Porsche Taycan: «Soul, Electrified»
19TONES ╳ BORSCH for Porsche
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Moscow, October 2020
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Yura Borschev and I worked together to create the photographs of the new all-electric Porsche Taycan for Porsche. Each of us has to take 5 shots exposing (which focus on) five qualities of the Porsche Taycan: «Electric», «Adaptive», «Fast», «Futuristic» and «Eco-friendly».
In this project, the use of the Photoshop is minimized.
Team:
Co-author: @19TONESCo-author: @Borsch
Partner: Porsche @porsche_russia
Prod. manager: @timoxayahoo
Technical support: @denbych
Backstage video: @s.psix
Backstage camera assist: @street.tones @kiselevision
Backstage photo: @olenek
Assists: @doublekickonesnareshot @s.ratanov @kiselevision @olenek @scherbeneva @tarryframe
Technical support: @denbych
Backstage video: @s.psix
Backstage camera assist: @street.tones @kiselevision
Backstage photo: @olenek
Assists: @doublekickonesnareshot @s.ratanov @kiselevision @olenek @scherbeneva @tarryframe
Electric
1/10
«Electric» by 19TONES
19TONES ╳ BORSCH in partnership with Porsche
For this "Electric" shot, I didn’t focus on revealing the design or diplaying some other features of the car shown in other ideas. The main thing was to show the silhouette, hinting at the already familiar Porsche design.
We bought props, like a metal cable more than 50 meters long and garlands of different colors and sizes. For the "Electric" shot, everything was drawn in one shot. There were no merged layers, and no special effects added. The whole story was in front of our eyes, and thanks to proper technique we managed to do everything. We achieved the visual aesthetics that we wanted to achieve.
The main idea behind this shot is that one of the parking lines looks like an electric cable that runs to the car's charging block. The second concept is that the car can be charged while you’re shopping or at the office.
To characterize “Electric”, I thought it would be cool to take a minimalist shot of the Porsche Taycan standing in a parking lot. But finding a suitable parking lot in Moscow was difficult, so I thought we could create one ourselves. We found an empty paved area in a warehouse complex, and arrived there with 200 meters of white tape. We had planned out how long we would need to lay out the lines, cut out the arrows and be in time for everything before sunset.
To characterize “Electric”, I thought it would be cool to take a minimalist shot of the Porsche Taycan standing in a parking lot. But finding a suitable parking lot in Moscow was difficult, so I thought we could create one ourselves. We found an empty paved area in a warehouse complex, and arrived there with 200 meters of white tape. We had planned out how long we would need to lay out the lines, cut out the arrows and be in time for everything before sunset.
Adaptive
The shot with a geometric figure wat the most difficult shot that day.
I made myself a reference, of course, showed everyone how it should look, but I guess no one got as into it as I did, as to how to do it technically. Because for every second I imagined what, how, and where to go, and how the light would be drawn. For this we pulled the cables through the entire studio, so that knots were created at the intersection of these cables and this would be a certain “stop” point for the garland.
I suggested that the guys stretch three garlands at the same time, but I realized everyone would move at different speeds, with different vibrations. For example, we might end up with very different edges. With all that, one cable had to be pulled through the interior of the car. Therefore, it would be uncomfortable to draw an electric edge.
The decision was made to have the first side that we draw, which passes through the interior of the car, consist of two different shots, meaning layers merged together.
As props for shooting, we took several garlands, but some of them were torn and some shots were spoiled and didn’t work. Nevertheless, with the help of both improvisation and good planning, everything worked out. In this way we got three sides, and on the set, on the playback, we understood that it was cool, and that everything would work out. I haven’t seen such concepts before. I haven’t seen anyone working with cars in such a way, working with light in such a way, or imitating electricity in a special project for a specific task.
I made myself a reference, of course, showed everyone how it should look, but I guess no one got as into it as I did, as to how to do it technically. Because for every second I imagined what, how, and where to go, and how the light would be drawn. For this we pulled the cables through the entire studio, so that knots were created at the intersection of these cables and this would be a certain “stop” point for the garland.
I suggested that the guys stretch three garlands at the same time, but I realized everyone would move at different speeds, with different vibrations. For example, we might end up with very different edges. With all that, one cable had to be pulled through the interior of the car. Therefore, it would be uncomfortable to draw an electric edge.
The decision was made to have the first side that we draw, which passes through the interior of the car, consist of two different shots, meaning layers merged together.
As props for shooting, we took several garlands, but some of them were torn and some shots were spoiled and didn’t work. Nevertheless, with the help of both improvisation and good planning, everything worked out. In this way we got three sides, and on the set, on the playback, we understood that it was cool, and that everything would work out. I haven’t seen such concepts before. I haven’t seen anyone working with cars in such a way, working with light in such a way, or imitating electricity in a special project for a specific task.
The next shot I took is called "Adaptive".
I wanted to showcase the car in different settings with this shot, that are typical for life in a big city. A huge amount of props were used in this shot.
We collected all this in the three days before shooting. Some things we took from friends, and some we bought. We assembled a table with chairs and a sofa in the open air. There was a dining table with chairs and table setting, there was a sofa, a blanket, a bicycle, a violin - even a shopping cart, which we returned.
I finished the shot literally three minutes before it started raining and a strong wind blew, which knocked down the flower. As a result, we did everything in time, and promptly brought all the props under the shed. The plant eventually survived, and has been growing in my house for the past two weeks.
I wanted to showcase the car in different settings with this shot, that are typical for life in a big city. A huge amount of props were used in this shot.
We collected all this in the three days before shooting. Some things we took from friends, and some we bought. We assembled a table with chairs and a sofa in the open air. There was a dining table with chairs and table setting, there was a sofa, a blanket, a bicycle, a violin - even a shopping cart, which we returned.
I finished the shot literally three minutes before it started raining and a strong wind blew, which knocked down the flower. As a result, we did everything in time, and promptly brought all the props under the shed. The plant eventually survived, and has been growing in my house for the past two weeks.
Fast
We planned to spend two days on a shot called "Fast", and the first day would be a preshoot. It was very important to highlight not just the speed on the road but its speed in dynamics, how it passes a turn.
We used different lightning devices for this purpose. It was the Taycan, a monowheel with the Pixel Stick, and the Pixel Stick separately. There were also the garlands we attached to the Taycan's rear bumper. We drew the trajectory of the Taycan in different directions using a light painting technique, demonstrating how it passes a turn, what dynamics there can be, etc.
It was dark, and difficult to maintain communication on the track, but we managed to do it.
We used different lightning devices for this purpose. It was the Taycan, a monowheel with the Pixel Stick, and the Pixel Stick separately. There were also the garlands we attached to the Taycan's rear bumper. We drew the trajectory of the Taycan in different directions using a light painting technique, demonstrating how it passes a turn, what dynamics there can be, etc.
It was dark, and difficult to maintain communication on the track, but we managed to do it.
6/10
«Fast» by BORSCH
19TONES ╳ BORSCH in partnership with Porsche
We needed a large paved area for the shot called "Fast" because my idea was to draw a huge circle that looks like the Porsche Taycan's speedometer design. I wanted to take two different shots in order to choose which one I like the most. We drew this circle with chalk first, and after that we stuck white tape on that line.
The smoke bombs that we attached to the car leave a trail of smoke behind them, which is very similar to the design of the Porsche Tycan’s speedometer when accelerating.
The result is an image that symbolizes the acceleration, dynamics, and speed of the new Porsche Taycan.
The smoke bombs that we attached to the car leave a trail of smoke behind them, which is very similar to the design of the Porsche Tycan’s speedometer when accelerating.
The result is an image that symbolizes the acceleration, dynamics, and speed of the new Porsche Taycan.
Futuristic
7/10
«Futuristic» by 19TONES
19TONES ╳ BORSCH in partnership with Porsche
In the scene called "Futuristic", I tried to play up the exterior of the car with the help of a glowing stick called The Pixel Stick, which we programmed with certain patterns and lines that would set movement and emphasize the general design.
We figured we could position the car in any futuristic atmosphere, where we could emphasize either its exterior or interior, and where we could show its connection with this generation, tradition and the future. And of course I chose to work with the Pixel Stick to highlight the futuristic Taycan design.
Taking light patterns and shapes, we decided only to enhance the impression of the exterior, to emphasize the design and features. We wanted to show the viewer a connection with the future and create some kind of futuristic scene, which it seems we managed to do.
We figured we could position the car in any futuristic atmosphere, where we could emphasize either its exterior or interior, and where we could show its connection with this generation, tradition and the future. And of course I chose to work with the Pixel Stick to highlight the futuristic Taycan design.
Taking light patterns and shapes, we decided only to enhance the impression of the exterior, to emphasize the design and features. We wanted to show the viewer a connection with the future and create some kind of futuristic scene, which it seems we managed to do.
8/10
«Futuristic» by BORSCH
19TONES ╳ BORSCH in partnership with Porsche
I wanted to pretend that there was a discharge of electricity between the Taycan and the cars around it. In order to arrange them symmetrically, we glued 8 beams on the asphalt and built the composition along these guides. To keep the cars perfectly level, I lifted the drone into the air and guided myself by the image it showed.
The "Futuristic" quality is conveyed through the shot with the cars that illuminate the Taycan, which stands in the middle. Thus, I want to convey the idea that the Taycan is timeless, futuristic, but at the same time created in the tradition of Porsche.
The "Futuristic" quality is conveyed through the shot with the cars that illuminate the Taycan, which stands in the middle. Thus, I want to convey the idea that the Taycan is timeless, futuristic, but at the same time created in the tradition of Porsche.
Eco-friendly
9/10
«Eco-friendly» by 19TONES
19TONES ╳ BORSCH in partnership with Porsche
To emphasize the car concept for the “Eco-friendly” theme, I also decided to use a light painting technique and shoot the car near some trees. But the difficulty was that the car couldn’t drive on public roads, as we didn’t have the appropriate permit. We could only bring the car by tow truck to certain locations. It’s very difficult to find such locations in Moscow where the tow truck itself can drive, or just a car or a sports car can drive. We needed to find a tree and park the car next to it.
I really wanted to solve the problem with this particular concept, and I started looking for alternatives and thought, “Why not work on a different scale, on a smaller, more amazing scale and discover something new at the same time?”. I decided to make a physical layout in which I would install a tree, and add sand and a shore, and simulate a lake. I decided to build a model where the car would be located next to a tree, the tree would be surrounded by a light shell, electricity, or it would be just light lines around the tree, which will show how much the Taycan can contribute to the fight against global warming as an electric car. See, it has no CO2 emissions, they are completely zero.
We ended up going to the hardware store, buying river sand, a couple of mirrors, buying garlands, buying car models, wood, landscaping and creating it all.
We needed a miniature model of a car in order to understand how to position a real car in the frame. We did two different scenes. Only two shots, but it all worked out cool.
The car with the light and the model were shot separately. Then we put it all together and got what we wanted.
I really wanted to solve the problem with this particular concept, and I started looking for alternatives and thought, “Why not work on a different scale, on a smaller, more amazing scale and discover something new at the same time?”. I decided to make a physical layout in which I would install a tree, and add sand and a shore, and simulate a lake. I decided to build a model where the car would be located next to a tree, the tree would be surrounded by a light shell, electricity, or it would be just light lines around the tree, which will show how much the Taycan can contribute to the fight against global warming as an electric car. See, it has no CO2 emissions, they are completely zero.
We ended up going to the hardware store, buying river sand, a couple of mirrors, buying garlands, buying car models, wood, landscaping and creating it all.
We needed a miniature model of a car in order to understand how to position a real car in the frame. We did two different scenes. Only two shots, but it all worked out cool.
The car with the light and the model were shot separately. Then we put it all together and got what we wanted.
10/10
«Eco-friendly» by BORSCH
19TONES ╳ BORSCH in partnership with Porsche
I would need to break a lot of branches for the shot called "Eco-friendly", and I thought it would be wrong to break branches from living trees, as it is not environmentally friendly. So, I turned to the city’s tree service.
This shot is the most difficult in terms of production and preparation, because we needed a hole puncher, a clean paved area and a huge number of trees, or rather tree branches. We started preparing this shot in the evening the day before shooting, and we had to drill about 100 holes in the asphalt. Of course it started raining the next day. It's raining again now, and this is the third day of filming when we’ve gotten caught in the rain. Although the asphalt is damp and it looks cool in the frame. It turned out that all the holes were flooded with water and we simply could not find them.
When we spent about two hours and found only a third of the drilled holes, we realized that we needed to do something, because we simply don’t have time, the sun will set soon and we will not be able to make this shot. My assistant went for a hammer drill, rushed in with it, and thanks to this we were able to drill new holes.
I think that a lot of people will ask us why we didn’t just create everything in Photoshop. Why spend so much time and effort on it? I wanted the project to be as natural as possible, as little Photoshop as possible, no graphics. Classic photography methods are something that cannot be repeated. It seems the shot was worth it.
This shot is the most difficult in terms of production and preparation, because we needed a hole puncher, a clean paved area and a huge number of trees, or rather tree branches. We started preparing this shot in the evening the day before shooting, and we had to drill about 100 holes in the asphalt. Of course it started raining the next day. It's raining again now, and this is the third day of filming when we’ve gotten caught in the rain. Although the asphalt is damp and it looks cool in the frame. It turned out that all the holes were flooded with water and we simply could not find them.
When we spent about two hours and found only a third of the drilled holes, we realized that we needed to do something, because we simply don’t have time, the sun will set soon and we will not be able to make this shot. My assistant went for a hammer drill, rushed in with it, and thanks to this we were able to drill new holes.
I think that a lot of people will ask us why we didn’t just create everything in Photoshop. Why spend so much time and effort on it? I wanted the project to be as natural as possible, as little Photoshop as possible, no graphics. Classic photography methods are something that cannot be repeated. It seems the shot was worth it.
Additional: 1/2 and 2/2
19TONES ╳ BORSCH in partnership with Porsche
In addition to the 5 shots that we took to convey the basic qualities of the Porsche Taycan car, Ernest and I decided to take a shot together in which both the camera and the drone were involved. We attached a garland to the copter and raised it up for a long exposure shot.
We simulated lightning and electricity through experimenting with light. We wanted to use this frame as the cover of the project.
We simulated lightning and electricity through experimenting with light. We wanted to use this frame as the cover of the project.
Mentions
19TONES ╳ BORSCH in partnership with Porsche
Official Porsche Instagram
We solved all the tasks that we set for ourselves. We have a whole harmonious series in which a connection is traced and experiments are done with light. We all saw the themes differently, and approached them in our own way.
Thanks to such projects, we can really reveal our potential, ideas, concepts and partnership with brands. Working with brands can still turn out well, whether or not it’s a commercial project. For us, it was vital to try and show pure creativity, sincerity, and that there are simply no limits to what can be done in a visual form - photography is just our tool. I’m extremely grateful to everyone for their participation, for the fact that everyone contributed to the completion of the project, and that we succeeded in the end.
Thanks to such projects, we can really reveal our potential, ideas, concepts and partnership with brands. Working with brands can still turn out well, whether or not it’s a commercial project. For us, it was vital to try and show pure creativity, sincerity, and that there are simply no limits to what can be done in a visual form - photography is just our tool. I’m extremely grateful to everyone for their participation, for the fact that everyone contributed to the completion of the project, and that we succeeded in the end.
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Moscow, October 2020
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Behind the scenes
THANKS FOR WATCHING
PLEASE, DO NOT FORGET TO APPRECIATE THE PROJECT
19TONES:
For current work visit the instagram page
For work and portfolio visit 19tones.com or email me at info@19tones.com
BORSCH:
