Commercial
Play Studio
A fast-paced commercial for Play Studio, moving between four stylized worlds in a single shoot day.
- Client
- Play Studio
- Role
- Director
- Team
- ~45 people
- Shoot
- 1 day (~12 hrs)
- Locations
- 4
- Camera
- Sony Venice + Cooke lenses
Overview
Production of a commercial for Play Studio, built as a performance-driven piece across several different settings, aimed at a light, fast-paced idea that reflects the brand’s identity in a direct, visual way suited to multiple platforms. The project was built around a multi-scene visual experience, moving between different spaces within one narrative frame.
Role
Director. I held full directorial oversight of the project — developing the idea, directing the cast’s performance, and overseeing the final visual shape of the commercial.
Scope
Prep ran roughly 20 days, covering development of the ad’s overall idea, script and narrative structure, building visual references and defining the shooting style, shaping the edit approach and visual rhythm, scouting and dressing locations, and directing the cast’s performance before and during the shoot. Pre-production also included working sessions with the cast to define the nature of each performance and the reactions each scene called for.
Concept
The commercial was built on the idea of moving quickly between different settings, each reflecting a distinct scenario within one visual frame. The focus was on presenting each space as its own visually self-contained world, while keeping a simple narrative thread linking the scenes and serving the ad’s core idea. The visual style leaned on stylized realism — performances that read as natural, but carefully considered in lighting, composition and movement.
Execution
Execution followed an intensive week-long prep period before the shoot, covering location scouting and dressing each set to match the different scenes’ requirements. Filming itself was compressed into a single day across four main locations — a kitchen, a White Box studio, a bedroom and a club — totaling roughly 12 continuous hours of work. The shoot relied on high-end professional equipment, including Sony Venice cameras and Cooke lenses, giving strong visual flexibility and a clear cinematic quality. Around 45 people were involved in execution, spanning departments including lighting, makeup, location management, set dressing, catering and logistics, and the technical production team. The main challenge was managing this scale of moving parts within a single shoot day, holding the production’s rhythm without compromising performance quality or the directorial vision. Despite the time pressure and logistical complexity, the commercial landed exactly to the defined creative plan, balancing speed with visual precision.
