case study: first touch ai
When the Boulder Media House team connected with Jared Mintzlaff, two time tech founder and CEO of First Touch, he told them that he wanted to do something that most tech companies don’t do — be funny.
With a very tight turnaround of just 2.5 weeks, the BMH team worked with writer/director AJ Campli to pitch a concept that the First Touch team loved.
Less than a week later, Tyler was on location and helping to create this ad in an 8-hour set day to help meet budgetary constraints.
commercial
client: first touch AI agency: boulder media house
director: AJ Campli dp: Bailey T. Miclette
1st ac: Dustin Wheeler 2nd ac: Sean Farney
gaffer: Tyler Trepod key grip: Teej Morgan
pa: Deanna Schaekel color: Sam Gannuch
select frames
pre-production
- One 8-hr shoot day
- high-key commercial feel
- G&E must be below a very minimal budget
- Location access and storage demanded a one-cart G&E package
With these constraints, Tyler put together the following lighting package to help the team make the most of a condensed shooting day:
- Aputure 1200D Pro – 1200W daylight-balanced point source
- Aputure 600D Pro – 600W daylight-balanced point source
- Nanlite Pavoslim 120C – 2×1′ RGB-capable panel
- Aputure 60X – 60W point source
The Nanlite Pavoslim 120C was chosen for its CCT accuracy and light-weight design as it will be on a scissor clip for the majority of the day.
The Aputure 60X was brought because it’s a versatile and highly-modifiable light.
After one final pre-production phone call to ensure all the details were understood, it was time to get on set and light the commercial!
filming
An Aputure 1200d had plenty of output to serve as key for this scene. It’s double-broken into a 2×3′ silk and then into a 6×6 checkerboard muslin to help reduce specular highlights and increase softness.
The checkerboard muslin was used because the team was accenting available window lighting off frame right.
These frame-right windows faced another office building, so light wasn’t coming in directly from the sun but bouncing in from all around the outside environment.
The checkerboard pattern of this muslin rag simulates this environmental effect.
A Nanlite Pavoslim 120c was hung off a scissor clip to provide a controllable hair light. This had a grid placed on it to keep it from spilling into unwanted areas of the scene.
Two 4×4 floppies were placed camera left to help add some shape to the main talent.
The Aputure 60x is bouncing off the wall on camera left to help fill in the shadow side of the background.
Lastly, the Aputure 600d Pro is located outside of the room, in the rear hallway. This adds some highlight detail through the rear window of the room and keeps that back area from feeling too lifeless.
conclusion
connect
