Written by new-contact on Jun 10, 2010. Posted in Production News

Sprint faces extreme weather shooting new ad on Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats

Mobile operator Sprint has filmed a new commercial on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Called Firsts, the spot shows a wooden wheel rolling into a penny farthing bicycle on the Salt Flats and prompting a chain reaction of falling objects and gadgets, with each more advanced than the one before it.

The Salt Flats were chosen to give a strong sense of scale, given that a Saturn rocket, a steam locomotive and an antique car are among the objects that are toppled. The falling objects themselves were a mix of real props and CGI. In addition, the concept of the white world is one of Sprint’s central branding themes.

Cindy Epps, a Producer with Goodby Silverstein & Partners, said: “The weather on the Salt Flats is extreme. We shot in May and the mornings could be 30 degrees with 20-45 mph winds. By midday the temperatures could rise to 80 degrees and the wind could be non-existent. And of course, the winds came from different directions just about every day.”

Due to the unpredictable weather the production remained flexible with its shot list and sometimes manoeuvred crew trucks to act as strategic wind breaks. The crew also had to be careful with the sun, as the stark whiteness of the environment was a strong reflector and meant they were more exposed to sunburn.

Ms Epps added: “It’s an extremely popular location for car commercials. You can drive blindfolded at 120mph for 40 minutes and still not hit anything. Not that we would know anything about that!”

Click here to view the ad.

Credits
Client: Sprint
Agency: Goodby Silverstein & Partners
Producer: Cindy Epps
Copywriter: James Bray
Production Company/Production Service Company: Mothership
Producer: Julien Lemaitre

Group Creative Director: Paul Stechschulte
Directors: Dael Oates, David Rosenbaum
Art Director: Nick Spahr