Zoic Studios Director Levi Ahmu came on board Twisted Metal during the conceptualizing phase of the project. At that time he says, “The idea for the spot wasn’t fully fleshed out. A lot of different ideas were being bantered around. Everything from creating a full CG spot to (what ultimately happened) creating a live action Sweet Tooth and his band of “Freaks” getting ready to rampage the city.  Once the realization that shooting a live action spot was possible everyone began to get really excited. We all new this was going to be the perfect re-introduction of one of the most beloved franchises in video game history.”

At this point Ahmu and Zoic Studios Executive Creative Director Chris Jones collaborated with Twisted Metal creator David Jaffe and his Sony team, Creative Director: Scott Campbell, Producer: Michael Brynteson to create the “Cabbie Scene” we see in the spot. Ahmu says, “Jaffe is great at multitasking. He has so many projects on his plate and he was still so hands on.  He really remained engaged with everything from dialogue, through editing, and the post process.” What Jaffe’s team wanted to execute wasn’t going to be easy due to time and budget constraints, but Ahmu was confident the end result was going to be mind blowing.

“ Having an amazing crew is really what makes the production process fun. Good people surrounding me allow me to focus on what I need to do … be creative. It let’s me work with the actors and the look of the spot without worrying about the other millions of things that are happening around me. On this one, my line producer was Gary Kout. The guy was unbelievable.  I’m still amazed with what he got done on such a limited budget. Honestly, I don’t think he ever said no to anything I asked for and knowing the quality everyone was expecting I asked for a lot. I mean, in order to achieve the interactive light on the clowns at the end of the spot required that individual light rigs be built for every actor. That in itself was no small feat.  In addition to that we had location issues. Early on in the process the guys at Sony sent us footage of the early levels of the game: New York, big sky lines that sort of thing… so we had to find a location that matched that world.  When you have all the money in the world that’s not a big deal, when you’re on a tight budget that can be tough. I must have scouted twenty locations and there really were no other options than to shoot in Downtown LA.  The fact that we had to shoot there is taxing to any budget but once again Gary got me what I wanted and more importantly what the spot needed to feel legitimate.” recounts Ahmu

The other key player on this spot was Vincent Laforet the director of photography. Vincent and Zoic Studios had been collaborating on a couple of different ideas over the last few months and when this one came along it was an obvious opportunity to work together. “Vincent is an incredible photographer and accomplished storyteller. Originally he was a photojournalist and because of this he really understands how to make a picture tell a story. He also knows how to use light to create the effect he wants. Instead of approaching the shoot from an “I need all of this Blah Blah Blah” Vincent approaches it by looking at what he has and then sculpting the set with those tools.  His work is absolutely amazing. He has such a wonderful eye for framing a shot to capture an emotion.”Ahmu said.

When it came to working with the cast, Ahmu and Jaffe were intent on finding the perfect actors to bring the characters to life. “We ended up auditioning over a hundred guys for the cabbie: young gamer types, older cab driver types. Tommy and Michael won in the end because of their great on and off screen chemistry. They were originally teamed with other actors during the auditions and I just wasn’t feeling it. At some point I was sliding around the casting photos and their photos lined up. We called them in as a team and they just rocked the performance. I mean you could feel the energy. They immediately got it and got what we were looking for. The added bonus was they were the perfect hybrid of gamers and cabbies – people who could believably be both. ”

Ahmu and the crew had only 12 hours (7am -7pm) to knock out the entire shoot. “We had pending rain the entire night so we were really under the gun to get things done. Thankfully when the rain finally happened we were down to our last setup. The problem at that point became less about the rain and more about getting our clown actors out of the  ”flames rigs” because they were NOT water proof!” Ahmu recounts, “-And then there was the blown power generator. We lost an hour of production to that. Thank God our gaffer knew someone who could bring another stat. -I guess technically we finished in 11 hours which I think was more out of necessity than choice.  After all, even though we were cleared to shoot until 7 am the sun still decided to rise around 5:15 am. I guess the rain did come in handy then as it kept the alley dark, and moody due to the thick overcast. Sometimes things just work in your favor.” Ahmu continued with a laugh.

When asked about the highlight of the shoot Ahmu responded, “Getting that techno crane reveal of Sweet Tooth. Because we only had a techno with a 15-foot jibe arm we could either get in tight on Sweet Tooth or wide on the alley – but not both in the same shot-, which is what we needed. So after a lot of brainstorming we came up with the idea of dollying the techno crane; literally unlocking the wheels and rolling it backward while you’re shooting. This is normally something you just don’t do, but, the crane op had a great team and they pulled if off seamlessly.  It’s making things happen, the problem solving that goes on when your shooting that always makes it exciting. When you are in it with a crew that is focused on solutions. A crew that is fully committed to making the best possible piece it makes shooting an amazing process”

In the end, both Jaffe and Sony seemed very proud of the results Ahmu and Zoic Studios achieved. Everyone’s excited to have Sweet Tooth back on the streets…  so when you’re out alone at night, watch your back!