"First Chair"

Client: NorCal Toyota; Agency: Hoffman-Lewis; Director: Rob Bagot; DP (1st unit): Norman Bonney; Director/DP (2nd unit/ aerials): Jerry Dugan; Producers: Lisa Sechser & Tony Welch

Video: "Mountain Calling"

"Mountain Calling"

Client: NorCal Toyota; Agency: Hoffman-Lewis; Director: Rob Bagot; DP (1st unit): Norman Bonney; Director/DP (2nd unit/ aerials): Jerry Dugan; Creative Services Producer: Tony Welch

Video: "Don't Do It"

"Don't Do It"

Client: NorCal Toyota; Agency: Hoffman-Lewis; Director: Rob Bagot; DP: Norman Bonney; Creative Services Producer: Tony Welch; Line Producer: Lisa Sechser

Video: "Little Doggies"

"Little Doggies"

Client: NorCal Toyota; Agency: Hoffman-Lewis; Director: Rob Bagot; DP: Norman Bonney

Video: "Buster Posey: The Leg"

"Behind the Mask: Buster Posey"

Client: NorCal Toyota; Agency: Hoffman/Lewis; Director: Sharon Krinsky; DP: Norman Bonney

Video: "The Other California"

"The Other California"

Client: NorCal Toyota; Agency: Hoffman/Lewis; Director: James Cabral; DP: Norman Bonney; 2nd Camera: Josh Hittleman/Bevan Bell

Video: "If I Were President"

"If I Were President"

Client: NorCal Toyota; Agency: Hoffman/Lewis; Director: Sharon Krinsky; DP: Norman Bonney

Video: "Hot Car"

"Hot Car"

Client: NorCal Toyota; Agency: Hoffman/Lewis; Director: Sharon Krinsky; DP: Norman Bonney; Camera Operator: Pete Fuszard

Video: "Hybrid"

"Hybrid"

Client: NorCal Toyota; Agency: Hoffman/Lewis; Director: Sharon Krinsky; DP: Norman Bonney; Camera Operator: Pete Fuszard

Video: "Steve Young Setup Time-Lapse"

"Steve Young Setup Time-Lapse"

Client: NorCal Toyota; Agency: Hoffman/Lewis

Video: "Leslie and Chuck"

"Leslie & Chuck"

Client: NorCal Toyota; Agency: Hoffman/Lewis; Director: Sharon Krinsky; DP: Norman Bonney; 2nd Unit DP: Pete Fuszard; Camera Operator: Patrick Wong

Video: "Camry: Reliable"

"Reliable"

Client: NorCal Toyota; Agency: Hoffman/ Lewis; Director: Sharon Krinsky; DP: Norman Bonney

Video: "Prius Cabbie"

"Prius Cabbie"

Client: NorCal Toyota; Agency: Hoffman/ Lewis; Director: Sharon Krinsky; DP: Norman Bonney

Photos (11)

Video: "Hot Car"

Video: "Hybrid"

Video: "Steve Young Setup Time-Lapse"

"Yes" TV Campaign

Challenge
  When one of the top selling automobile brands in the nation starts preparing for an ad campaign, they need big ideas. That’s why Toyota works with beloved former 49er quarterback Steve Young – who has also been a faithful customer for many years. In the past, Toyota and their esteemed partner Hoffman/Lewis had found success with the expertise of Beyond Pix Studios, so the Hoffman/Lewis creative team called Beyond Pix Studios to produce the 3 commercials for the “Yes” ad campaign, starring Steve Young… and co-starring various Toyotas.

Because the team would be working with celebrity talent, the time allocated for filming his shots would be limited – Steve Young had only eight hours on one single day, so each second of filming had to be optimized to the hilt. To this end, the team would have to find one local town that could provide 3 different looks for each commercial, and that town needed one long and scenic road to use the process trailer for the running footage. Filming had to be dead on every time.

Execution
 Beyond Pix Studios had exactly the expertise needed: director of photography Norman Bonney, who specializes in automotives, and cameraman Pete Fuszard, whose passion for car shoots is backed by a wealth of car-filming experience. Under the direction of Sharon Krinsky, the executive creative director of Hoffman/Lewis, the team discovered the perfect location in San Rafael. All of the process trailer work was shot on one road making it appear as though Steve was driving when in fact he was not.

The diverse scenery on the road enabled the team to shoot Steve “driving” the car from various angles with different backgrounds, which gave each commercial the look and feel of an entirely different location without the hassle of having to go anywhere. Additional footage of Steve Young with the “yes” signs was filmed on a cul-de-sac near by. On-platform audio was added and the partnered team of Beyond Pix Studios, Hoffman/Lewis and Toyota could once again, shout “yes!” for a job well done

Photos (13)

Video: "Leslie and Chuck"

Video: "Camry: Reliable"

Video: "Prius Cabbie"

"Trust" Campaign

Challenge
In spite of a challenging time for the automobile industry, Toyota has been able to maintain a loyal and dedicated consumer base. How? Because people still love their Toyotas. The Northern California Toyota Dealers Association wanted to let the world know why people still trust and love Toyota. They turned to long-time ad agency Hoffman/Lewis to get the message out through a broadcast spot campaign.

Not only would it illustrate the authenticity of Toyota vehicles, the campaign itself would also have to be true and real. The challenge was to discover, scout and shoot up to 15 different real life Toyota owners and capture the essence of their trust in the Toyota brand. This meant covering a range of over 750 miles to scout and shoot the various people where they work, play and above all use their trusted Toyota. The project required the Creative Services department at Beyond Pix Studios to flex its muscles and tackle a significant logistical challenge on a tight timeline. 

Execution
Well-known Bay Area Director of Photography Norman Bonney and Director Sharon Krinsky brought together a strong and compact team with Beyond Pix Creative Services to execute this campaign. The creative team spent three days on the road scouting for and meeting real Toyota owners, conducting pre-interviews, and uncovering the true love stories between people and their Toyotas.

Beyond Pix Studios even coordinated a test shoot to establish the creative and technical parameters of the project. The test shoot was so successful that the footage made it into the final campaign spots. The shoot itself covered over 500 miles throughout four days to capture 12 real Toyota owners telling their "Toyota story". Hoffman/Lewis conducted the post-production phase and ultimately deemed the project a huge success for Toyota.

hoffman lewis

"First Chair"

"Mountain Calling"

"Don't Do It"

"Little Doggies"

"Behind the Mask: Buster Posey"

"The Other California"

"If I Were President"

"Hot Car"

"Hybrid"

"Steve Young Setup Time-Lapse"

"Leslie & Chuck"

"Reliable"

"Prius Cabbie"

"Yes" TV Campaign

"Trust" Campaign