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
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Deepens Partnership with Taiwan's 62nd Golden Hors...
25/11/2025
Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, an investigative journalist from Kenya is the winner of the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2025.
The 26-year-old-sele...
25/11/2025
SVG All-Stars: Blayke Scheer, Senior Director, Creative Content, YES NetworkThe Indiana alum has turned storytelling into an artform for more than two decadesBy...
25/11/2025
Op-Ed: With FCC's C-Band Auction on the Horizon, Broadcasters Need Proven, C...
25/11/2025
Analysis: Is Baller League really the future of sport? By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
With KSI on...
25/11/2025
Platinum Whitepaper: The Growth of Broadcast in the World of Major Large Scale E...
25/11/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: SVG Women's Sports WorkshopBy Samantha Gabay
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:27 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlig...
25/11/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CacheFly's Matt Levine on the Evolving Role of th...
25/11/2025
Peacock's EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast Levels Up on Thanksgiving With SkyCam as...
25/11/2025
Mathias Broe attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Sauna at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Michael Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Fes...
25/11/2025
The best playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks bring a little extra magic to your daily routine. With new features and offerings, Spotify Premium delivers even mo...
25/11/2025
Comprehensive new research confirms what we already knew: Australian music fans love the quality, quantity, and access they have to new and local music on strea...
25/11/2025
Applicable Products
Objectives The purpose of this application note is to give a brief background on 5G (NR) wireless communication an explain the reason a SN...
25/11/2025
Nielsen will now measure both Lionsgate's FAST channel MovieSphere and Movie...
25/11/2025
FREMONT, Calif. Blackmagic Design said the Associated Press has completed the transition of its global video-editing platform to DaVinci Resolve Studio....
25/11/2025
Berklees Inaugural Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole Scholarship Awarded to Paris P...
25/11/2025
NEW YORK NFL and college football coverage, the MLB postseason and the new fall broadcast-TV season contributed to major gains for traditional media companies a...
25/11/2025
SAUGERTIES, N.Y. Tower Products, a manufacturer and distributor of pro video and audio equipment here, said President and CEO Jim Veltrie will retire from the c...
25/11/2025
Following last week's disclosure that it had acquired a 8.2% stake in E.W. Scripps, Sinclair has filed papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission pr...
25/11/2025
25 Nov 2025
VEON's QazCode and MeetKai Sign Agreement to Power National LLM...
25/11/2025
UKTV has acquired a high-profile slate of US dramas from Paramount Global Conten...
25/11/2025
A symphony of genius, rivalry and vengeance, boldly reimagined from Peter Shaffe...
25/11/2025
Article courtesy of Cinematography World
Read the article
FilmLight has finalised the prestigious 2025 FilmLight Colour Awards jury and welcomed award-winning...
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.
