The challenge: Creating an enduring experience of performance and luxury

The Art of Performance Tour 2017 offers Jaguar fans a unique opportunity to try out some of the luxury brand’s hottest new vehicles for themselves. Prospective customers have the chance to experience a test drive of models such as the new F-TYPE sports car and the XF business saloon at a variety of locations including the legendary Nürburgring. They can also explore the world of Land Rover at the same times and venues. Anyone who has been to an Art of Performance Tour before knows that this opportunity to experience the vehicles for yourself stays with you for weeks or even months.

Can such a full-on brand experience be made even stronger? This year’s event organizers certainly thought so. Their idea was to produce personalized movies that keep the real-life tour experience alive by rekindling the positive emotions it aroused time and again, long after the event itself is over. Indeed, they hoped that adding this personal touch would subsequently make the emotional impact of the firsthand experience even stronger.

The solution: Let visitors star in short, animated driving movies

The tour is supported by specialist automotive event agency APS. Frankfurt-Film GmbH was also invited on board in 2017 to produce a making-of documentary of the Art of Performance Tour. The team soon hit on the idea of using the film crew’s presence on site in other ways, too. Rather than just filming and interviewing visitors for the documentary, the visitors would also be offered the opportunity to be virtual stars in their own short, personalized driving movie.

The plan was to house the movie set in a tent where the visitor/virtual movie star would sit in a special car seat, with different takes being shot from two camera angles. These might for instance show the driver bubbling with excitement and anticipation as they start the engine, taking a high-speed left-hander or celebrating after winning a race. The footage would then be integrated into three movies, each featuring a different Jaguar model. A key post-production requirement was that a complimentary copy of the finished movies should arrive in the tour visitor’s mailbox within three days.

Making it happen: Full service, from set to finished movie

Just one and a half weeks before shooting was due to begin, Frankfurt-Film GmbH got in touch with Mackevision to ask whether there was any chance of making the short movie idea happen in such a short space of time. Mackevision got straight down to work and designed a standalone, mobile VFX green screen studio that could be assembled quickly and efficiently at any tour location. As well as high-end camera equipment, the VFX studio setup includes a car seat where up to four different takes of tour visitors can be filmed from two camera angles. At the same time, Mackevision also developed and produced three short movies in which spectacular visual effects provide a thrilling backdrop for a range of driver emotions. The post-production processes for rapidly integrating the VFX green screen footage into one of these short movies were also put together by Mackevision at short notice in time for the start of the tour.

As well as project design, concept development and film and post-production, Mackevision agreed to handle the entire set management at all 16 tour events in Europe, including supervision and responsibility for the technical equipment. Everything ran like clockwork thanks to the professional organization – the personalized Art of Performance Tour short movies were ready for delivery within 72 hours, as promised. Only the final part of the process – mailing the movies to the people starring in them – was carried out by a partner agency.

Thanks to these short movies, the passion for the Jaguar brand that the Tour ignited has been kept burning long after the event itself.