“We worked with Unexplored Films on a video for our business. Steve was great to work with and produced an excellent promotional video at a very competitive price.” – Prodrive
Prodrive is a world-leading motorsport and advanced technology business based in Banbury, Oxfordshire. The company combines motorsport culture with a free-thinking approach to create innovative engineering solutions to rapid timescales. They also help brands achieve success in motorsport and are the business behind some of the greatest names and achievements in global motorsport. They also help businesses in the aerospace, marine and other sectors to create innovative engineering solutions which realise their ambitions.
The company needed a short promo video for their website and social channels called ‘Performance Powertrains” (a powertrain simply means an engine whether it be internal combustion (IC), hybrid or electric, and takes the emphasis of the name off purely using fossil fuels). They wanted the video to clearly show the three areas in which the company focuses its expertise: powertrain simulation, design and modelling; powertrain test and development; and powertrain assembly.
For the simulation, design and modelling section we started in the design centre where we filmed experts working with 3D wireframe models of the various components. Here we made sure to get a range of good coverage including tight close ups on the technician’s hands and eyes to illustrate the precision used in the design process.
For the test and development chapter we were granted access to a dramatic test area which is used to run the various powertrains at high speed and check their performance. We had enormous fun designing a series of sweeping shots running up the various pipes and wires which we captured with a motorised gimbal, almost as if it were a NASA spacecraft ready for launch (Apollo 13, anyone?). Behind a sheet of glass was the control room, which we filmed the technicians in as they revved the powertrain up to full capacity, and we accentuated this with dramatic sound design.
For the powertrain assembly section, we filmed a series of skilled technicians using tools to build the engines. Here we used our slider for a series of dynamic shots moving around the powertrains and showing the tools being selected from the drawers. Finally the motorised gimbal allowed us to glide over a finished engine as its pistons moved with perfectly-oiled precision. The resulting film was a big success and gained interest from several other neighbouring companies when it was launched on their social channels.
