Written by Tom Deehan on Jan 11, 2016. Posted in On Location

Young Director Ben Hanratty films on location in Liverpool for iPhone 6s commercial

Ben Hanratty, an 18 year old film student has become the director of Apple’s latest commercial for the iPhone 6s after the company agreed to use footage of Liverpool that he submitted for their consideration.

Hanratty explains: “I sent my video to Apple and straight away they got back to me saying they would definitely be interested in using it, I was over the moon, it was awesome.”

The commercial depicts a young boy as he travels throughout Liverpool, encountering various scenarios that require the use of apps on his iPhone.

The footage showcases a variety of locations within Liverpool, including the south Sefton waterfront, the Liverpool ONE outdoor shopping centre, and the city skyline from the view of a Merseyrail train.

While Liverpool isn’t widely recognised in the commercial scene, it does however have a global reputation for catering to high budget film productions. In particular, Marvel blockbuster Captain America: The First Avenger and the upcoming Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them both doubled Liverpool for New York City.

The UK currently offers up to a 25% tax rebate for film and television productions of any budget that pass a cultural test and meet a minimum required spend of 10% within the country.

This incentive programme does not extend to commercials but it hasn’t stopped the UK from becoming a premium location for potential clients. Trigger Happy and LS Productions recently filmed a commercial for the comparison site KAYAK, shooting on location in the Isle of Skye.

Credits

Director: Ben Hanratty

Client: Apple