Car Chases Last Longer with CHEP and 7-Eleven
We’ve all sat and watched a high speed chase scene with flying bullets, smashing windows, and an epic fight between the hero and villain, all while they manage to continue to drive the car in a completely straight line.
It’s part of the fun of an action movie. There is a reason why we see it time and time again. It’s exhilarating and no matter how many times you’ve seen it, it’s always a relief when the hero manages to get the one up on the villain.
CHEP decided to take this trope and turn it on its head. They open their latest campaign with what looks like an intense high speed car chase but juxtaposes with humour, all while demonstrating the effectiveness of the product on display.
LBB’s Casey Martin sat down with CHEP’s ECD, Tian Murphy and Revolver's director, Jeff Low to talk about the logistics of filming stunts and how to stop actors getting soaking wet in torrential rain.
LBB> Playing on popular tropes is always fun. Was the classic hero vs. villain car chase the first idea that came to mind? What were the inspirations? What other ideas did you think of?
Tian> We had the idea of a never-ending car chase early in the creative process, and from our first client presentation it was a clear winner with us and our client. However, despite having the initial concept, we spent a lot of time crafting the funniest scenario. We loved the idea of dropping the audience into the middle of a film that felt familiar, but then having it take an unexpected twist.
We looked at lots of chase films, from classics like Bullitt and Mad Max to more modern action films. But in the end, the shorthand of the Bond hero and villain archetypes seemed the clearest way to land our story in 30 seconds.
LBB> Talk us through the logistics of filming a car scene. What were the highlights? What did you learn?
Jeff> When shooting at speed in the absence of multiple shoot days, I know I have to keep it simple.
A highlight is that the airstrip we were filming on got flooded. I learned that actors get worked up and adrenaline takes over when they are on the hood of a car, so you have to slow them down to get grounded performances.
LBB> Talk us through the logistics of filming a car scene. What were the highlights? What did you learn?
Tian> It’s not every day that you film a dialogue comedy on a car bonnet while driving. So, the team at Revolver had a very challenging shoot to navigate. To get the best performances, casting was key; we needed quality performers who had been well-rehearsed ahead of the shoot.
LBB> When working with actors, how do you go about gaining the desired result from a scene?
Jeff> I pay close attention during casting. If I’m talking to them a ton, I know I casted the wrong actor. There just isn’t time for me to take them aside and discuss intentions and motivations.
LBB> What challenges did you overcome and how?
Tian> On the morning of the shoot, we faced a freezing cold day and the heaviest rainfall in recent years. To shoot, we had to build a covering over the car bonnet so the actors could perform without torrential rain hitting them in the face.
Then, after just a few hours of shooting, we had to evacuate the set due to rising flood waters. We then spent a very scary afternoon working out how we’d get the job done if the flood waters continued to rise. Luckily, the next morning we got back on set and managed to power through everything we needed by the end of the day.
The weather also meant we had to change the look of the film from a dry outback Australian setting to a wet, dark, stormy aesthetic. The landscape was all built in Unreal Engine and replaced, so the post team had to redesign it to suit the wet and bleak conditions.
LBB> How did the initial idea develop and progress before delivering the final product? Talk us through the creative process.
Jeff> When I first got the script, there were two cars talking to each other. I reduced it to one car and put them in an iconic situation. The creatives were very supportive of this and then helped to make it better as we went.
LBB> How did the initial idea develop and progress before delivering the final product? Talk us through the creative process.
Tian> The script and dialogue changed almost completely from the first presentation. The idea started out as a chase with two cars in the desert. During development, it evolved into one character on the bonnet and the other driving. Another big change was that neither of them remembered why they were chasing each other, which ended up being central to the comedy. It’s a credit to the partnership we have with our clients and their trust in the process that allowed us to develop the script right up to the shoot day and into the final edit.
LBB> How do you find the balance between putting on a performance and finding authenticity? Where do those two aspects lay in the commercial creativity world?
Jeff> If your actors are in a position where they have to ‘put on a performance’ and not be sincere in the moment, my feeling is you have a writing problem.
LBB> What would you do differently, if anything?
Jeff> I would have not let them run the entire script at a time. I would have honed in on single lines and built a vocabulary for the edit. The full takes are a courtesy to the actors, and I should have told them we have no time for that!
LBB> What would be your dream scene to create? Something with a massive stunt? Something heartbreaking and emotional?
Jeff> This is a tough question. One of my favourite ads ever is ‘cat with a pipe’. Look it up. That’s great writing and 50 bucks. I admire that.
