Les Mills approached Alt Group to redevelop their Personal Training program. My role as art director focussed on research, moodboarding, storyboarding, producing and shooting a video campaign, script and copy writing, designing P–T infotainment systems in gym, development of uniforms, and continued content creation for their social media platforms.

As a gym brand, Les Mills relies on the work of many staff to create the Les Mills atmosphere. Personal Trainers are a key part of a gym and one that often gets overlooked. While many may perceive the Personal Trainer as an intense upper limit member, the reality is far from it.

I set out to showcase what it means to work with a Personal Trainer as a Les Mills gym-goer.

 A meeting was held with key members of the Les Mills New Zealand team to discuss how we can better represent and showcase the work of Personal Trainers (PT’s) in clubs. PT’s are often seen floating about and observed as a reserved tool for the elite or wealthy, yet in reality they serve a purpose to engage and communicate correct training practices.

I suggested we create a short video series showcasing the personal side of personal training. The video would be shot entirely handheld with no rig, stabilisers, or tripods allowed in order to bring out the emotion between trainer and trainee. The video would be played on purpose built cabinets in-gym, with new ‘trading card style’ business cards for each trainer.

A friend always tells me “failing to prepare, is preparing to fail”, which meant above and beyond planning for the shoot. I was allowed one day to shoot all of the content, and around 4 days to edit and deliver the final clips.

The call time was set for 6 am on the Les Mills Victoria Street car park. Being the end of winter, the weather was still a bit off both cold and wet. Our talent arrived, had a coffee, and was straight into their first exercises. A quick round of skipping allowed them to warm up and get ready for sparring with the trainers. Having never met before, both Marwin and Seb connected with a friendship early on. The drive and passion from both meant that training seemed natural, the shoot almost became a documentary.

 In the afternoon we shot Nikki and Sarah. Working as a pair, Nikki and Sarah often train together and also have a bond from the get-go. Their drive and push meant filming was a breeze and shots flowed naturally.

The video was edited over 4 days with over 100 outputs required. A set of actions allowed for the videos to be edited and rendered with ease, with a hard drive being delivered to Les Mills that week.

The video was graded to match the photographic style Les Mills uses - desaturated, but warm and realistic. A lack of hyper colours, lighting rigs, and effects means the video has an almost fly-on-the-wall style.

Cutdowns were produced with a raw feel in mind. The original captured audio replaced any music and allowed for genuine conversations to appear.  Trainers can be heard pushing their talent more and working them for effect. A lack of acting means the video is entirely raw and emotive.

The final video landed on a hype reel of inspiration and success of working with a trainer. The video is raw, emotive, and lacking in any special effects. It’s there to entice personal training and to give a real-life glimpse into the day-to-day training of many Les Mills members. The support from staff, personal trainers, and members has been amazing. Personal Trainers were thrilled to feel like they’re a part of the Les Mills family. Thrilled to be in the spotlight when COVID-19 hit so many small businesses hard - personal trainers included.

Design Director: Zoe Ikin
Art Director/Videographer/Video Editor: Chris Smith
Designer: Kate Morrison