For the MTV VMAs, Toyota wanted a high impact, high adrenaline campaign that felt like part of the award show.
To make the budget fit the scope we took the concept from the stage to backstage, where fewer actors and extras were needed to populate our world.
Toyota also required a high-speed driving sequence, but we were limited by a 35mph maximum street legal speed, so we employed clever camera work and sound design… But the real movie magic was the people behind the scenes. Our super power is knowing we aren’t curing cancer, so no matter the challenge, we keep the vibe upbeat.
To us that means clearly communicating in advance how much we appreciate and support everyone in bringing their best stuff to the table so that, under the gun, we all do what we can, as quickly and efficiently as we can, from the police helping us get the shot, to the extras backstage.
The heavy lifting was in the rapport building with our agency and crew, who all felt we were in it together. You know you’ve done something right when you ask the agency producer to sign an overage for overtime and they do so with a smile and a ‘thank you’ for all you’re doing to hit a home run for them and their client.