A national tax relief commercial that cuts through the clutter, and through the “Fourth Wall”
Alliance Tax Solutions aren’t strangers to the tax relief game. With over 25 years of combined experience, they’ve helped countless people fix their finances. Their no-nonsense approach to business resonates with their customers, and they wanted a commercial that mirrored their work.
Now, most tax-relief commercials are cut and dry. A speaker walks onto the screen, outlines the pitfalls of tax issues, and then offers their service as an answer. Been there. Done that. Our pitch to Alliance Tax Solutions hinged on subverting those conventions in an attention-grabbing way. In the same way that ATS breaks through tax complexities with their clients, we went for breaking through the “fourth wall” in their commercial.
From a production standpoint, this commercial certainly had its obstacles. For starters, the spot’s director, Jordan Nowlin, aimed to capture the entire performance in one long tracking shot. That presented a particularly challenging task for the spot’s director of photography and gaffer — Sebastian Chamaca and Collin Ingram, respectively. Not only did they need to light the space correctly, they needed to account for production equipment as set decoration. Far from an easy task.
What’s more, the camera move was…complicated. Without a Chapman dolly onhand, the pedestal down + tracking backwards camera movement required a few nuanced steps. First, Seb took our Black Magic Pocket Cinema mounted on a DJI Ronin in hand and stepped on to a full apple box. Then, as our talent began speaking, he stepped backwards onto an awaiting doorway dolly. From there, the camera dollied backwards as the talent walked towards him, ultimately landing about 20 feet from its A-position. So yeah…complex.
That said, after more than a few takes — and some consistently stellar performances from ATS’ John and Deaphalis — the shot really came together!