On this week's episode we are going over the very first commercial spot I shot after the feature film. We wrapped the film on a Sunday in Sydney and we shot this commercial on a Wednesday in Perth.
The shoot could not have been more different than the feature and after 30 days of chasing our tails 24/7 it was a nice change of pace to be back in the commercial world.
Patreon: Lost In Top Light
Over on Patreon this week we are taking an extended look at a film that looks great but doesn't follow any of the normal methods we talk about on the podcast.
Lost in Translation is our featured content this week and I tried to pull some key scenes to breakdown that looked different than what we usually discuss.
Plus we throw in a little Roger Deakins and top it off with a scene from La La Land.
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Modern VFX - Do Your Thing
This commercial was a big shift away from what we had done the last two months on the feature. We shot Alexa XT Open Gate Arriraw for all the VFX and used Master Primes for their sharpness at the T1.3.
Camera Gear:
Check out the gear I use on all of my commercial shoots by clicking the link below:
Wandering DP Commercial Cinematography Gear
The only kit not listed there are the Master Primes.
For lighting we used a combination of LED and HMI sources.
The Spot - VFX Friendly
Set Up #1 - The Walk
The Shots
The spot opens on a young student walking towards the camera.
The Lighting
This shot was tricky as it was raining and we needed our talent to be dry. This meant we had to cover the talent as she walked without taking away too much of the light as it was already overcast and gloomy.
The Result
Set Up #2 -The Drone Shot
The Shots
The camera whips around and morphs in to the drone shot.
The Lighting
The rain meant we had nice reflections on the ground and a sky replacement took care of the rest.
The Result
Set Up #3 - In Tight
The Shot
The camera starts in very tight and slowly pulls back to reveal a droplet of blood.
The Lighting
We were inside a boring classroom lab so to make ti more interesting we threw everything out of focus, added some colored lights with the Astera Titan tubes and we were set.
The Result
Alexa Open Gate - 3.2k to 1080
Set Up #4 - The Same but Different
The Shots
Same as above with different talent.
The Lighting
See above.
The Result
Set Up #5 - The White Board
The Shots
The camera tracks alongside two people looking at a clear drawing board. This shot connects and morphs in to the handshake shot.
The Lighting
We used an M40 thru an 8x8 of magic cloth for the key light and then added neg fill to the side and above the two talent to create some more contrast.
The Result
Tech Scout Reference:
Shot #6 - The Coach Enters
The Shots
Much like the previous shot this one starts in tight on the professor's face then pulls back and whips around to reveal the rest of the classroom.
The Lighting
Same fixtures as above adjusted for the new camera position.
The Result
Tech Scout Reference:
Shot #7 - In Close
The Shots
This is the classroom shot that turns in to the bridge montage.
The Lighting
We used a series of M40s and sky panels to create the appearance of window light from camera right.
The Result
Tech Scout Reference:
Shot #8 - The Table
The Shot
In this shot the camera pushes in over the shoulder of the foreground actor and then tilts down to run along the forearms of the two people shaking hands. Then that shot morphs in to a bridge shot.
The Lighting
We used the sun as a backlight then punched in an Arri M18 just off of frame left through a 4x4 frame to help add a little bit of contrast.
The Result
Tech Scout Reference:
Shot #9 - The Hand
The Shot
In this shot the camera pushes in over the shoulder of the foreground actor and then tilts down to run along the forearms of the two people shaking hands. Then that shot morphs in to a bridge shot.
The Lighting
We used the sun as a backlight then punched in an Arri M18 just off of frame left through a 4x4 frame to help add a little bit of contrast.
The Result
Shot #10 - The FAMOCO
The Shot
This shot was the trickiest on terms of camera movement. We had to shoot in a real classroom so we were tight on space but the camera had to travel the length of the classroom and hover just above the desks.
The grips built a goalpost rig that we then attached the movi to and we were able to use some ropes and pulleys to wheel the camera across the room.
VFX removed the stands and voila.
The Lighting
This was all Astera Titan Tubes attached to the goal post set up and then a sky panel in a octobox for the professor..
The Result
