To celebrate Peugeot’s new point-of-view commercial, camera manufacturer Blackmagic Design has shared a behind-the-scenes look at how the ad came to life with the help of Assemblage K.K., a Japan-based production company.
The creation of the commercial was done with the help of Blackmagic Micro Cinema and URSA Mini 4.6K EF cameras. As shown in the BTS video, many of these cameras were attached to the actor’s head using a custom-made helmet rig, a feat made easier due to the incredibly small size of the Blackmagic Micro Cinema camera.
Unsurprisingly, getting the composition of the video correct while using a helmet cam was far from easy. “When test shooting, the DoP and I tried shooting with the helmet on. It was very difficult to check what we are shooting. It is almost impossible to do framing and monitor check while driving,” said Alexandre Bartholo, the founder of Assemblage K.K. “So, I gave some responsibility to the actor. I checked the monitor and told the actor where and how much he should turn his head. Focusing and other technical controls were done remotely.”
The video was shot using RAW 3:1 and backed up on an external recorder using ProRes. As for the non-POV shots, the Assemblage K.K. team used the URSA Mini 4.6K, which offers more detail and extra leniency in post-production.
Speaking of post-production, editing was done in DaVinci Resolve Studio, where ProRes Proxy files were edited and eventually synced up with the RAW files for finalized color grading.
Below is the final version of the commercial in its entirety:
It’s easy to take commercials for granted, especially when they’re nothing more than an interruption to our favorite shows. But the reality is there is a lot of work that goes into each of them. From clever DIY helmet rigs to the dozens of extras, the technology and time that goes into each commercial is far from simple, and the resulting production value is often quite high.
