Filming a Commercial for a $7 Million Dollar Country House in Virginia!
Summertime in Virginia - more specifically, Charlottesville, Virginia. Director, Ethan Lew, remembers the first time visiting Charlottesville with his Grandfather on a road trip from Nashville to New York during his senior year of high school.
"It was one of the standout stops - the trees, history, and sense of quiet in the country side. I remember loving how peaceful the countryside felt, and more importantly, how friendly Virginian’s were.”
Eight years and a few return trips later, Lew directed a commercial for a historical farm and home listed by Frank Hardy Sotheby's.
We sat down with Ethan and asked him a few questions about the production!
Q: Tell us about the team that you assembled for this shoot and the different roles.
A: We kept the team small by design. I directed, and then we had, well, two different Eli’s. Eli Suhadolnik was the DP (Director of Photography), responsible for all the camera equipment, gear, lighting, and most importantly framing of the shots and scenes. The other Eli, (Jules) acted as both a photographer and production assistant. To be honest, my favorite shoots tend to be those with a smaller crew size. We also had two models, a helpful client on set, and two horses.
Q: Were there any challenges shooting this commercial?
A: Productions are all about problem solving. A small challenge we encountered was finding a team to bring a few horses to set. We didn't have a ton of time for pre production and it was somewhat of a last minute idea to bring horses for the shoot. But luck for me, I had an 8 hour drive from Brooklyn, NY to Charlottesville, two days prior to the shoot. I probably called upwards of 25 stables in the area, and finally found the sweetest couple who were more than happy to bring their beautiful horses over. Big shout out to Abby & Caleb at Rock Branch Horse and Cattle! We had Abby & Caleb ride the horses through some of the most beautiful hills as well, acting as stunt doubles for the models.
Q: What was your favorite scene?
A: We shot a fair amount of scenes for a one day production with a smaller sized crew. In order, we shot the following 7 scenes: Pool, Horse-riding, Stables, Backyard Backgammon, Reading Inside, Walking in the Garden, and Driving Off for Dinner, which had to be my favorite. The owner of the property had an awesome 1994 vintage Red Land Rover, which contrasted the abundance of green all of the estate really well. He took us for a drive through the meadows and then was kind enough to let our models hop in and drive for the last scene. Luckily, Jay, the male model, knew how to drive stick!
The Films
30 Second Spot
90 Second Spot
DIRECTOR & PRODUCER: Ethan Lew
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Eli Suhadolnik
DIRECTOR OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY: Ethan Lew
PHOTOGRAPHER & PRODUCTION ASSITANT: Eli Jules
EDITOR: Houston Matthews
COLORIST: Houston Matthews
TALENT: Liquid Talent Group
HORSE TALENT: Rock Branch Horse and Cattle
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Ann Hay Hardy
CLIENT: Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International Realty
You can view the listing here, courtesy of Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International Realty.
