Leading up to this project, we wanted to pre-visualize (or test) a close-up shot of the rider, on the Vespa scooter.

The honorable Graham Nolte was both the director and the lynchpin that built the team to make this ad possible.

So, we setup some test shots.

To simulate the composition and framing we used a walker (for older folks) as the handle bars for the Vespa scooter, and then we played with a few camera-frame rate settings.

The camera settings that had a faster shutter, and lower frame-rate, made it feel like the scooter/walker was moving faster — which is good!

Ultimately, we used either a 45 degree or 90 degree shutter so you can visually “feel” more of the motion and action.

Lighting for the spot was similar to most comedic spots: bright and soft.

I wanted to really sell the fact that a scooter racing through residential spaces is weird.

To visually express this, I used gaff tape to hold a tiny, remote controlled smoke machine (the smoke genie) to the back of the Vespa Scooter.

Since the scooter was brand new, when it ran, you never noticed any exhaust on camera.

The Smoke Machine fixed to the back of the scooter added that visual cue that made the Vespa scooter feel more authentic.

Here is an image of the remote activated smoke machine:

See the behind the scenes of our Piazza Alta commercial!