Grosso Modo is a young and passionate audiovisual company. Headquartered in Madrid, it is helmed by Carlos Santana and Manuel Ruiz. The duo previously worked as technicians in the audiovisual sector, but say they were ‘a little tired of working for other people, and not getting anything from it.’ They explain: ‘We wanted to get away from routine and seek new challenges. To do this, we created our own production company, Grosso Modo, and began making our own projects.’ In its latest project, Grosso Modo worked with LZF to create a short film for the new Dune, Estela, and Eris lamps.

Santana and Ruiz have a desire to tell a brand’s story through film, but without the look and feel of an advert: ‘From our point of view, we work to find the essence of a brand and its products, and try to understand how this affects the consumer. We tell the story behind a product’s creative process, following it from start to finish.’

When making the new short film for LZF, Santana and Ruiz were keen to capture the creative process behind Dune, Estela, and Eris, and at the same time avoid any sense of repetition: ‘We decided to team each lamp with a specific part of the process. We built a set in Madrid to show Mayice [the designers of Dune, Estela, and Eris], as they designed Eris; we visited the master glass-blower Eduard Garuti at his workshop in Barcelona, as he crafted Dune; and we went to LZF’s factory in Valencia, spending time with Jose Medina as he assembled Estela.’

As film-makers, Carlos Santana and Manuel Ruiz know they must keep the viewer engaged: ‘Collectively, we are living in a moment where content is consumed in abundance, but where the means of consumption has changed. Social media platforms, such as Instagram, limit the duration and format of videos. It is clear that, without losing sight of more traditional channels for the dissemination of content, we have to adapt to social media platforms, giving the user what it is they demand.’

At Grosso Modo, Santana and Ruiz are mastering and making short films with a wonderful visual aspect and quality. With a keen eye for detail, their craft is one that engages and enlightens the viewer.