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Relation Agency tapped PluckStudio to help get out the vote during this summer’s New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary. Pluck’s Patrick Ortman and Eric Boadella directed the New York and Los Angeles production. Jon Jones from Relation executive produced. The project pushed the envelope in storytelling and scope for a political ad. So we pushed the envelope too, finding ways to bring higher-quality and more creative production to the fast-paced political world, even during Covid.

The campaign was called “I Promise” and its big idea was calling out the typical false promises politicians make, pushing New York’s voters to see through them and realize their own power as they got involved. It began with a fantasy sequence showing three different mayors standing on the steps of New York City Hall on Inauguration Day. But instead of the typical false promises we’ve all heard before, this time we’d get the truth. 

Virtual Production to the Rescue
The biggest practical hurdle for this project was location. There was no way New York would let us film on the steps of City Hall. And in any case, the budget couldn’t cover the huge and detailed production design needed to make it look like it does during an inauguration. 

It became clear that Virtual Production was the only way this story could be told. We started in pre-viz, using Maya and Unreal Engine. We went to Unreal for its real-time rendering and fast iterative workflow. This let us experiment with different shots and approaches, all connected to real-world environment specs.

Pluck's Patrick Ortman explains "Unreal essentially let us shoot the commercial before we actually shot the commercial." He adds “People know that Unreal is the secret weapon behind big shows like Disney’s “The Mandalorian”. But it has a lot to offer smaller productions, too. Working with Unreal is about freedom. It lets us quickly try new things and communicate clearly. Not only with our clients, but also with our film crews. It helps us better realize the project’s vision and potential.”

"We used these real-time renders in Unreal Engine to create an animatic to help sell the creative approach to the end client. Then, throughout production we refined it to help us communicate and even block out the live-action shots on the soundstage in Los Angeles" said Ortman “The idea of starting with something and iterating as you move from pre-viz to production and post was key. There’s not a lot of wasted effort. Everything builds from the previous step, and it’s very fast.” Ortman pointed out.

Despite the lack of a "Mandalorian" sized budget, virtual production helped better communicate and speed the process, focus the production’s vision, and deliver far more for our client.

"At Relation Agency, we're looking to push the limits of storytelling and creative in hopes of rewriting a few chapters of the tired political and cause marketing playbook. We couldn't have found a better partner than PluckStudio." said Jon Jones, Relation’s CEO. He went on to say "Not only did Patrick and his team execute with craftsman precision, he also helped us as a creative partner -- a critical spice in the secret sauce of persuasion creative. Pluck opened our eyes to what was possible -- technically & creatively -- to help shape and birth our vision. From a seamless, virtual multi-coastal shoot (during COVID no less) to a passion-fueled production workflow from pre-viz to final cut." According to Jones "Patrick and his diverse team created a creative partnership that allowed us to move beyond just getting our ads out the door to producing innovative, industry-influencing work. And, just as important as all the nuts and bolts, they were just a pleasure to work with -- an often overlooked key ingredient to success."

Made During COVID
Did we mention the whole project took place during COVID? We did the usual COVID safety protocol, but we also used remote production to help keep our footprint small: both our producer and Relation’s CEO attended the shoot remotely via Zoom. We had a live camera feed off our DP’s RED plus a behind-the-scenes feed that let us do things like talk with the stylist and makeup artist as she did her job, then bounce right back to the stage to see how lighting was going. From virtual production through elements of remote production, it’s pretty clear that this way of working has its advantages, whatever your vision and budget. 

You can see the final commercial below or  here.

Working Together
The only way a project like this could happen is through a creative and production approach that emphasizes partnership instead of ego. Ortman says “The production company-advertising agency relationship is sometimes difficult. With Relation, it was easy. They were open to our ideas, and we theirs. We were both invested, and it showed. It was like great improv. Your partner says something and you answer “Yes, and---”. This kind of approach gave us the best storytelling possible, and I hope it becomes the standard in the industry.”

About PluckStudio
Based in New York and Los Angeles, Pluck is a video production company and content studio that makes commercials and films for 12 Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and brands. More at PluckStudio.com

About Relation Agency
An advocacy advertising agency that helps candidates, causes & corporations build genuine & lasting relationships with their audience. Relation Agency looks to push the limits of storytelling, media and audience empathy to create real & lasting change. RelationAgency.com