For a recent Taco Bell spot DP/colorist Gavin Fisher went new-tech, and chose to shoot with his Blackmagic Cinema camera and OConnor Genuine Accessories, “which went a long way in surmounting the challenges we face when shooting spots like this,” Fisher said.
The :30 commercial, stars an eccentric young man. “In each ‘episode’ he paints something,” Fisher said. “For this one, he paints a huge taco.”
“It’s not a big studio, rather an artist’s loft – and relatively small,” Fisher explained. “We barely had enough room to place camera, lights and sound. I had to be able to outfit the Blackmagic camera with accessories that would aid me in getting the shot, and not add bulk or awkwardness, so we could fit into the small space. The O-Box, Universal Baseplate and O-Grips were perfect due to the unique design and integration between mattebox and grips.”
“In a small space it’s tough to control light,” he added. “The O-Box saved the day by controlling flares where we couldn’t prevent them at the source due to space limitations. And it is extremely lightweight, while at the same time very strong. The baseplate is also rock solid. No twist or flex and the extremely well-engineered and simple design means it does its job without being intrusive.”
For Fisher one of the most challenging sequences was a push into the food product. “This was done on a slider where it is sometimes challenging to get a rock steady shot,” he said. “By using the O-Grips attached to the mattebox, I got an extra point of contact and was able to steer the lens exactly where I wanted it to go.”
