published by Bright Tangerine
“I really value the creative,” says Tony Johansson, commercial and documentary DP, “if it’s challenging and visually fun, I’m in.” His latest project is a great demonstration of all of the above: a high-energy commercial that blends block parties, brownstones and Biggie Smalls.
Shooting on the Sony VENICE 2 with a set of Tokina Vista primes and an Angénieux EZ-3 zoom, we sat down with Johansson to chat about how he created a commercial that feels classically Brooklyn.
For an ad just barely north of a minute long, the Brooklyn Nets commercial is huge in scale – with a fleet of dancers accompanying the basketballers. The production came together in a short time span, with an elite crew both behind and in front of the camera.
Working with great people and getting the support you need is priceless. We had one prep day and two shoot days for this one, and that felt perfect. And of course, if you have time and a good budget, that doesn’t hurt either![laughs]
This was a big one because of the sheer number of extras and dancers we had on set. We shot over two days—day one was dedicated to all the dancers and extras, and day two was focused on the players.
We only had full control of the street and the park on the second day, so during day one the park was still open to the public, which makes it more exciting but also challenging.
The video has a distinctly nostalgic feel to it: the bright colour palette, the VHS-like effects – and of course, hip-hop classic Hypnotize playing over it all. A tribute to Biggie, and to Brooklyn at large. However, filming a project in one of the most famous boroughs of the most famous city in the world comes with its own suite of challenges and setbacks.
Shooting in Brooklyn can be rough — everything from having a 21-foot crane in a large crowd to managing very expensive lenses (we shot everything on primes, except for one shot) had to be carefully considered in pre-production. Small things like parking, bathrooms, and lunch became logistical puzzles, but the producers did a great job planning everything out.
One of the biggest concerns was that risk of bad weather, so we explored a few ideas for potential workarounds. A soundstage was on the table for a bit, but I’m glad we took the risk and committed to shooting outside.
Being a team player is huge [on shoots like this]. Working together in both prep and production is everything. From planning in pre-production to execution on the day, it’s important to surround yourself with great people and to listen to their advice and expertise.
Together with Tony Eaton, the director, and producer Francesco Pettiti; we created a detailed shot list and a well-thought-out schedule which kept everything running smoothly.
To help keep the day rolling smoothly, Johansson and the team decided to double-up on cameras: a pair of Sony VENICE 2s allowed the shoot to keep moving smoothly with minimal downtime – and since the Brooklyn Nets’ own content team shoot on Sony, adding in game footage was made that much easier.
To help deck out the cameras, Johansson supplemented the rig with a Misfit Kick 360 matte box and KASBAH hand grips.
We used two Sony VENICE 2 cameras: one camera lived on the crane, and the other was set up for handheld. It’s also a very fast camera for the ACs to work with—we changed frame rates quite a bit on both the handheld and crane bodies. There just wouldn’t have been enough time to constantly reset a single camera between all the different setups.
I love a Bright Tangerine matte box, especially the ONE Tray. I actually brought my own for this shoot. It’s super smart and fast to work with. We used a diopter for one of the shots, and the ONE Tray makes that easy. I also love that you can stack the 138mm filters with the 4×5.65 filters in the same tray. The KASBAH handles are also really well-built and very grip-friendly.
Even with a shot list involving everything from Steadicam to sticks, the two-day shoot went off without a hitch. Johansson and his team created a mesmerising showcase for the Brooklyn Nets – enough to make you forget that the team actually started in New Jersey…
The original brief was actually very close to the final result, and the Brooklyn Nets’ creative vision was strong from the start.
Shooting with a small army of people in front of the camera is always a blast—and tossing NBA players into the mix is its own adventure, especially when you only get a few precious minutes with each one.
When the crew nailed the shots and everyone on set could feel we were getting great stuff, it honestly just made the whole day feel really good.
