The 2024 Spotlight Awards will be one to remember. With elite photographers submitting their finest work, and some of the world's top creative minds joining our jury panel, there is no shortage of talent at this year's competition!
In the spirit of celebrating creativity, we wish to highlight some of the game changers and trend-setters on this year's panel. We spoke with some of our judges to get their insights into the advertising industry, their personal philosophies on the creative process, and much more. We are delighted to bring this forthcoming series of interviews to our community - we hope you find it insightful and inspiring!
We are thrilled to present Sarah Le Nevé, Visual Identity Project Manager at Moët & Chandon and our Spotlight Awards Food & Drink Photography judge. Her work at Moët & Chandon has made her transition from novice to seasoned professional an exciting and fulfilling one. We talked to Sarah about the human side of creative work, and much more!
How has your background in Design and Art Direction prepared you to join the judge's panel at this year's Spotlight Awards?
During my journey at Moët & Chandon, I was able to develop visual creative concepts and well-defined universes for the brand. It allowed me to work with excellent creative partners: photographers, set designers, editors, art directors etc… I accepted to participate to be both inspired by the panel and bring a creative vision through the prism of a large group.
Can you tell us about a career milestone and its lasting impact on your journey?
One of the most significant milestones was the collaboration with the different creative directors that I was able to meet. This immediately brought a more liberated vision, and I learned a lot from these people. I know that their approaches and ways of seeing things inspire me a lot to shape the artistic director I want to become.
What is the single most important thing you learned at the beginning of your career, and how did it shape and/or influence your career trajectory thereafter?
Being able to join a large group like Moët Hennessy allowed me to learn a lot about corporate policy. Understanding how human relations work, to what extent values shape employees and how our resources allow us to see the bigger picture, influences the way we build a project. It is both exciting and challenging.
When planning a visual campaign, what main principle do you rely on to ensure it succeeds?
I would say that consistency and coherence in the message is one of the keys to success. We want to make sure that our brand has a real tone of voice. For that we need a good insight and therefore a good visual concept.
What balance should photographers and/or creatives strike between capitalizing on industry trends and staying true to their unique visions?
For me, balance is found in the personality of creative people. Everyone is able to adopt a trend, but you have to know how to take it further and offer an identity and emotional strength.
Whether you're a freelancer or a salaried employee, collaboration is inevitable in creative work. What you consider to be the mark of a good collaborative effort, and why?
From my perspective, the mark of a good creative collaboration is knowing how to listen. And those in both directions. Knowing how to learn from the other's point of view, understanding and bouncing off ideas are only positive things in creative projects. Knowing how to listen also guarantees respect and the ability to shape a common vision.
It's said that if you're not failing, you're not trying. In your opinion, what role does failure play in the journey to success in any creative role and/or industry?
A situation of failure is an opportunity to step back and learn positive and negative lessons. This allows you to refine and reposition your vision in a path that will find success.
As you know, success in any creative field takes a timeless and steadfast dedication to one's craft. What should photographers, and creatives in general, remember on their journeys to realizing their full potential?
Perseverance, integrity and finding your own way are, for me, ways to realize your full creative potential. The most valuable creative people I have ever met were able to offer 100% mastery of the image. A sort of double hat which allows them to anticipate each point. They had a very clear vision of the project in their heads and that is a real asset.
The Spotlight Awards, though a competition, is at its core a celebration of photography and creativity. As a judge, what value do you think our Awards offer participating photographers and judges?
Projects such as Spotlight Awards allow us to bring together and discuss subjects that fascinate many creative people. I think that the number 1 quality of an experience like this is to share know-how. This allows us to broaden our horizons and see bigger and further.
We thank Sarah for joining this year's jury panel and for engaging in such a thoughtful discussion. If you enjoyed this conversation, we invite you to join us over the coming weeks for more discussions with many of our talented judges!
