INTRODUCTION

CONCEPT / APPROACH

STORYLINE

CASTING

Location

WARDROBE / Props

SHOTLIST

CONCLUSION

By a fortunate twist of fate, my wife and I are expecting a baby soon. I often find myself wondering what life will look like and how it will change for us. I have no doubt it will change for the better, though we’ll need to adapt and temporarily set aside some of the things we love — like traveling freely and exploring distant corners of the world without limits. Still, we want to remain active parents and share the joy of discovery with our little ones, even if it means starting with smaller adventures close to home. Many modern cities and towns are well-equipped for families, offering everything from children’s playgrounds and museums to parks, community gardens, and urban farms. These spaces even give city kids the chance to meet farm animals and experience a taste of rural life, like feeding goats or chickens. When I think about it, I’d love to spend time with my family living in the spirit of something like the “City Discovery” campaign, and a Skoda Octavia would be the perfect companion for such adventures.

The concept has clearly defined locations and activities, so I’ll take the liberty of organizing the storyline around them. While the City Sport activity is optional, I’d definitely try include it in the story. It’s visually dynamic, engaging, and easy to execute + it works perfectly with kids.

Home

Our family lives in a quiet, picturesque neighborhood lined with charming houses, complete with a spacious driveway. It’s the perfect day for an outing. The parents are busy loading the car with everything they need while smiling at their kids, who come bursting out of the house, brimming with excitement. It’s going to be a packed day. They load up sports gear, a change of clothes, and homemade food, along with picnic essentials, planning to enjoy a meal outdoors by the river. Once everything is set, they hop into the car. The kids wave eagerly from the windows, and off they go, ready for an adventure.

City Farm

From their home, they drive to a community garden with a small urban farm, located right in the heart of the city, thanks to a local sustainability initiative. The kids are buzzing with anticipation, eagerly peering out the windows. Soon, they’re pulling into the farm’s driveway, where rows of garden beds and the first animals come into view. The parking area is right next to the sheep pen [the scene is always set up so that Octavia plays for us in the compositions], and the sheep gather curiously, hoping for a treat. It’s a beautiful slice of countryside nestled in the middle of the bustling city. The little girl brings her stuffed sheep toy to show the real ones, while her brother carries a basket of apples to feed them. There’s so much to do here. After cuddling the rabbits and tossing grain to the ducks, the kids join their dad to collect fresh eggs from the chicken coop.

City Picnic

With appetites growing, the family heads to a spot perfect for a riverside picnic before continuing to the playground. Just a short drive through a few city streets [car to car shots] brings them to a spacious riverbank lined with benches and greenery. Using the virtual pedal, Mom opens the trunk [There are certainly other clever features that could help me build the story while showcasing the new technologies. Would be great to discover them together and fit it to the story.], and she and Dad start setting up lunch on a blanket right by the water. The vibrant, fresh food from their picnic boxes smells amazing. After the meal, the parents relax and take in the serene views. Meanwhile, their daughter sits in the open trunk, sketching, while her brother runs around blowing giant bubbles. After a peaceful break, they pack up and head off to their next destination.

City Sport

The day’s final stop is a vibrant, modern playground with a basketball court, beautifully painted with colorful designs. The family laces up their sneakers, ready for some action. Dad and his son start shooting hoops, while Mom teaches her daughter how to hula hoop. The late afternoon sun casts long shadows across the court, adding to the atmosphere. To end the day on a high note, the family plays a friendly two-on-two game of basketball. They laugh and cheer, enjoying every moment. It’s been a fantastic day filled with fun and adventure, but now it’s time to head home.

I would like to get as many lifestyle and product photos in these scenes as possible. As we will be naturally moving around the car we can easily change the focus between our cast and the car back and there anytime. Once the car is in the foreground (out of focus or in focus) to get more product-oriented pictures, the second time it is the cast who we see in the foreground with the car behind / beside calmly standing in the shot (we can change the focus here to again). This will allow us to get great lifestyle pictures with the car present in the scene too. We can easily combine "product only" shots here, with those with the cast. Even at the “product only” shots I would recommend integrating cast in the background out of focus. But this we can sort out on the set if agreed. We will cover details and quarter / side shots here with natural background.

Casting is a crucial part of the entire production. Through our talents, we can capture exactly the kind of positive energy we need to ensure the final assets convey the right vibe. This is especially important in our case, as we’ll have two young children on set.

I’m jumping ahead a bit, but since our production is scheduled for late February, I’ll be suggesting several locations with varying climates under the Locations section. If we opt for colder temperatures, my experience tells me that working with small children will give us very limited windows when they’ll feel comfortable, cheerful, and cooperative. For this reason, I’d recommend casting slightly older siblings, say in the 8–12 age range, along with matching parents. We need a family dynamic that feels natural and harmonious—one that enjoys spending time together, is active, sporty, and has a warm connection to animals.

We are looking for a city that can provide our family with cozy accommodation featuring a spacious parking area, a flowing river with a well-maintained riverbank, an urban farm, and a sports venue. It should allow us to create the impression of spring arriving at the end of February and align architecturally with our key markets: Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Turkey, and Austria.

I must admit, the combination of production timing, activities, child casting, target markets and the desired springtime feel is quite a puzzle. A puzzle, however, that I believe can be solved. As I outlined in the casting section, I’d like to propose two options, each with its own pros and cons.

After countless hours of poring over maps, consulting both real and AI friends, and reaching out to various contacts, we’ve identified these options as the best fit.

[The photos below show real locations where we’d like to shoot.]

Central Europe

Pros

• The production can take place in Central Europe, where we have the desired architecture that matches the target markets.

• There are plenty of riverbanks where cars can easily be parked.

• Urban farms with animals are thriving.

• Modern children’s playgrounds and family homes for rent are readily available.

• Everything is within driving distance, making it more cost-effective.

Cons

• Unfortunately, we can’t control the weather, and by late February, temperatures might hover around freezing.

• Trees will still be bare, and we’ll need to dress the children in winter coats.

My clear choice in Central Europe is Prague, the city where I was born and know every corner. It offers countless houses and villas in various sizes and styles available for rent. The riverbank is well-maintained—closer to the city center, it’s easily recognizable, while further out, it feels more neutral, featuring newly renovated, unique riverfront vaults with circular glass openings.

Prague also boasts numerous community gardens and urban farms, both within the city and its immediate surroundings. Additionally, thanks to the global basketball series Red Bull Half Court at Prazacka, there’s a basketball court with a highly photogenic, colorful mural.

Southern Europe

Pros

• Heading further south offers milder temperatures, around 15°C, during that time of year.

• Green trees, a springtime vibe, and the possibility of wearing short sleeves create the desired feel.

• Similar opportunities for the required activities are available.

Cons

• Most cities in Southern Europe feature distinct Mediterranean architecture, which may not align with the target markets.

• Instead of rivers, the scenery often includes views of the sea.

• Urban farms are not as widespread.

• This option comes with significantly higher costs, including flights, accommodation, local transportation, and more.

After extensive research and exploring options in cities further south, I’ve concluded that one city truly stands out and aligns closely with our requirements: Rome. Thanks to its mild climate, the city enters the early stages of the growing season by the end of February, giving it a vibrant and lively atmosphere. Daytime temperatures typically hover around 15°C.

If we set aside the ancient city center, the architecture becomes more neutral and reminiscent of Central European cities. The banks of the Tiber River are lined with beautiful riverfront promenades. Within the city itself, you’ll find the Rome City Farm, complete with farm animals. And, just like Prague’s Prazacka, Rome also boasts a beautifully painted outdoor basketball court from the same Red Bull Half Court series.

Rome isn’t just an ancient city, it’s a dynamic, modern metropolis that has a lot to offer and perfectly fits our needs.

Among other considered cities such as Zagreb, Venice, Trieste, Malaga, Nice, Lisbon, and Porto, Barcelona stood out as a fairly strong option. However, its warm climate comes at the expense of Central European architecture, and the riverbank would have to be substituted with views of the sea, which I’m not sure aligns with the environment of our key markets. Beside that Barcelona offers plenty options for each scripted activity.

Wardrobe and Styling emphasize contemporary urban fashion—comfortable, clean, muted tones, and slightly oversized fits. Since we haven’t decided on a location yet, I’ve included both winter and summer outfits.
Clothing gives us a unique opportunity to naturally incorporate the “Green Notion” into the photos, as it might otherwise be difficult to showcase it in an urban setting. For this reason, I’d like to incorporate green elements into the family’s outfits. Another opportunity could be choosing the Octavia Combi in a green paint finish.

Still Images

We want to achieve a wide variety of shots by using a full range of focal lengths, including the currently trending ultra-wide lens, drone footage, as well as photographic techniques like panning during car movements or long-exposure night shots. Below is a summary of all 60 photographs, covering all the defined angles: Front Profile, Front Quarter Panel, Front Side Panel, Side Profile, Rear Quarter Panel, Rear Side Quarter Panel, Back Profile, and Top Profile.

60 Stills in TOTAL

Product Only Shot List

17x Hatchback, 16x Estate, 7x Together

• 5x Hatchback at Home

• 4x Estate at Home

• 1x Together at Home

• 4x Hatchback at City Farm

• 4x Estate at City Farm

• 2x Together at City Farm

• 4x Estate at City Picnic

• 2x Together at City Picnic

• 4x Hatchback at City Sport

• 4x Estate at City Sport

• 2x Together at City Sport

• 4x Hatchback at City Picnic

Product & Cast Shot List

20x Shots

• 3x at Home

• 6x at City Farm

• 6x at City Picnic

• 5x at City Sport

Moving images

We really like the proposed approach and the samples of the IG Reel videos. If awarded, we’d like to maintain the same setup as in the previous KAROQ project, with Giulio handling the moving images while I focus entirely on the photos. Giulio would primarily shoot using the iPhone 16 Pro to ensure authenticity and a user-generated content feel. Together with our in-house post-production team, we can achieve the desired look

It’s been a pleasure working on this treatment. I hope my concerns about the locations and the weather don’t come across as discouraging — I’m simply trying to approach this realistically and with the desire to achieve the best possible outcome.