Written by on Feb 8, 2013. Posted in Production News

Cutting Edge Pictures films on location in Indian Himalayas for Tata Motors

Cutting Edge Pictures filmed on location in and around the Himalayan town of Manali in northern India for a spot for Indian vehicle brand Tata Motors. The commercial shows off the Tata Safari Storme's ability to navigate adventurous and remote terrain.

Global location options initially included similarly scenic places like New Zealand and South Africa. Manali was chosen because it offered the vistas the team was looking for without having to factor in the delays of shipping vehicles overseas. The town nevertheless had its own set of challenges.

"The first challenge was just getting there," comments Billoo Sandhu, an Executive Producer with Cutting Edge Pictures: "Because you always get a lot of fog at this time of year in the north of India, we could not fly in so we had no choice but to drive, which ended up taking 16 hours from Delhi to get there and the same to get back."

Because you always get a lot of fog at this time of year in the north of India, we could not fly in so we had no choice but to drive, which ended up taking 16 hours from Delhi.

Billoo Sandhu, Cutting Edge Pictures

Sandhu adds: "As you would expect it was cold up there. [It was] snowing and raining. Most mornings were well below zero and for the crew the sun could really not come fast enough."

The production filmed on a riverbed, on a snowy mountain, on a ridge and in a forest, all of which were found in and around Manali at altitudes of up to 14,000 feet.

A week was spent planning the schedule around the short hours of daylight. The sun didn't clear the mountain ranges until about 9am and the good light was fading by mid-afternoon. Filming with multiple camera set-ups helped maximise the time they had over the three-day shoot.

"Manali is a wondrous location with all you could wish for - I only wish we had more time to explore it all," Sandhu adds: "Great place to shoot but damn - you have to move quick!"

Credits:
Client: Tata Motors
Agency: DRAFTFCB + ULKA
National Creative Director: Chax
Creative Director: Kartik Smetacek
Production Company: Cutting Edge Pictures, Mumbai
Producer: Vandana Singh
Executive Producer: Billoo Sandhu
Production Service Company: Moon Rise Productions, Delhi
Directors of Photography: Jon Gwyther and Ayanka Bose
Director: Jon Gwyther