FilmCore editor Nicholas Wayman-Harris helped to bring Steve McQueen back to cinematic life for an ingenious FIELD OF DREAMS-inspired commercial for the Ford Mustang. Wayman-Harris edited theatrical and television versions of a spot in which images of the late actor drawn from the 1968 film BULLITT are used to make it appear as though he is behind the wheel of the 2005 version of the classic sports car.
Conceived by Detroit agency J. Walter Thompson, the spot shows a farmer building a racetrack in the middle of a large cornfield. After completing the task, the farmer wheels his new Mustang out of a garage and then watches as the legendary actor appears from the neat rows of stalks. McQueen, who famously drove a Mustang in BULLITT, climbs into the drivers seat and heads off down the straightaway, the wind at his back.
Wayman-Harris became involved in the project during pre-production. He initially worked with director Paul Street and R!OT Santa Monicas Verdi Sevenhuysen, who headed the vfx team, in preparing a test version of the spot from scenes they gleaned from BULLITT and digital video footage shot by Street using stand-ins. The test spot became a template for the production of the actual spot.
The editor then joined the production crew on location in Chilliwack, British Columbia, for the seven-day shoot. I had the video feed from the production camera linked to my laptop, Wayman-Harris recalled. I was then able to immediately line up their shots with the scenes from BULLITT to ensure it was all going to work.
After the shoot was over, Wayman-Harris assembled rough cuts for a 60-second theatrical version of the spot, as well as 90- 60- and 30-second versions for television. He then oversaw color correction, visual effects and audio post work. A spot like this is obviously a collaborative effort and the commitment Nick had for seeing it through was tremendous, said J. Walter Thompson art director Carl Warner. The way he worked with Paul and the effects team was key to a great outcome.
Although the spot will surely gain attention for the illusion involving McQueen, it is also an example of great storytelling. The story unfolds in three parts, Wayman-Harris said. We open with the epic tale of the farmer building his racetrack. We then have this magical interlude where he comes face to face with this legendary actor. The final section is all about the car and its pure adrenalin. In that section, we really open up and get fast and furious with the edit. We had a lot of fun with the car.
Wayman-Harris also prepared the sound design track, which plays a key role in the narrative, particularly in the back half of the spot when the Mustang hits the road. Almost all of the sound elements that I used were recorded live at the location, he said. We used layers and layers of sound and they really help to give the car character and energy.
The drama and appeal of the story make it easier for viewers to accept the fact that McQueen has come back to life and is standing in the middle of a Midwestern cornfield. At the end of the day, you need to come away from this spot convinced that Steve McQueen was driving that car, concluded J. Walter Thompson copywriter Curt Catallo.
R!OT Santa Monica Credits:
* Visual Effects Supervisor/Lead Compositor/Colorist: Verdi Sevenhuysen* Compositors: Kiki Chansamone, Les Umberger, Claus Hansen and Sean Wilson* Junior Compositor: Ashlee Wismach* VFX Exec Producer/VFX Producer: D. Todd Davidovic* VFX Associate Producer: Robert Owens
R!OT Santa Monica is located at 702/730 Arizona Ave., Santa Monica, California, 90401. For more information, call (310) 434-6000.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
