Date: MAY 21, 2021
Written by:
Lisbet Byler
Director, DP, Editor | Steve Buckwalter
Producer | Catlin Williams
Gaffer | Aaron Dienner
Grip | John Spencer
PA | Jordan Velez
The creative for this project posed a challenge, because live ants were going to be the real stars of the video and we had no idea how we were going to get them to act when we set them loose. A local farmer was able to dig up an ant hill for us and provide the ants. When we arrived at the location to shoot we discovered they already had an ant problem and were using Terro traps to eliminate it.
When it came to actually filming the ants none of our tricks that we tried at first really worked. The farm ants didn't play well with the city ants; refrigerating them to slow them down didn't help; trying to guide them with sugar water didn't work; trying to guide any number of them at all was incredibly difficult because these tiny ants are so fragile. Even trying to coax them along with a toothpick could break a leg or damage an antennae. Finally someone had the idea to fill a shot glass with as many ants as we could, tip it over on the counter, and shake them out and film while they scattered. In the end that technique provided the footage that ended up in the spot.
All in all it was a fun commercial to make with a client that was looking for something eye catching and different.
Setting out to film tiny ants was always going to be a challenge. We ended up using a macro probe lens that let us get down to their level, but tracking them and maintaining focus was incredibly difficult. Our shooting ratio was probably close to 100:1; we filmed for at least four hours to get a few seconds of usable footage. In addition, it requires a huge amount of light to shoot with the probe compared to normal lenses, so it was challenging to maintain a look between the two different setups in the same kitchen. But challenges are what make this a line of work fun and never boring. We also shot Alexa Mini LF in 4:3 mode to preserve a vertical and horizontal frame which is a nice option to be able to have for the client.
We created a video for Woodstream's Terro brand Liquid Ant Bait traps for use on TikTok for ad placement. The video opens with an attention grabbing shot of an extreme close up of an ant on a counter's edge. The 15 second video shows easy application and results; bait, wait, eliminate – no more ants. It was a fun concept to bring to life, plus working with live ant talent was a first we are happy to have added to our resume.
