Tell No One Share Fashion Filmmaking Secrets

They're called Tell No One for a reason, but the Good Egg directing duo otherwise known as Luke White and Remi Weekes are certainly being talked about in fashionable circles. 

The latest addition to their impressive reel - which includes work for the likes of Nick Knight and SHOWstudio, Nowness, Matthew Williamson and H&M - is this literally mind-blowing spot for denim giant Replay. Below, the taciturn twosome tell shots more about their modus operandi.  

How long have you been collaborating as Tell No One? How did you get together?

We bumped into each other on a bike ride aged 12.

What has been your big break (or are you still waiting for it?)

Dynamic Blooms [below] seems to have stood the test of time and, of course, becoming 'Good Eggs'.

You’ve created films for a range of clients, from fashion sites such as Nick Knight's SHOWstudio and Nowness to high street clothing brands. What’s been your favourite and why?  

Mine All Mine [a shoppable film for Nowness, below] gave us total creative freedom, but Replay gave us creative support, so it's a hard question to answer. Every job we do hopefully tests boundaries. At the beginning of our careers we had no money and did everything ourselves which meant we learnt a lot, especially about post.

In many of your films, the clothes seem to take on a life of their own. Can you tell us a bit more about the techniques and materials you used to achieve these effects? 

We test and test our films before we get anywhere near to our actual shoot day. Our experiments become films in their own right. Techniques and fabrics are all part of our experiments, and then when we get stuck, we sit in the foyer of MPC and wait for Iain [Murray, VFX supervisor] and Hannah [Ruddlestone, VFX producer].

How would you describe your directing style?

We are very quiet and considered, which can be a bit disconcerting for agencies but hopefully the films speak for themselves. We love working with creatives that challenge our ideas and give us space to respond.  Time is more valuable than budgets.

What’s your view on fashion film generally? What do you see as the biggest challenges for the genre? 

We approach fashion films from different angles, trying to mix beauty with unique techniques. The Replay campaign film was different because it is funny, we had to direct characters with a single glance, and we would like to do more of that. The current fashion film we are working on is extremely exciting - mixing models and mirrors - watch this space!