When Austin-based cinematographer David Wells was handed the treatment for the C4 Energy sweepstakes featuring rapper and actor Ludacris, he knew this commercial would require out of the box thinking. Designed as a one-take, point-of-view shot, the spot would require a lighting setup tailored to the wide plane of view and a camera package nimble enough to operate as POV rig. Wells selected ZEISS Nano Primes with the Venice 2 Rialto to realize the project.
A prolific Texas commercial and music video cinematographer, Wells was an obvious choice to lens this unusual stunt for C4 Energy. The beverage company wanted to shoot a promo for a sweepstakes giveaway that among other prizes, included the iconic Integra Type S, a car featured in the Fast & the Furious franchise. None other than music icon and Fast & the Furious cast member Ludacris was attached to star in the spot. It was one of those full-circle moments where you get to work with someone you've admired for years, describes Wells.
The promotion was designed as a unique, one-take first-person point-of-view shot, moving from inside a convenience store out to a gas station parking lot. I knew right away it would require a POV mount, explains Wells. The commercial delivery specs required large format, so Wells decided to use the Venice 2 Rialto as the camera. Finding the lenses to pair with the Rialto rig was not as easy. We looked at some other lenses, but they proved too heavy during tests and the actor had a hard time holding his head up. I thought, I need a small lens that's going to look great, shave weight, and have a stop of T-1.5.' Then it dawned on me: the ZEISS Nano Primes.
Wells had encountered the ZEISS Nano Primes for the first time at the 2024 South by Southwest Film Festival. The Nano Primes are small, clean, and fast they checked all the boxes. He acquired a pair to test with experienced Austin operator, James Navarra. Our actor/operator was able to move his head easily. We mounted the Venice 2 to an Easy Rig with a little plate that fits on the back, using the tension to help hold up the operator's head. We added a monitor in front of his eyes with a focus motor on rails, lenses, and a matte box for filtration. (It's Navarra's own hand that reaches out to fist bump Ludacris in the commercial.)
Camera rig locked; the next challenge was how to light for the extremely wide field of view. With a focal length of 25mm, along with extensive blocking from the store into the parking lot, rigging lights out of sight was essential. We didn't have the budget for a Condor to hang a big softbox with raking lights, so we ended up putting lights on the top of the store, describes Wells. We rigged all these ARRI S60 fixtures to the rooftop of the 7-Eleven. Then we hung hard fixtures to imitate existing streetlamps in the parking lot and replaced overhead lights under the gas pumps with cinema lights to ensure everything looked right.
The Nanos proved their merit once more during the operator/actor's movement from inside the bright gas station to the night parking lot. We shot at T-4 inside, then did an iris pull outside all the way to T-1.5, the cinematographer explains. What really sets these lenses apart is how fast they are. I don't think there's anything like it below a T-2 anywhere else. The difference between a T-2 and a T-1.5 is huge, especially in large format. The moment of transition is seamless. After days of prep and hours on location setting up, it only took five takes to capture the sequence.
There are so many things I like about the Nano Primes, reflects Wells. The Nano Primes are like smaller versions of Supreme Primes. They're a fantastic choice when you need a small, compact lens. They give us the opportunity to get closer in tight spaces and maintain a high-quality look.
The sweepstakes deadline has passed, but the promotion can still be watched on C4 Energy's Instagram and social media.
Check out the full interview with David Wells at: https://lenspire.zeiss.com/cine/en/article/dp-david-wells-chooses-zeiss-nano-primes-for-pov-rig-on-sweepstakes-starring-ludacris/
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
IPC Expands Brazilian Presence with New Channel Partner CCATech
Industry veterans Carlos Abrah o and Bruno Lopes strengthen local support and expand IPCs prese...
20/08/2026
Zixi Enters Mauritius Market Through Strategic Deployment with MTC Jockey Club
Worlds Oldest Horse Racing Club in the Southern Hemisphere Selects Zixis Softwar...
20/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Scripps Research assistant professor Tiantian Liu has received a five-year NIAID DP2 award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Di...
20/08/2026
Audiences reveal appetite for multicultural Australia on-screen 20 August 2026
Dr Georgie McClean, Dr Rebecca Huntley (L-R)
By Dr Georgie McClean and Dr Rebec...
20/08/2026
How Mavis Studio Is Expanding Live Production Teaching at Sussex
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image displays a student about to mix be...
20/08/2026
Vertical Unscripted Series Legal Queens Captured with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Reality TV veteran Eric Gardner create...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
When Austin-based cinematographer David Wells was handed the treatment for the C4 Energy sweepstakes featuring rapper and actor Ludacris, he knew this commercial would require out of the box thinking. Designed as a one-take, point-of-view shot, the spot would require a lighting setup tailored to the wide plane of view and a camera package nimble enough to operate as POV rig. Wells selected ZEISS Nano Primes with the Venice 2 Rialto to realize the project.
