RANGE ROVER - SAFARI
Bill Bennett, ASC was the Cinematographer for this Range Rover commercial. Gary Johns of Johns + Gorman Films was the Director. We were emulating the style of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in the "somewhere in Africa" bar scene. The shot of the hill with the lone tree, and the giraffe was difficult to shoot, because the giraffe had no concept of where the edge of the frame was, and kept wandering off. The trainer would take him up by the tree, then turn him loose, and hide behind the tree. We finally got a take, where as the car drove by, I panned with it, and the crane rose up, and I saw the giraffe walking down toward us, and into the frame. All I could think at the time was, "Don't screw up the framing, don't jerk to a stop!." And it was perfect.
Director: GARY JOHNS