Written by on Dec 11, 2013. Posted in Production News

BWP Totem Productions films with Octocopter in Austria for MRF Tyres

Mumbai-based production house BWP Totem used a remote-controlled Octocopter filming on location on a mountain road in Austria for a new commercial for MRF Tyres. The spot shows a driver keeping his wife waiting at a romantic dinner date as he takes his Jaguar for a spin.

BWP Totem Productions considered filming locations in South Africa, Malaysia and India, as well as various European options before honing in on the Alps around Italy and Austria.

“Spain and Italy were too expensive and so it was a toss-up between the Transfagarasan in Romania and The Grossglockner,” said BWP producer Janani Ravichandran: “Romania was less production-friendly in terms of getting visas and so on in the short time we had between confirmation and the winter setting in. The Slovenians were super-supportive and so we chose to set base in Slovenia to shoot somewhere in the Alps near the Italian or Austrian border, both of which had brilliant locations.”

The tight production schedule meant the team in fact had to confirm the filming location without the chance for a physical scout, which was a particular challenge given that it was BWP’s first shoot in Europe. Photos informed the final decision in order for permit applications to be filed in time.

The Slovenians were super-supportive and so we chose to set base in Slovenia to shoot somewhere in the Alps near the Italian or Austrian border.

Janani Ravichandran, BWP Totem

Weather was the biggest issue affecting the actual shoot, especially given the relative fragility of the Octocopter rig in the rough mountain weather.

“We were all a bit on edge because, as the shoot dates approached, October weather in the Alps this year proved to be much stormier than last year,” commented Michael Moffett of production service company Camino Media: “But everyone adopted a flexible mindset on location to ensure a successful shoot.”

“A location recce is very advisable, however untenable it is, especially for us in India, given the tight timelines we need to address, the distance and costs involved, and the need for visas,” Ravichandran added.

Credits:
Client: MRF Tyres
Agency: Lowe Lintas, Chennai
Production Company: BWP Totem Productions (Jay Shetty, Amrita Menon, Ashwin Saraf, Pramod Nakte and Santosh Mandal)
Producers: Janani Ravichandran and Raja Menon
Production Service Company: Camino Media (with Production Service Network partners Division Productions)
Line Producers (Europe): Michael Moffett and Adriana Franco Posso
Production Team (India): Mayura Mantri, Ganesh Shetty and Shiva Poojari
Directors of Photography: Stefano Morcaldo (Europe) and Bijitesh De (India)
Director: John Francis