xShear — Commercial

xShear was created by a Paramedic and Flight Nurse who found himself more and more dissatisfied with the standard shears available to emergency response teams. He knew he could create a product that would outperform and outlast anything else on the market, so he successfully designed a revolutionary pair of trauma shears.

After being brought on to produce a commercial for xShear, my DP and I immediately envisioned a night shoot to capture the intense and often dramatic environments in which first responders daily operate. While a night shoot can be tricky to execute, I knew it would provide us with the most exciting visual potential. I also knew that we’d need the local fire department on site for the major scenes. Conveniently, the grounds that serve as their fire training facility ended up being the perfect location. The fire department had an array of vehicles used for training purposes already on their property. To create an accident scene, we lifted a bus up into the air and dropped it partially on top of an overturned car. Using a flyswatter rig as the main exterior lighting source, we lit the interior of the bus with Quasars. And for effect, we added “rain” that soaked the cast and crew alike. 

It was thrilling to watch trained firemen go through the motions of a typical accident response. Completely soaked from the “rain,” they worked take after take without a single complaint. The shoot went off without a hitch, and the footage we captured was incredible. It was an honor to “share the stage” with real heroes who risk their lives on the front lines every day, rain or shine.