Written by new-contact on Feb 6, 2012. Posted in Production News

Iceland offers dramatic winter visuals as Stink films on location for Honda

Stink has taken advantage of dramatic winter lighting in Iceland for a new Honda spot. Spark visualises the initial impulse that leads to great ideas, as a spark is born in an industrial warehouse and takes flight across a shadowy valley and beach before morphing into the new Honda Civic.

Most of the spot’s exteriors were filmed in Iceland near the village of Vik about two hours from the capital, Reykjavik. The production hung a flare from a helicopter to fly across the beach for scenes where the spark zips across the desolate landscape.

We were looking for somewhere that felt almost other-worldly and that represented 'the unknown'. Iceland's unique landscapes and black sand beaches had that other-worldly quality.

Wieden and Kennedy London

Rafnar Hermannsson produced the spot for True North: “We made a few passes with the helicopter to measure the different light effects. We filmed for two days in November and at this time the Icelandic sun stays very low over the horizon; you get about six hours of sunlight a day. It was overcast and rainy, but it got brighter when we filmed on the actual beach.”

The flare was suspended from the helicopter on a 20-metre cable and ignited by remote. Smaller flares were launched by hand from the beach for the lower-angle shots, with local authorities notified both to secure filming permits and to make sure nobody mistook the lights for real distress flares.

Wieden and Kennedy commented: “We were looking for somewhere that felt almost other-worldly and that represented 'the unknown'. Iceland's unique landscapes and black sand beaches had that other-worldly quality, as well as having dark and overcast skies at that time of year, against which the sparks could stand out.”

A stage at Barrandov Studios in Prague was used for the interior scenes, with Stink opting to take advantage of the pyrotechnic expertise available in the city.

Credits:
Client: Honda
Agency: Wieden and Kennedy London
Creative Directors: Sam Heath, Chris Groom
Creative Team: Toby Allen, Jim Hilson
Production Company: Stink
Producer: Juliet Naylor
Production Service Company (Iceland): True North
Producer: Rafnar Hermannsson
Production Service Company (Prague): Stillking Films
Director: Martin Krejci