Behind-The-Scenes of a Commercial Video for Peterbilt
Driven Films had the opportunity to bring our
camera car expertise to a commercial video shoot
for Peterbilt.
In looking back at this successful collaboration that featured Peterbilt’s new line of Electric vehicles and the Port of Miami, we recognize there are a number of takeaways that could be useful for other production companies and businesses involved in Florida video production.
Below, we’re sharing our pre-production and video production process for planning a two-day camera car shoot in Miami.
“I reached out to Driven Films because I loved the quality and the style of videos that they produce. Their level of expertise and willingness to go the extra mile to pull of some difficult shots was incredible. Their crew handled the shoot with the utmost professionalism and made my job easy as a director.”
How Pre-Production Set
Us Up For A Successful Shoot
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. At Driven Films, that is the same mentality we apply to our pre-production process for commercial video. Taking our own experience in both the automotive and video production industries, we are able to plan shoots that go according to plan, come in at budget, and result in high-quality videos that drive results.
Outlining The Goal
What was critical for this Peterbilt commercial video built around promoting their Model 579EV was to highlight the truck in a natural shipping environment. The 579EV is ideal for port operations and short haul applications.
And when you want an iconic look, you head to Miami. For shipping-specific locations, there are few spots more iconic in the US than the Port of Miami. With that goal in mind, we set up a shoot that would highlight Peterbilt’s truck with our camera car service at the Port of Miami.
Securing Permits
Getting movie-quality shots for a commercial video requires experience with commercial-quality production. For the Port of Miami, that means coordinating the permitting process with Film Miami and contracting off-duty officers to assist.
Ensuring the permitting process goes smoothly requires a detailed understanding of the shoot’s needs, its duration, and the scope. We communicated with Film Miami well ahead of time what our plans for the shoot were, resulting in a production that went off without a hitch.
The Star Of The Show: The Peterbilt Model 579EV
When you’ve been producing commercial videos for top-end talent as long as Driven Films has, you come across your share of divas - even in the automotive industry! From finicky Ferraris to gas-guzzling Gran Torinos, we know that it’s our job to make the cars look good no matter what.
Jokes about high-maintenance stars aside, it was an absolute pleasure for us to be able to put this shoot together knowing we were working hand-in-hand to promote a sustainable future for our industry.
The Peterbilt Model 579EV is a dream client built around a revolutionary design. The Model 579EV provides environmentally conscious customers a zero emissions, high-performance vehicle for clean, efficient operation and lower overall maintenance.
Choosing The Right Equipment
With our location permits secured and the star of the show ready, it was time to make sure they’re filmed with industry-leading equipment. When it comes to camera car video production, there are two essential ingredients: the crane and the camera. As camera movement specialists, we ensure our clients get the best of both.
For the crane, we used a Motocrane ULTRA Isolator + SRB lightweight suspension arm.
Motocrane is an industry-leader in providing smooth, controlled camera movements while on the road. That stability is due to the ULTRA Isolator’s compact, lightweight, and robust 3-axis passive suspension arm, which is designed especially for isolating camera packages while following the scene.
That suspension arm comes packaged with the SRB, or Speedrail Rigging Block, which adapts the proprietary ULTRA Isolator mounting flange pattern for use on traditional speedrail rigging.
The RED V-Raptor 8K Cinema Camera allowed us to capture stunning shots with maximum details in botht he highlights and shadows.
We combine the crane package with a camera package featuring the RED V-Raptor 8K on the Freefly MoVI Pro gimbal. The RED V-Raptor allows us to capture stunning footage with plenty of dynamic range, giving Peterbilt’s post-production team plenty of room to push the final shots as far as they’d like.
With clean shadows, smooth highlight roll-offs, and amazing exposure protection, the V-Raptor delivers the caliber of footage that award-winning commercials are crafted from.
The RED Control iOS app allowed us to run full camera control from inside of our camera car.
Shoot Day 1
After all of the paperwork and processes of pre-production, it was time to start rolling. For our shoot days, we provided Peterbilt with a gimbal op, camera op, precision driver and 1st AC services working alongside Peterbilt’s Director, Lukus Spence.
After a great day getting coverage of the Peterbilt EV Semi in action, we wrapped up with the piece de resistance: gorgeous sunset shots at the Port of Miami.
Shoot Day 2
On Day 2, production moved out into Miami. Thanks to the help of the off-duty police officers, we were able to easily navigate streets and intersections throughout filming. Throughout the day, we were able to capture shots on the Rickenbacker Bridge in Miami with the skyline and the Port of Miami in the background.
Small Crew, Maximum Value
As we wrapped up the shoot after the second day of production for this commercial video, we had a few discussions that reminded us of the value we are able to deliver to our clients as Driven Films.
Though video production can sometimes become beset with complications, ours had gone smoothly. That was in great part due to the pre-production process. By securing permits from Film Miami and having the watchful eyes of the off-duty police officers, we were able to focus all of our creative energy on the production.
Another fundamental part of commercial video production is sticking to the day’s shooting schedule. Because of our video production experience with camera car shoots, we are able to do the setup and breakdown of our equipment quickly and efficiently. That allows us to run a small crew that requires less time while still delivering maximum value to our clients.
Post-Production & Final Thoughts
While Peterbilt’s team is handling post production on the commercial, we would like to share some of our post-production thoughts.
From first hearing about this opportunity with Peterbilt, we have been humbled. It is not lost on us the scale of the impact Peterbilt has had on the shipping industry, nor the potential for their Model 579EV to lead a paradigm shift in that industry.
Being trusted to use our experience as camera car movement specialists to help them deliver their message is a significant moment for Driven Films, and one we feel immense gratitude for.
For more information on Peterbilt’s new line of electric vehicles, be sure to check them out here - and stay tuned for the reveal of the final commercial.
