Written by new-contact on Feb 25, 2011. Posted in Production News

Mercedes-Benz and Mitsubishi film separate ad spots on location on frozen Canadian lakes

Wilderness landscapes grab the eye, but ice seems to have a particular appeal for car manufacturers. Sleek, beautiful and dramatic, ice reflects many of the natural qualities that car companies are keen to be associated with.

In recent years frozen lakes have been played for pure entertainment with the likes of the Citroen C4 transforming car spots, but manufacturers tend to be quicker to capture the unique visual drama of these environments. Mercedes-Benz and Mitsubishi are the latest manufacturers to have opted for ice, albeit in very different commercials.

Mercedes-Benz has chosen a graceful approach in its spot Waltz on Ice, which was filmed on Spray Lake near Calgary in Alberta, Canada and features the C-Class spinning and gliding majestically across the ice.

Sharron Toews, Production Manager on the shoot, said: “The challenges for this particular shoot were the cold temperatures at the time of our shoot. As the temperatures were fairly cold, we were not too concerned about filming on the frozen lake as the ice received a good report from the ice engineer (whom we employed to be on set with us for advice). We also had two divers on hand, should something go terribly wrong.”

The team used a Russian Arm for the ground shots, while aerial footage was taken using a gyro-stabilised head mounted inside an Astar helicopter. Crews can film around the lake all year round and the water freezes for about three months between mid-December and mid-March.

Sean Thonson, the Director, said: We had to use snow ploughs pretty intensely to clear the lake of snow. Our ice engineer drilled down to make sure the ice was thick enough to film on. It was severely cold and this caused the camera lenses to freeze and we had some other equipment failure too.

Sean Thonson, the Director, said: “We had to use snow ploughs pretty intensely to clear the lake of snow. Our ice engineer drilled down to make sure the ice was thick enough to film on. It was severely cold and this caused the camera lenses to freeze and we had some other equipment failure too.”

Toews concluded: “My advice to other companies is to be certain to hire skilled locals for getting the best out of the situation at hand. Local knowledge is a must when shooting in extreme conditions or locations.”

Mitsubishi filmed their new spot on Ghost Lake, also in Alberta, Canada. The difference was they took the documentary approach to set five separate ‘driving on ice’ world records within 24 hours. These included the fastest vehicle slalom relay on ice and the shortest braking distance by a vehicle on ice.

Ben Bliss and Rob McQueen of 180 LA, said: “We considered several lakes near Calgary, as well as outside Vancouver, British Columbia. Ghost Lake just had everything we needed: easy access, thick ice and beautiful scenery. It was freezing. Spending 12 hours in -10 degrees is always a challenge - we had some trouble with our video village.”

Ghost Lake is frozen over for several months of the year but clearly the ice thickness changes and so its suitability as a filming location for this kind of project shifts too. The project filmed using a Russian Arm that was shipped from Vancouver.

Ghost Lake is frozen over for several months of the year but clearly the ice thickness changes and so its suitability as a filming location for this kind of project shifts too. The project filmed using a Russian Arm that was shipped from Vancouver.

John Quinn, an Executive Producer with Boxer Films, said: “Agency and Production determined a frozen lake would give us the best ‘course’. It provided a quick and easy way to accomplish many records without company moves. The permit came from Alberta and our Ice Safety Engineering was provided by Ausenco - they drill and measure ice thickness and weight capacity. We had a great time with the shoot - spent two days prepping the ice courses then had beautiful sunny weather on our shoot day.”

Credits
Waltz on Ice
Client: Mercedes-Benz
Agency: Merkley & Partners, New York
Group Creative Heads: Scott Zacaroli, David Fox
Production Company: Supply & Demand
Producer: Rita LeRoux
Location Manager: Laszlo Uhrik
Production Manager: Sharron Toews
Director: Sean Thonson

Mitsubishi: Five World Records in 24 Hours
Client: Mitsubishi
Agency: 180 LA
Creative Directors: Gavin Milner, Grant Holland
Production Company: Boxer Films
Head of Production: John Quinn
Executive Producer: Beth George
DoP/Director: Jordan Valenti