DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

You thought this 7-Eleven commercial was CG but it was really shot using a giant robot arm

Aug 3, 2020 by John Aldred 1 Comment

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWljbU7f1cM

I’m not entirely sure how recently the above commercial for 7-Eleven was released (I’m in the UK, not many hhere), but when I first saw it, I thought for sure that it was just some pretty neat CG. It turns out, though, that it was actually shot 100% practically and for real by none other than Steve Giralt and his team. Yeah, I know, I was quite surprised, too.

While a computer was used to previsualize and programme the moves, the actual sequence was shot on a Bolt motion control robot arm. I can’t quite tell what the camera was (some shade of RED, most likyle), but the lens used appears to be the Tokina Cinema Vista 16-28mm II T3 cine.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Steve Giralt Visual Engineer (@stevegiralt)

One of the great things about motion control rigs for something like this is that you can play the same motion over and over again precisely. But this is what initially made me think this was CG, because the same exact moves are shown in advertisements for different 7-Eleven products. The commercial at the top of this article is for Big Gulps, but as you can see in the Instagram video above, which shows off their coffee. Steve said that it was actually cheaper to do it practically than to go with CG, as they could reshoot the same sequence over and over again as many times as they wanted once they were all set up.

Steve Giralt is one of the biggest names out there when it comes to motion control robot arms for commercials, and we’ve featured his work on DIYP a number of times. And for those wondering why the behind-the-scenes video shows a coffee covered in foam and the final commercial does not, Steve says they just shot multiple takes and the coffee used in the final video was not the one shown in the behind the scenes video.

The most fascinating part of all this for me, though, was watching those zoom and focus rings continuously turn throughout the sequence as it moved through the scene. That must’ve taken a lot of planning and testing. Absolutely amazing.

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

The Orbit is a single-axis robot arm that spins a camera around your head DJI is building a new futuristic HQ with a giant sky bridge for testing drones and robot-fighting rings This crazy paint splashing commercial was shot completely in camera with no CG This music video was shot on commercial sets while the client wasn’t looking

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: Advertising, motion control

John Aldred: from diyphotography.net

About John Aldred

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

« Add some bling to your Leica with new gold-plated TTartisan 35mm f/1.4 lens
Photo and specs of Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 leak days ahead of the announcement »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Learn photography

Recent Posts

  • SmallRig x Mikevisuals Tracking POV Kit is an interesting if niche camera rig
  • Modern-day Snow White wins International Wedding Photographer of the Year
  • The slow death of creativity in modern photography
  • Holiday Gift Guide – Our favourite gadgets and accessories of 2023
  • Stability AI’s new AI generator creates images faster than you imagine them

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy