u/Ok-Fun-9160

​

Self-produced this one entirely myself; directed, produced, scouted, negotiated, shot. No safety net, which is also how I ended up nearly in trouble with immigration: overstayed my visa in China to get it finished. Wouldn't recommend it, but the video exists because of it.

The location is a real derelict cabaret in Shanghai; previous owner skipped the country owing the wrong people money, so it had just been sitting abandoned. Getting access meant a chain of contacts ending in a meeting with a guy who only took it because he thought I was connected to the debt. I refused to have it cleaned up or dressed; the decay was the point.

Shot on a RED ONE with Nikkor lenses (this was a while back). Choreography and styling by Julian Mei, who danced in Michael Jackson's "Bad" (asian dude with Japanese bandana) and plays the bar owner (pimp) on camera.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe-lx59zkoc

Happy to answer anything about the shoot, the location hunt, or the gear.

This is a 30s-ish spot I directed for e& (UAE telecom), tied to the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix.

Shot in Dubai practically on the ARRI Alexa 65 for the large-format depth and detail on the high-speed car footage, then blended with 3D and compositing work for the more stylized transitions and high-speed 3D shots of the car; no AI anywhere in post-production and on the screen.

The biggest challenge was matching the practical plates to the CG elements under fast-changing race-day light, and keeping the concept (speed/connectivity) readable in just 34 seconds. We wrapped the whole commercial in only one day.

Genuinely curious how the blend reads to this crowd, especially where the comp seams might show, and whether the pacing holds up for something this short.

We shoot XR for some projects. Previs, blocking a tricky sequence, building a world we could never afford to shoot for real. You see the final composite live on set instead of guessing through a green screen. Adjust a physical light, match the virtual one right there. Saves time, saves money. The usual reasons.

It earns its place on the right job. A futuristic concept, a world that doesn't exist, a music video where the location would cost more than the whole budget. For a simple dialogue scene or a real landscape, the old way still wins. No point building a volume to shoot two people talking in a room.

It lives or dies on the team. Good Unreal artists, a VFX supervisor who builds assets fast, an art department aligned with virtual production. Without that it slows you down instead of speeding you up.

It's a tool. Another option for getting the image on screen. The story decides whether you reach for it.