The  “Octane Symphony” was created for Ducati featuring Tom Mccomas ripping the new 2020 Streetfighter V4. Anyway, the BTS has dropped just now, unveiling RED Digital Cinema camera systems (DSMC2 and Komodo) combined with Hawk Anamorphic lenses rigged to… Ducati.

An epic Ducati commercial

Octane Symphony is an epic  Ducati commercial directed by Jonny Mass. The piece moves from an orchestral concert hall to the streets of Los Angeles, following rider Tom McComas as he rips through the night on a Ducati Streetfighter. The project was shot on RED Digital Cinema DSMC2 Gemini and RED Komodo. As Mass told RED in an interview: “The Gemini sensor is extremely sensitive to light and it helped us maintain clean shadows specifically within the tunnel sequence. The pairing of this camera with Hawk V Lite Anamorphic lenses was purely magical and created a really unique look for the project with wicked horizontal lens flares in true JJ Abrams’ fashion”.

Cinema FPV: The drone shots

Obviously, the FPV shots were allowed thanks to the Komodo. The FPV sequence which is less than 8 seconds, has undergone some further stabilization in post. The shot with the drone is diving down from a tall building in downtown LA, diving into lower grand while coming up on the Ducati and following it as it waves in between the cars at high speed. The speed of the FPV with the Komodo was 160 km/h. This complicated shot was performed in the night, which elevated the challenges even more.

Lenses: Hawk V‑Lite anamorphic

For the project, and for the “JJ Abram look”, the Hawk V‑Lite anamorphic lenses were chosen. These lenses produce an extreme anamorphic look, characterized by high contrast. Furthermore, those lenses are compact, small, and lightweight (smaller than many commonly used spherical primes), which allowed rigging them out straight on the bike.

DSMC2 was rigged to the motorcycle

Instead of utilizing the Komodo to be mounted on the Ducati, DSMC2 Gemini was used. Indeed, the Gemini was mounted like a GoPro into the bike, together with the Hawk V‑Lite compact anamorphic.

Sound design

Sound is the main component in a commercial like this. Thus, the Ducati was loaded with tiny microphones in order to record native and precise sounds. Moreover, there was a special emphasis on the sound design on post, so the audience can clearly hear the Ducati roars. Those sounds were blended together with more than 200 layers of orchestra-symphony sounds, on Logic Pro.

Watch the BTS video below (released 8 months after the commercial):

And here’s the Octane Symphony:

Final thoughts

This high-end commercial involves many cinematic challenges: Super precise Cinema FPV implementation, pursuit system, high-speed shots, and accurate sound design, all packed within less than a one-minute commercial. I don’t know how much time they were filming it, but let’s supposed it was all executed in a very tight schedule. Well planned, well-executed. What do you think? Comment below.

Product List

Here’re the products mentioned in the article, and the links to purchase them from authorized dealers. 

• RED DSMC2 BRAIN with Gemini 5K S35 sensor
  • BUY on B&H
  • BUY on ADORAMA
• RED Komodo 6K (Canon RF)
  • BUY on B&H
  • BUY on ADORAMA