“Better” Apple Commercial Storyboards

When you work on an Apple commercial, it’s apparently so secretive, that you don’t know you worked on an Apple commercial until you see it finished!  How was I to know?  I thought it was a Solar Panel commercial or something!  Or maybe a Public Service Announcement!  Nobody tells me anything…

I worked on this project right after the movie “Gravity” came out, and man, for about 6 months every director I worked with was trying get on board with the disorienting-inverted-reverse-corkscrew-camera-angle-circle-pan-one-long-continuous-shot bandwagon.  It’s a great effect and even when done editorially, as in this spot, it really creates a sense of “awe” in the viewer.  But it’s pretty difficult to storyboard, because it’s new, and the screen direction is all over the place.  Luckily, solar panels are pretty easy to draw, even if upside-down.  Yes, that’s intentional, you’re web browser isn’t acting up.  Motion-controlled cameras are the rage these days, I guess!

Here’s the boards:

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In the end, they used the boards simply as a guide to inform the crews as to possible shots to strive for- not as a formal guide to production- as in, just B-Roll stuff, basically!  Here’s the final video.  And I guess somebody else storyboarded the “factory” shots.  I just did the Solar Panel stuff.  Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdeVaT-zZt4