Western Star Trucks

The third Western Star launch video, 57X, was filmed in Tucson, Arizona over the course of four days. We sent our crew from Portland to capture vehicle running footage, sunrise and sunset shots, rural and in-city shots, beauty interiors, Saguaro National Park, Port of Tucson, and lifestyle b-roll. We rigged multiple vehicles and captured car-to-car, light and heavy drone, steady cam, and other complex camera systems.

Back in the studio, two editors worked simultaneously to shape 80 hours of raw footage into a cohesive whole, with only eight days before the finished video was due. While one editor worked in the studio with our producers and the Western Star team, the other worked off-site to execute the client's preferences and bounce them back to the studio. This method streamlined the editing process.

For this launch video we utilized DaVinci Resolve for editing and color-correction. We handled dozens of visual effects shots and motion graphics, and coordinated with the agency and client with their sound designer.

Filmed over the course of 11 days on four separate shoots that extended from February to September of 2020, the massive production was far bigger than any we'd tackled previously. Each day began with a crew roundup to coordinate the day's shooting, making sure all the specific shots would be captured. The demands of the long shoot required us to split the production into two separate units—one capturing exterior shots while the other filmed inside the truck cabins. Since the angle of the sun and time of day were vitally important, the use of two units enabled the production to stay on schedule. Our crews filmed with light and heavy drones, vehicle rigs, steady cams, and car-to-car.

Over the course of two months we logged hundreds of hours of footage and multi-cam editing. During this time we were live-streaming edits with the client due to Covid restrictions. While finalizing the edit we handled dozens of visual effects shots and motion graphic overlays. Additionally, we worked with the DaVinci colorist and sound designer providing raw assets needed to finalize color and audio.