Time for a Commercial Break with the Audi Q7

By Derek Shiekhi - November 29, 2016

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When it came time for Canadian filmmaker Dave Mossop to test out groundbreaking new camera technology for an Audi promo to be shot in extreme conditions and on rigorous terrain, he was certain that the 2017 Audi Q7 would rise to the challenge.

“We were lucky to have two Q7 picture cars,” recalls Mossop about the location shoot at Fortress Mountain, Alberta, which is 7,500 feet above sea level and where temperatures dropped to -20C. “Turned out, they were the only vehicles on the shoot that could handle the icy conditions.”

The envelope-pushing, 90-second Audi video, aptly titled “Projection of Greatness,” abandons computer-generated imagery. Instead, Mossop captures his stunning showcase entirely in-camera using newly developed digital cinema cameras capable of capturing high-resolution imagery in extremely low light.

In the clip, under the light of the moon, the all-new Q7 charges up a snow-covered road. Along the way, dots connected by lines form geometric shapes and begin to appear on the Q7’s silver skin, showcasing how the all-new Q7’s impressive mix of power, style and innovation “projects” onto any terrain.

The metal Audi is soon transformed into a 3D-animated one that proceeds to zoom up the pristine white surface of the terrain. As visually stunning as it appears, it is almost difficult to believe that the moving projection is not a trick of CGI and that the spot was filmed 100 percent in-camera.

“We were presented with a wonderful set of challenges,” says Mossop, “including the difficulty of bringing vehicles, crew and a lot of technology to a remote and undisturbed location in the dead of winter… [But] we’ve had a great relationship with Audi for a couple of years, and we were thrilled to be given the opportunity to help concept this innovative project with [Toronto agency] Zulu Alpha Kilo and then overcome the technical difficulties to execute it.”