GET TO KNOW SUPERCLUSTER: Conversation with Marco Miraglia, Co-Founder & EP of Courage

Marco Miraglia and Davide Caselli have collected high-standard production expertise from around the world and poured it into COURAGE Production Milan - the Milan-based studio that is leading the way in production for fashion and lifestyle.

In today's instalment of the Get To Know series, Marco Miraglia tells us about the global influences behind Courage, their list of luxury clients, and the inspiring benefits which stem from international collaboration.

How did Courage come into existence?

Back in the day, I was based in Paris and Davide Caselli was based in London. We were working freelance on productions and creative projects all around the world, until we decided to open our own production company in Milan. We thought it would be a good idea, business-wise, to use our international background and expertise to create something in Italy, our mainland.

A lot of the content Courage works on is fashion-focused. Was it a conscious direction for you?

I went to film school and some of my colleagues from university are now working in movies. Personally, I was more interested in short videos, communication and graphics, and this somehow connected me with people in the fashion business in Paris. Davide started from underground music videos, so we were mainly video makers in the beginning.

Would you say that filmmaking for fashion requires a different eye or artistic sensibility?

It’s more focused on aesthetics than storytelling, even though sometimes you can work with directors who do both.

What are some of the main brands that you work with?

We work a lot with Valentino and Napapijri. We also worked with brands such as Lancome, Versace, Prada, Off-White… And we won some things for our campaign with Diesel [Silver and Bronze at Cannes Lions 2019].

Do you have a specific Courage style or do you tailor your vision to each project?

A good production comes from attention to details. We always keep things at a very high standard. While we don’t have a specific style, we like to keep things quite bright, clean and minimalistic - with an easy touch. But it really depends on the project and the director.

Although you don't represent directors in Italy, you do have a database of go-to talent. How do you determine which directors you'd like to build relationships with?

Directors send us their portfolios and CV’s every day. But the truth is that our growth and how we meet new people is very organic and human. In fashion it often happens that the brands choose directors. Then, after working together, they might become our friend and we call them again.?

The directors who you put forward for the SUPERCLUSTER roster are Mattia Benetti, Valentina Be, Enea Colombi and Martina Pastori. Why do you think they are a good fit for such a global concept?

They’re all really cool. They all bring more than just being executors and are also friendly and reliable, which we care about. At the end of the day, it’s all about energy while working together. We tend to put our mental health first, not stress too much and make things with a good vibe.

You were one of the first SUPERCLUSTER partners, on board since its early inception in 2019. What was it about this concept that drew you in? Why is this model of collaboration important?

Because it’s a good idea. It’s good to stay inspired and build connections.?

In the past, we’ve had a partnership with companies in Korea and New York which worked really well at the time, because we wanted to work more with international clients, not just Italians in Italy. That’s why, after the first few years of setting up Courage and not traveling so much, SUPERCLUSTER seemed like a great thing. The focus isn’t just local anymore.?

As the Italian representatives for the collective, could you shed some light on the specificities of your local market? What unique aspects do you bring into this global group?

Good catering [laughs]. No, but - people usually choose to shoot in Italy because they want a specific landscape. Italy can be a complicated country to shoot in and international clients are usually very happy with us because we learned our workflow while abroad and we fit their expectations and needs.

This is definitely something everyone can attest to. For the final question - where does the name Courage come from?

This is linked to the first question about our origins. Davide and I knew we wanted to create something together, so we thought - okay let’s meet in a place which we both like a lot. So we met in California and we stayed there for one month, trying to set up a company from there. The name was something we were thinking about a lot. Davide (coming from London) was proposing English names, I (coming from Paris) was proposing French names. Finally “Courage” was something you could read in both languages and it’s also a very good word. It’s symbolic and it inspires things to happen.

Discover our global collective below and stay tuned for more insightful stories at the heart of SUPERCLUSTER.

Asymetric,?AVION FILMS Athens,?Be Sweet Films,?Carbon Films,?COURAGE, Glitch Paris,?Landvogel (EN),?Mamá Húngara,?More Maria, Mother Media,?Mr.Frank,?Mr+Positive Tokyo,?O2 Filmes,?Reel Factory,?Saltwater Films,?Warsaw Production Team