Well, this is a real gem for cinephiles. ARRI Rental has published BTS photos of BMW commercial shot in 1989 on the brand new (back then) ARRIFLEX 765. Explore these amazing BTS photos, plus more info about the making-of.

Shot on 65mm film

The BMW 850i advertisement was shot and directed by filmmaker Siegfried Steiner. According to in70mm.com, Steiner was keen to shoot this fancy car on 65mm film. The initial thought was to screen it in a Showscan theater. Showscan was a cinematic process that utilized 70mm film photographed and projected at 60 FPS (frame per second), which is 2.5 times the standard speed of movie film. Furthermore, the Showscan methodology allowed the concept of high-impact theatres with big curved screens, and it was aimed at short films (shorter than features).

Hence, Steiner was searching for the right camera for the job. Back then, green screens were not so acceptable in car commercials, since filmmakers wanted to make it real (Christopher Nolan anyone?). However, Steiner needed a 65mm camera that can do action shots and owns a correct compact form factor to be operated flawlessly inside a car, and on a crane. Thus, he aimed for the ARRIFLEX 765.

One of the first projects shot on the 765

The ARRIFLEX 765 was introduced in 1989 after 6 years of development. The camera is being used till today, as an alternative to IMAX film cameras, mainly in dialog scenes, since it is much quieter than IMAX film cameras. For instance, the 765 was heavily utilized in the latest James Bond movie (read: ARRIFLEX 765: The Camera Behind “No Time To Die”). To learn more about this 765, make sure to read our article: ARRIFLEX 765: A Small Tribute to a Big Camera. Anyway, the BMW commercial director and cinematographer Siegfried Steiner approached ARRI and asked if he can use the camera for the commercial. ARRI said yes, and with the help of 765 dedicated technicians, the shooting has begun.

Filming the commercial

The principal photography of the BMW commercial took three weeks. They were no green screens. Back then, filmmakers took no shortcuts and wanted the real deal. Many of the shooting decisions were made on the spot. ”Most of the ideas for the settings came during the trip when all of a sudden we were inspired by the scenery,” said Steiner, who was very impressed on shooting the 65mm film. “When you look through the finder of a 35mm camera and then through a 65 mm-camera, you see two different worlds. That is a dream!” he stated. Also, the final creation and decisions were done in the editing room. “It was more instinctive shooting rather than planned” Steiner added.

Shooting action with the ARRIFLEX 765

The team had to make special adaptations to meet the ARRIFLEX 765 size since the camera is heavier and bigger than a conventional 35mm camera. During the entire principal photography, the 765 operators were accompanied by an ARRI technician team from Vienna, in order to obtain their first practical experiences under harsh shooting environments. The 765 needed to be adapted to cranes, dollies, and helicopters. Steiner’s concern was breaking the crane due to the heavyweight of the 765. However, everything went smoothly. Moreover, the 765 owns a very user-friendly design and a smart form factor. The team even managed to shoot inside a car. This was one of the first cinematography events that a 65mm camera was used inside a car. BTW, Christopher Nolan did the same on Tenet, but with an IMAX camera. As for the ARRIFLEX 765, the team used small magazines (500ft instead of 1000ft) that contributed to weight reduction. The ARRIFLEX 765 seemed to be a very robust camera. “The camera even proved to be quite resistant to water” mentioned Steiner.

Disadvantages of the ARRIFLEX 765

Overall, Steiner was extremely happy shooting with the 765. However, he elaborated on the main cons, which are very logical. The weight and size constitute a limiting factor, but these limitations are being shared by all 65nmm film cameras. Also, it’s tricky to use the 765 in shoulder operation. However, back then it wasn’t so trivial. Nowadays, the IMAX film cameras are being used on the shoulder almost like any other camera (these techniques were implemented in ‘No Time to Die’ and Tenet).  Another major issue of shooting 65mm film, is one of the pluses, which is the VERY shallower depth of field. That characteristic can elevate the heartbeat of the focus puller. Nevertheless, as stated by Steiner: “The ARRIFLEX 765 was eager for action”. Watch the final result here (the video can’t be embedded). Please be aware that it was uploaded in 2013, and it’s a commercial from 1989. Think about the compression, and focus on the great filmmaking of it.

Finally, we’d like to thank in70mm.com for this info. Check out the site. You’ll find there many 70mm goodies.