In 2022 I was contacted by online tech and gaming news platform IGN to produce an ambitious film project for their YouTube channel with over 19m subscribers.
The brief was to have a real parkour athlete running a course that closely mimics one of the Nightrunner challenges in the video game Dying Light 2. A pro gamer would be playing the game at the same time, and the two would have a 'race' to the finish.
I managed the production from location scouting up and down the country, sourcing a parkour athlete, suitable camera crew, and planning the shoot day.
We needed a location that matched the post-apocalyptic theme of the game. Then had to plan route on the real site that was the same length, with very similar features as the course in the game, to make the race as fair and accurate as possible.
Then I needed to get a camera crew who would be able to film this project. We used a team of amazing steadicam and drone operators, including FPV drone pilot Jack Mould.
Additional consideration was needed to make the abandoned site a safe and effective location for the crew, talent, and the gamer to play on his laptop with a fast and stable internet connection.
We prepared the route, rehearsed the run several times, then shot it with a combination of drones, chest-mounted action camera, and handheld cameras, to ensure we didn't miss any of the action.
