As a filmmaker, Maria Aguado creates a world that immerses audiences in a feeling, concept, or an idea. There is a certain power behind such a craft, and the Barcelona native understands this. She has always loved film, but for her, it is more than a simple passion: it is a reason for being alive. This commitment to what she does translates to every project she embarks on, and this has made her an internationally sought-after videographer and video editor.
Whilst working with several large companies, including Alvarez & Moixonet, Les Mills, and Button Barcelona, Aguado has shown the world why she has such an esteemed reputation. However, it is not just with companies that her talents extend to. Her work with the Claudia Morera Fashion Show “11.11.2092” in 2014 captivated audiences.
“Working with Claudia Morera’s team in such a personal and inspiring project was amazing,” said Aguado. “I really liked the idea of the video from the start. The location and models were amazing and I knew that working with Claudia would expand my horizons.”
After seeing Aguado’s previous work for a jewelry company, prominent fashion designer Claudia Morera reached out to the videographer, knowing she needed a dynamic video to make her fashion show a success. The concept that lies behind Claudia Morera’s Womenswear Collection “11.11.2092” is the passage of time and how it affects the world. The collection showcases the evolution of the human body. Aguado immediately wanted to work on the project, knowing the creativity she could channel into the film.
“The story behind the whole fashion collection was very touchy and it felt like a privilege to be a part of it. The video had an enormous process of creativity and development. I had to clearly understand what Claudia was trying to transmit with her clothes and show it in the video. I studied every piece of her work to show this idea with the models. Directing their movements, positions, face expressions, basically creating a story around them,” Aguado described.
The fashion video was shot with four different models, including 10-year-old girl, a 25-year-old woman, a 50-year-old woman and an 80-year-old woman. Using the designer’s initial ideas, Aguado created a psychedelic and dark video showing the differences between the skins and ages of the models, which was followed by their fashion clothes. She used a lot of close-ups, very slow camera movements, and static movements to highlight every last detail. She also played a lot with a mirror during shooting, and filmed the models staring at themselves to create a sense of time passing by. These choices were greatly appreciated by Morera.
“Working with Maria was a great experience, but what's more important in this kind of project was that she made everything so easy, not just because it seems so easy for her to tidy up all her ideas in her mind, but because she is a very organized person. The passion she has about her work makes things appear natural and in a very powerful way. Good ideas turn into outstanding ones with her,” Morera described. “It was amazing for me to see how quickly she could imagine the scenes for the video of my collection so that the ideas I wanted to express about the concept could be represented in a strong visual way. She could perfectly understand what I was looking for and could develop it in her own way with her own identity. I felt Maria was a very professional person within her work, although everyday was a stressful day, she showed calm and well standing attitude in every moment. She's a never stopping person until she gets the results she wants, she will keep on trying until perfection.”
Aguado did not stop with just filming. When editing the fashion video, she used many effects and video transitions. She changed the speed and flopped the videos, making the images dance together, showing how the models got older. A lot of thought was put into each cut. She had one shot where we could see the older women walking through a door full of light. She used this shot at the end of the video to exemplify that there is light at the end of the tunnel, at the end of any life. After editing this dark and experimental video, she used this shot to give optimism and leave a spark for the audience. The music she chose was also very inspiring, as there were no lyrics, but the sounds are unique and strong. After editing the whole video, she also touched the color, and gave it less saturation and added black, which followed the tone and esthetic of the whole project. The show could not have happened without her.
“What makes Maria good at what she does is that she will always try to approach things in a different way to make it unique, whether that is formally in terms of the style or through the subject matter. She always tries to explore her own voice to go deeper with it. She puts ingredients such as emotional roller coaster and revelation in order to make compelling projects. Well-organized structure is a very important aspect when working with her. Maria has solid foundations that make it easy to rely on her. The way she puts the film together is a real surprise, she makes the audience connect with it and brings forth your emotions. What you want to express, she will make it real.Maria is a team worker, she makes everyone get deeply involved in the project with her positive every-day attitude. She has very clear and focused ideas, that make her an awesome filmmaker,” Morera continued.
While Aguado was in charge of transmitting the whole idea, she understood that not only was she doing a job, she was sending a message. She grasped the importance of the video, as it not only had to tell a story, but it also had to capture the essence of the brand. The video allowed viewers to not only understand the collection, but to love it.
“I believe this video gives goosebumps to anyone who sees it. Its full of strength, it moves your soul and makes you want to live every second of your life to the fullest,” Morera concluded. “It felt very overwhelming, everyone loved it. It was very fulfilling.”