This cool Jeep commercial + BTS footage was published on Mark Toia’s Vimeo channel. Let’s explore what we can learn from Toia regarding shooting and directing high-end commercials, and what it means versatility in filmmaking. 

Direct, Shoot, Edit, Repeat

Mark Toia specializes in filming and directing high-end commercials. Toia has vast knowledge and expertise beyond operating the camera, which defines him as a versatile filmmaker. Toia is one of those directors that also can shoot or one of those cinematographers that can also direct. This versatility facilitates the whole process of filmmaking in the project. His son, Jordan, also participates on his projects by operating B cam, or by editing the BTS video. In fact, Jordan Toia shot and edited the behind the scenes of the video in this article.

Creating high-end commercials on a laptop

Toia has edited on almost every NLE on the market (Avid, Premiere, FCPX, Resolve). Furthermore, Toia has a decent knowledge of using SFX software like Motions and After effects. Knowing editing and post methodologies allows significant advantages on set and beyond. This knowledge is being used as a super-efficient tool-box that can be utilized by DPs and directors in pre, production, and post. Moreover, the technology these days allows editing the footage on a laptop on the fly, which is quite amazing. That means you can edit an 8K high-end commercial on location, even when dealing with ultra resolution RAW footage (with some limitations).

From 35mm film to RED

Mark has continued to be his own cinematographer initially on 35mm film and then making the transition to digital with RED. However, Toia says that he would be happy to still shooting film. If a client demands shooting on film, Toia will execute it. Toia says that film cameras are more straightforward to shoot than on digital cameras. Film indeed grants out of the box beautiful and gorgeous imagery compared to digital, which needs accurate setup definitions before the shoot. For those of you who are not experienced with film, we highly recommend to read our in-depth article: The Digital Cinema has Brought the Film Cameras Back in the Game. The article explains and demonstrates the impact and efficiency of the film in the modern era of digital cinema. After the 35mm film, Toia has switched to shooting RED because he was impressed by the capabilities of its codec. The freedom to manipulate, correct, and grade the image in post dazzled him. From then he shoots most of its high-end commercials in 8K RED cameras, which you can explore in the BTS footage at the end of the article.

I have to deliver what they (the clients) want, not what I want

Mark Toia- Director, cinematographer, and editor

The versatile filmmaker

As explained, Toia belongs to the type of those filmmakers that have expanded education and expertise regarding the whole method. Knowing how to edit and grade contributes to the shoot and cut. These kinds of filmmakers can function as a director, DP, and post manager, until the grading and delivery of the final video. Nowadays, we’ve got a lot of them, which is healthy for the industry, because those talented and educated filmmakers are pushing the industry forward. The high accessibleness to free professional editing, grading, and delivery software elevates motivation to gain the maximum knowledge on how to use them to tell the story. The vast amount of online resources also simplifies access to a worthy filmmaking education. For instance, even ARRI offers certified on-line courses for their camera systems, so you can gain a high-quality piece of formal education from your home. 

Jeep Wrangler Freedom commercial & BTS

The commercial below is a good example to explore the power of the indie shooter. It’s a high-end commercial and not exactly independent. However, the characteristics are mutual. This commercial was executed by a very small crew, natural set, and lighting. That only could be achieved thanks to the versatility of the team. Arriving at the location, get the camera and start shooting – that’s basically the product cycle of this commercial. I believe most of the editing was done on the fly, as well as the grading. Anyway, the results are stunning. Watch the commercial + BTS down below to get inspired.