Roborock
TVC Production for Roborock
We didn’t know much about Intelligent Robot Vacuum Cleaner until we have been commissioned by Roborock, the leader in this industry, to produce their TV ad for the American market.
Within a tight timeframe, we managed the entire video production in Hong Kong, from the storyboard to the final delivery of the main video and the short teaser.
A LIFE IN TIMELAPSE
The concept stands in illustrating how using the Roborock vacuum cleaner frees people’s time to enjoy life while the robot is doing the chores.
Therefore we see a man going through the main milestones of his life, all grouped in a day time.
First, our main character is waking up, then preparing his flat for his date, then the couple is a family with a young baby, after what the baby became a teenager, and at the end, the couple goes to sleep in their bed. All along, the robot vacuum cleaner is in the foreground of the screen.
FILM DIRECTION
While the talents had experience with video filming, for this TV ad, we needed them to follow specific instructions, especially about the motion speed.
As the video is shot as a timelapse, and we wanted to blur their movements, we requested them to act slower than an average speed. This acting element was crucial for the implementation of the timelapse.
Furthermore, each actor had to remember the exact position for each shot, primarily when the toddler toys are spread around the room.
While all five scenes have been filmed with ‘slow motion’ in the acting, it was interesting for them to watch the final result with everything showcased in fast motion!
FILMING TECHNIQUES
All scenes have been shot in timelapse mode to support the concept, while the robot is filmed at normal speed.
To reach the desired effect of timelapse, with all characters moving fast on camera, creating a light blur, supporting the idea of ‘life is passing fast,’ we carefully set up our equipment and elaborated a specific filming direction to guide the talents.
The primary element to support the technic stands in the railing for having a continuous and regular camera motion. Once the railing was in place, we set up a small motor, making the camera move regularly. The last one, but not the least, was the camera’s shutter speed to catch the action on the right move.
LOCATIONS
For this TV ad, the locations were crucial. We had to source a bedroom and a living room that fit the US market style in terms of size and style, while it also needed to fit the technical requirements.
We rapidly realized it was preferred to have a wooden floor rather than a marble, tiled, or carpet floor in terms of style. It was also mandatory to have the flooring in excellent condition.
We needed rooms giving a sense of comfy space regarding the size, with a depth good enough to feature the robot at the foreground and enough length to install the camera railing.
Lucky enough, we found a studio for both bedrooms, shot in the same space with a different design arranged by our set designer, while the living room is a true one from a villa located in a Hong Kong village.
PRODUCTION DESIGN
The main goal of this TV ad production was to fit the American market, while the entire filming production was taking place in Hong Kong.
The locations were one of the crucial elements to adequately feature the robot vacuum cleaner in an American family’s life.
Also, the talents needed to be Caucasian style, if not at least Eurasian. Once adults were selected, the toddler and the teenager also had to fit in the family, with enough similarities.
Furthermore, our stylist elaborated wardrobes giving a sense to each scene, such as a touch of seduction for the dating scene, an ‘easy going’ style for the young parents with the toddler, and a more sophisticated look for the older couple having their daughter wearing a celebration dress.
We also had a set designer on board, arranging the different look of the places for each scene, according to the moment in our main characters’ lives: props, color tones, lighting, etc., all have been carefully elaborated.
STORYBOARD
We developed a storyboard based on the concept, detailing all actions for each scene, ensuring there will be enough to perform, and not too much – just the right amount for space and time.
Our storyboard has been customized with a series of hand sketches detailing actions and solving technical challenges, such as the transition between the bedroom and the living room, the camera’s height featuring the robot with a relevant angle and space, etc.
