The new Burberry commercial demonstrates a new/old approach to modern cinematography. Instead of green screens, the DP was strapped to cables flying together with the actors. Moreover, the project was shot on film (ARRIFLEX 235) which contributed to the artistic ‘look & feel’ of the whole artwork. The paired glass was ARRI Master Prime 14mm. You Gotta watch this!
Elimination of green screens to enhance reality
More and more directors are trying hard to elevate immersiveness by eliminating green screens on set. This Burberry commercial demonstrates that approach. Also, the execution is not less than perfect. The commercial was shot by DP Justin Brown and directed by MEGAFORCE. First, let’s watch it below:
Shot on film by a ‘flying’ DP
“I’ve had so many questions into how we filmed this shot for the recent Burberry commercial, I thought I’d compile a little video showing how” Justin stated on his Instagram. “It was shot on a 14mm Master Prime, on Kodak 5219 pushed 1 stop with an ARRI 235 supplied by Panavision. The MEGAFORCE Directors really wanted the camera to be flying with the performers throughout the whole piece, so the logical solution was to strap into the wire rig with them. Quite possibly the most fun I’ve had shooting a shot. All the other shots in this commercial range in differing types of complexity as the directors wanted to capture as much in-camera as physically possible. Each shot was pretty unique. It was an absolutely masterful piece of direction by Clem and Léo Berne seeing the whole piece fit together as the choreography and wirework worked seamlessly with the practical helicopter, Russian arm, Steadicam, and Technocrane, then all beautifully stitched together. A true pleasure to be part of” he said.
Watch this short BTS video:
Closing thoughts
This Burberry commercial is a solid reference for pure creativity, and ‘out of the box’ artistic thinking. Minimization of SFX software and techniques is the way to go here. The approach of the directors was to invest all creativity into the production, rather than just assembling it in post. That’s the reason this commercial is a gem regarding the simplification of the filmmaking process and amplification of the final results. Very good job! What do you think?
Product List
Here’re the products mentioned in the article, and the links to purchase them from authorized dealers.
- ARRI 14mm Master Prime Lens
