Q&A: Discovering Austria Through Artists’ Eyes

The Austrian National Tourist Office took home the Gold and People’s Lovie Award for the documentary film “Austria. The Art of Discovery.” Read about how the project got made and what winning a Lovie means to the team.

The Extended Entry Deadline is Friday 13 September. Enter now!


 

Sometimes the key to breakthrough success is trying the opposite of what you’ve done before. That’s one lesson from Austria. The Art of Discovery, the 2018 Gold and People’s Lovie Winner in Internet Video for Documentary (Branded).

Read our interview below with the team at the Austrian National Tourist Office about their decision to do something new and put the film in artists’ hands, and why that worked well for this project.


 

1. What were your goals with this film, and how did you decide to center the narrative around artists?

The goal of this film was to awaken the deep yearning of our target group which has been made out in the German, British and Swiss markets. Our guests long to be in harmony with themselves and their environment – to meet inspiring people and gain enriching and lasting experiences that make them grow. Artists look at the world from surprising angles. Our intention was to show perspectives of Austria which have never been seen before. Therefore we decided to choose different artists who would discover Austria in a new context when travelling through the country together.

2. What was your greatest challenge? How did you overcome it?

Our greatest challenge was to trust that the project of cooperating with artists would turn out successfully. We used to draft and produce our image films according to strict scripts. In this case, we had to let go of any control and patiently wait for the first step. Our confidence was clearly rewarded.

3. “Austria. Art of Discovery” won the Gold Lovie Award and People’s Lovie Award in Documentary (Branded). What did it mean to you to win the Gold and People’s Lovie for this piece? How has winning the Lovie impacted your work?

To us this means marketing heaven. Succeeding to be among the best with the limited budget of national tourism organization is our biggest award and assures us that we are on the right track.

The award will certainly contribute to being perceived as more creative and innovative in the tourism branch and in the media landscape.

4. As a Lovie Winner, what’s your one piece of advice for anyone working on short-form documentary films online?

Key for designing a film is to find a surprising perspective of the story. To think to extremes and be inspired by people from outside the industry in order to find perspectives for your product that have not been seen before.


Don’t miss your chance to join winners like Austrian National Tourist Office in The Lovies this year. The Extended Deadline is Friday 13 September 2019. Enter now.