Submotion Productions’ Cinematic WD40 spec ad. 1.5M views in 48 hours. - Chris Roberts Commercial Photographer in the South East of England

Behind the scenes on Submotion Productions’ WD40 spec ad... 1.5M views in 48 hours.

You can view the film or find out more over on Submotions Instagram or LinkedIn.

A couple of weeks ago I joined my friends at Submotion Productions, as their unit stills photographer for their latest spec commercial ... A humerous and cinematic ad for the WD40 brand. The team, led by director and writer Richard Prendergast, set out to reimagine a household classic through a cinematic lens. Creating a bold, high-end spot that looks every bit like a global campaign.

Since its release, the film has been incredibly well received, racking up over 1.5 million views in just 48 hours and close to 50,000 likes on Instagram.

As the unit stills photographer, my role was to capture key moments, performance details and lighting setups with the core role being to get a 'poster image' or gallery still of each of the setups which could later be used for promotion. The lighting and palette were beautifully considered to match the humorous tone of the ad, lending the stills the same cinematic edge that makes the finished film so visually appealing.

Shooting stills on a live set is a balance between observation and participation... Things move quick on set with very little time given to crafting a 'perfect' image, instead having to jump in and steal a few moments between takes. When i'm not mirroring the flow of filming (capturing those hero, campaign ready shots) I'm busy shooting behind-the-scenes moments that reveal the process and collaboration behind it.

Spec projects like this really show what’s possible when talented teams come together purely for the love of the craft... a fully self-driven project that’s reached a massive audience thanks to its creative ambition and production value.

Huge thanks to the whole crew for having me along for the ride!