Please watch in 4K here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3rwg7Ps1Z8

When I first read about the Tesla Roadster in 2008, I knew immediately that electric vehicles were the future. I conceived this idea in 2011 to highlight in a fun way human ingenuity, grit, and a radical shift of thinking. It was eventually filmed in 2013, five months after the release of the Model S. This film is the first spec commercial featuring Tesla. It was shot in Bronson Canyon in Los Angeles, which was used in Ford's The Searchers ('56) and the Batman TV show ('66). This iconic location is usually off-limits to small productions but we received support from Mayor Eric Garcetti's office because of my previous film contest win.

This was my first time using a Technocrane, aerial drone shots, and a 5k resolution cinema camera. Drone shots required specialists and careful prep at the time - this was years before DJI entered the US market. The original film was not released in 2013, but an updated version was premiered in 2023, a year before the Tesla Cybertruck release. The Tesla Model S in the original film was replaced with the Cybertruck using CGI. This is the only spec commercial to have a CG Cybertruck integrated into a natural environment, years before its release. This was challenging as we had the original Model S drive through the fog while marine layer clouds slipped down mountain roads, and CG fog had to be composited back in to bring it all together. Also challenging were the two closeups of the modern man and woman; the practical Model S interior was replaced with that of the Cybertruck. No high-quality 3D models of the Cybertruck’s interior were readily available then.

A memorable moment was when Will Smith and his daughter Willow dropped by on set to check out our shoot.