MercedesBenz E-Class
Mercedes-Benz has created the definitive electric car experience.
Across each performance pillar, the brand has set a high bar that no other automakers have the legacy or ingenuity to surpass. To characterize the fleet within our narratives, they’re winners, and they do so with a competitive edge, engineering precision, and design sophistication that hasn’t seen an equal since their introduction.
It’s a lead so extraordinary that there’s almost no point in competing.
The vehicles in these films are heralds of the future of the brand of driving itself. An edge-to-edge Hyperscreen, autonomous driving, lightning speed and agility, and a nationwide charging network that’s soon to have more locations than any other provider. That’s something only Mercedes-Benz can bring into the world, so we must treat it visually with equal innovation.
The EQE SUV, MERCEDES-MAYBACH EQS SUV NIGHT SERIES, EQS SEDAN, AMG EQE SUV, GLE-HYBRID SUV & S-CLASS could each inspire a five-film campaign, but we’re making the considered choice to be specific and illustrative. Using the classic tenants of visual storytelling we’ll show the effect of these performance breakthroughs and the emotional human truth underlying each of them.
Approach
Picturing these vehicles accelerating through naturalistic tunnels of long exposure light is a beautiful visual. We can achieve this effect, while maintaining a high-fidelity premium feel, by shooting inside a volumetric lighting stage that can flawlessly simulate real-world environments.
Our exterior driving shots, outside of Magnolia Lane, will be captured in studio using a technocrane. Shooting in the volume will allow us to be so much more nimble and energetic than shooting on the road with a traditional arm car. We can imbue shots with gravity-defying dynamism and fluidity, without losing any time to uncontrollable weather conditions. We’ll come in close to romance the vehicle’s distinctive exterior details, before gliding into wides to capture stunning profiles. VFX will help extend the boundaries of the Unreal environment, and the wheels and ground will be replaced virtually with exacting precision.
The long exposure streak effect will be built from the ground up in Unreal, and projected across the car to appear as a seamless atmospheric element. Our DP will be selected for the beauty and versatility of their work, and a thorough prep with the cars will give us ample time to explore each vehicle's most attractive angles.
For our sequences at Magnolia Lane, we’ll pay an early visit to the real-world location (or a similar pre-approved location) on our director scout, along with our Virtual Art Department. We’ll shoot assets of the location using photogrammetry, which will be processed and incorporated into our Unreal Engine environments. During principal photography, we’ll shoot the hero cars on the volumetric stage using these plates so that the final look is identical to the beauty of the actual street. The only script that we plan to shoot on the location itself is the GLE-HYBRID SUV & S-CLASS Charging network film.
Additionally, during principal photography, we’ll shoot hero plates of the "Magnolia Lane" location with our A camera. This will give us the flexibility to end each film with a beautiful shot of the actual environment. In post-production, we’ll use VFX to seamlessly merge the footage captured of the hero cars on the volume along with the hero plates filmed at the real location. This approach allows us to elegantly minimize our footprint at Magnolia Lane while still showcasing it in our films.
Every vehicle will be immersed in a distinct palette of colored light. Not only will this differentiate our films in an immediate, highly graphic way, but it also affords us an additional creative layer to further accentuate form and features. Color choices, both in terms of the streaking effect, and the vehicles themselves are a mutable element, and we’re open to exploring new arrangements and adjusting our approach pending vehicle availability and client sourcing. Our selection, as you’ll see, is inspired by real-world locations, the colors of the cars themselves, and their respective feature focus.
The combination of these techniques, and a predetermined color palette, will give our light streaks an ultra-realistic look, appearing as though they were being emitted by real environmental objects and light sources.
Cinematography
We capture the full EQ fleet with grace, fluidity, and freedom-
Always moving, exploring, and finding stunning compositions that bring out the transcendent qualities of these vehicles. Our volumetric lighting stage approach means that we can seamlessly transition from interior to exterior with no loss of momentum or movement. The result will feel as though we are one with these cars, experiencing their luxury, innovative features, and premium driving experience first-hand.
For interiors, we prioritize wide macro lenses and probes. This approach will be tailored per film and the features we’re showcasing, but across all of our work we want impressive visions of luxury, esteem, and quality that capture the sophistication in the most minute details. Our camera and the car feel like dance partners, knowing their way around each other with innate elegance and awareness.
Our exteriors carry with them an air of brimming power and potential energy. We push and pull to create a sense of bold dramatic presence, but our camera never feels out of control or trailing. We’re joining the fleet in their bubbles of heightened reality, showing them for all their most remarkable features, and allowing the play of light to accentuate every irresistible detail.