My one guilty pleasure in life is a love for the French Cinema. After wrapping on a fashion commercial on the French Riviera, I drove across the border into Italy. What I discovered there was a world of beauty rich with imaginative characters and breathtaking locations straight from the history of cinema.
My life's influences of high fashion, advertising, performance art, and french cinema all melt together in these magical worlds created on the Italian Riviera.
"Being Mike Mellia: The Cafe" - Tiny espressos meet larger-than-life characters with zeal and aplomb:
"Being Mike Mellia: The Atelier"- This episode takes place at an atelier on the Italian Riviera. Tiny espresso are served in the garden while my turban is meticulously prepared.
"Being Mike Mellia: The Riviera" - This episode takes place in a small town called Finale Ligure, near Nice, France, and not far from the cinque terre. The town itself is a delightful mix of palm trees, beaches, mountains, and of course, friendly neighbors...
"Being Mike Mellia: Happy Holidays!"
"Being Mike Mellia: The Renegade"- Our hero as he makes a narrow escape...
"Being Mike Mellia: Tanzania"- The specifics of the expedition are detailed in the form of a brief memorandum.
By intentionally limiting the films to 30 seconds, I am stylistically providing as much information about the characters as quickly as possible, and then letting the viewer imagine the rest of these fictional worlds in an open-ended way. The possibilities become limitless as one is simultaneously filled with a sense of wonder, and at the same time an intimate familiarity.
Follow more of my whimsical adventures in advertising and the pursuit of the perfect selfie as @mikemellia
About the author: @mikemellia
Mike Mellia's work is currently featured on Instagram's Mens Style Channel (with over 200,000 views). In much of his work, the everyday has never looked so whimsical. Mike Mellia's Instagram selfie series has also been the inspiration for many of the commercial works he has filmed for brands including The GAP, Swarovski, Hearst, Intel, Pierre et Vacances, BETC Paris and more in New York, France, and Italy.