Overview

Spent the better part of two months in a Beijing warehouse playing with fast cars, 150 LED tubes, stunt drivers and explosives to recreate the classic TI-83 game –Snake– for the launch of the BMW M135i in China. The brief was to highlight the playfulness and handling of this Baby Bimmer and so we created a 10 x 15 grid of LED posts to test our drivers’ capabilities. All driving, explosions and lighting was captured in camera with the exception of a few CGI ultra-wide overheads to represent the game board.

Collaborated with my friend and Artjail director Steve Mottershead on the overall concept for the film before working on the ground with the Beijing agency and production company to plan out the details of the shoot and campaign. Shooting such an elaborate spot in China was a massive learning experience. Language barriers. Car choreography. Creative hierarchy. Indoor smoking. Apartment cantinas. Models who cant drive. Carbon monoxide buildup. Lack of initiative. Makeshift remote detonators. Squares vs circles. LED flicker. F-150 Raptors. Camping on the Great Wall. 1-star hotels. 5-star hotels. Military parades. City-wide emission bans. An 800 ton chemical explosion. Stunt driving, V-Mount cellphone chargers. Feel free to ask me about any of these topics over a coffee, as this project was one of my most grueling yet memorable shoots to date.

created at Artjail