inclusivity, sustainability and affordability – not to mention great design. First opening in Amsterdam, the brand now owns more than 70 stores across London and Berlin. Its success is down to a myriad of factors: from using top quality materials, to making sure the frames are both visually pleasing and affordable. What’s more is that the brand has consciously reduced the plastic in its packaging and strives for inclusivity in the workplace. As such, these elements formed the backbone of the campaign.

A Frame for Every Face is Ace & Tate’s first campaign in 2022. The message speaks for itself – for every face out there, there is a perfect pair of frames at Ace & Tate,” says Ace & Tate’s marketing director Sean Gregory Peron. “We’re very happy to be HALAL Studios’ first client and look forward to sharing this work with the world!”

With this in mind, A Frame for Every Face features a diverse array of characters in order to reflect the brand’s ethos and broad range of eyewear design. Working with Nuray Kurson on the casting, Camille says how she did an “amazing job” while finding the people for the campaign. She adds: “What I really liked about the process is that Nuray did not just show us photos, but she also told us something meaningful about the people she presented. This is very important, because personality does so much on camera. It is not just a face you invite on set. It’s so much more.”

GalleryCamille Boumans: Ace & Tate x HALAL Studios, A Frame for Every Face. Photography by Nick van Tiem (Copyright © Nick van Tiem, 2022)

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While figuring out how to showcase this visually, Camille and the team decided to keep the viewer in a constant loop. To achieve this effect, they landed on a TikTok-inspired technique using motion assets. This means that the camera zooms into the person’s eyes while wearing the frames, before panning into the eyes of another; as if the viewer is entering a new world each time a pair of glasses appears. Made in collaboration with director of photography Sam Vis – plus visual effects designer Daniel Falkenhagen – Camille explains how they did this “twice”. She adds: “First with a normal lens, and then one more time with a probe lens. This is a lens that can get very close without losing any sharpness.” By working this way, the team encountered one key challenge: they needed to make the cut between the lenses as seamless and possible – it's safe to say they achieved just that.

This particular cinematography trick is an ode to the short and snappy videos found on Instagram and TikTok, as well as the GIFs and loops you see on other social media platforms. As such, the campaign is able to tap into the Gen Z and Gen Y audiences and bring the generations together. “We believe that there really is a frame for every face,” continues Camille. In order to represent the diversity of the cast and brand, the team wanted to show different generations in the film. “But mixing these generations did not have any influence on the music, grading or other elements. The ideas we had beforehand regarding this worked out very nicely – and maybe even brought the generations closer to each other.”

The campaign is effortlessly hypnotic as it switches from character to character, and frame to frame. It's fast-paced and creative, showing both the broad mix of eyewear designs while alluding to the importance of diversity – “not just in the creative industry but in all industries,” says Camille. “I think it’s important that everyone has some sort of representation of themselves that’s visible on TV, in commercials, series and films. Everyone needs someone or something you can identify with or look up to.”

GalleryCamille Boumans: Ace & Tate x HALAL Studios, A Frame for Every Face. Photography by Nick van Tiem (Copyright © Nick van Tiem, 2022)

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Sponsored by

Ace & Tate

Ace & Tate believes inspiration is everywhere if you just open your eyes wide and Take Another Look. The Amsterdam-based eyewear brand endeavours to support the creative communities that fuel the world with inspiration and make it a brighter place to live in!

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Camille Boumans: Ace & Tate x HALAL Studios, A Frame for Every Face. Photography by Nick van Tiem (Copyright © Camille Boumans, 2022)

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