Interviewer: Let's start with you, JF. You directed this commercial. What was your vision going into the shoot?

JF: Well, from the beginning I wanted to capture this sense of raw power combined with elegance. We're not just selling a car here—we're selling an experience, a lifestyle. The client wanted something cinematic, so I pushed for that golden hour lighting on the coastal highway. We had about forty minutes to get the hero shots, and honestly, the pressure was insane. But that's when the magic happens. I worked closely with Chris on the camera movements because I wanted these long, sweeping shots that make you feel like you're floating alongside the vehicle. The biggest challenge was weather—we had cloud cover rolling in and out, so we had to be incredibly flexible with our shot list.

Chris: As the DP, I have to say JF's vision was ambitious but absolutely achievable. The trick was balancing the natural light with our lighting package. We used a drone for the aerial sequences, and I insisted on shooting in 6K to give us flexibility in post. The real game-changer was mounting the camera on the pursuit vehicle—we modified a Mercedes with a stabilized arm that cost more than most people's cars. JF kept pushing for tighter shots during the interior sequences, and I had to remind him we're working in a confined space with limited light. But we compromised. We ended up using these tiny LED panels that gave us that perfect rim light on the driver's face. The whole shoot was this beautiful dance between what's technically possible and what's artistically bold.

Will: From a production standpoint, this was a logistical nightmare that somehow came together perfectly. We had to shut down five miles of highway, coordinate with three different police departments, and manage a crew of sixty people. Chris needed his fancy camera rig, JF wanted specific weather conditions, and I'm the one making sure we don't blow past our $400K budget. The hero car alone required two backups because we were doing practical stunts—no CGI for the drifting sequences. I think my favorite moment was when JF wanted to do "just one more take" at sunset, and I had to remind him we'd lose our location permit. But honestly, that last take was the one we used in the final cut. Sometimes you just have to trust your director's instincts, even when the spreadsheet says otherwise.

Interviewer: Will, there were some creative disagreements during the shoot. Can you walk us through that?

Will: Oh yeah, day three was intense. JF wanted to add this entire sequence that wasn't in the original treatment—the car driving through a tunnel with these practical light effects. Creative? Absolutely. In our budget or schedule? Absolutely not. I had to sit down with him and Chris and basically say, look, we can have this tunnel shot, but we lose the beach sequence or we go over budget by fifty grand. Chris actually sided with me initially because the tunnel lighting would've required additional gear we didn't have on hand. But JF was adamant. He showed us his vision on his iPad, and I'll admit, it was compelling. We ended up compromising—we found a tunnel location that had existing lighting infrastructure, shot it guerrilla-style with a skeleton crew, and pulled it off in two hours. It's now one of the most memorable shots in the commercial.

JF: I'm not going to apologize for fighting for that tunnel sequence. Will's job is to keep us on budget—I respect that—but my job is to deliver something that stops people from skipping the ad. Chris understood the visual impact immediately. The way the light streaks across the car's surface, the way the engine sound echoes... it's visceral. Yes, I pushed boundaries. That's what directors do. But I also trusted Will when he said we couldn't extend the shoot day. We had to be surgical about it. I think what frustrated Will most was that I kept saying "one more take" because I knew we were so close to perfection. But that's the thing—in commercials, you don't get the luxury of coming back. It's now or never.

Chris: Honestly, I was caught in the middle of that debate, and I understand both sides. From a cinematography perspective, JF's tunnel idea was brilliant—it added this dynamic element that the storyboard was missing. But Will's concerns were legitimate. We didn't have the grip equipment for the kind of lighting JF initially wanted. What saved us was being adaptive. I suggested we use practical lights—the car's headlights, the existing tunnel fixtures—and enhance it in color grading. JF wasn't thrilled about relying on post-production, but it worked. That compromise between artistic vision and practical reality is what separates good commercial work from pipe dreams. And honestly, the final result validated JF's instinct. Sometimes you need someone pushing the boundaries, even if it's uncomfortable in the moment.

Interviewer: Let's talk about the final product. How do you each feel about the commercial now that it's aired?

Chris: I'm incredibly proud of what we achieved. The cinematography showcases what's possible when you have a director with a clear vision and a producer who, despite the grumbling, makes it all happen. The color grading brought everything together—we went with this teal and orange palette that's become somewhat cliché, but we pushed it in a direction that feels fresh. The tunnel sequence that caused so much drama? It's been used in the client's social media campaign as a standalone teaser. That shot of the car emerging from darkness into the golden sunset—people are calling it wallpaper-worthy. My only regret is that we didn't have time to capture more behind-the-scenes content. This is the kind of project that film students should study.

JF: This commercial exceeded my expectations, and that's rare. Usually, there's compromise after compromise until you end up with something safe and forgettable. But we fought for the right things. The client was nervous about our approach—they wanted something more conventional, more product-focused. We convinced them to trust the emotional storytelling, and the response has been phenomenal. Their sales inquiries went up thirty percent in the first week. That tunnel sequence we fought over? The client now wants to build their entire next campaign around that aesthetic. I think what I'm most proud of is how the team came together under pressure. Will kept us from complete chaos, Chris elevated every single frame, and together we created something that doesn't feel like an ad—it feels like cinema.

Will: From a producer's perspective, this project was a success on every metric that matters. We delivered on time, came in just seven percent over the original budget—which is actually remarkable given the scope creep—and the client is thrilled. The commercial has over fifteen million views across platforms, and we're already in talks for the follow-up campaign. What I learned from JF and Chris is that sometimes the producer's job isn't just protecting the budget—it's knowing when to protect the vision. That tunnel sequence we argued about? It became the signature moment. Would I have greenlit it from the beginning? Probably not. But that's why you need creative maniacs like JF and technical wizards like Chris. My job is to give them just enough rope to do something incredible without hanging themselves—or the production. And somehow, against the odds, we pulled it off.