How many takes do you get on a real surprise?

One

A national staffing firm ran a contest all year. The consultant with the most tickets in the whole company, 219 of them, won a brand new luxury SUV, and he picked the upgrade himself

He just didn't know when he was getting it

The president, the lobby, the bow

I produced and directed it in Newport Beach. The president opens it to camera in the lobby of a glass tower, short and simple, then invites you to come along

Then the whole team walks out the doors together and there it is, parked at the curb with a giant red bow on it

No second take, no "can you look surprised again". If I miss the face, I miss the film

And trust me, nobody looks surprised twice. The second time it's acting, and bad acting at that

How you shoot something that only happens once

Here is the deal, you plan everything you can and then you stop planning

Where does the car park, where does the sun sit at that hour, which door does the team come out of, how far is the walk? all of that gets settled before anybody gets told anything

Handheld, already rolling before the doors open, the walk out and the angles worked out ahead of time so nobody blocks the view at the one second that counts

Then you let real people be real people, the cheering, the handshake, the first sit behind the wheel

You can't script that, believe me, people have tried

Why a company pays for this

A staffing firm sells people, so what is it really selling to the next recruit? that this is a place that pays off

A two minute film of one guy walking out to a car with a bow on it says that better than any careers page ever will

Producer and camera, same person

When the producer is the one behind the lens there's no walkie-talkie between the plan and the shot, I see the moment coming through the viewfinder and I'm already there

It's how I run my fashion and portrait shoots too, have a look at the People Portrait gallery and the Marketing Video gallery

Real faces, one take, no fake applause

Length: 1 min 47 s · Producer & director: David Victory, VRSET video production, Los Angeles & Orange County

Key moments

  • 0:00 Office tower opening
  • 0:13 President announces the award
  • 0:31 Team heads out of the lobby
  • 0:49 The surprise reveal
  • 1:06 Handshake and celebration
  • 1:24 Winner with the president
  • 1:41 Closing logo

See the matching photography in the People Portrait Headshot gallery.

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Planning a video or a fashion shoot? Contact David Victory or call (310) 988-6575 in Los Angeles, (949) 873-4551 in Orange County. Free consultation and quote for first-time clients.