Director Jake Scott

Director Jake Scott (above, left) passes his instructions on to the production team. Above, centre and right: the Discovery in close contact with the ARRI Alexa camera and Sir Ben Ainslie behind the wheel during the shoot 16

N A V I G A T O R EYE O F 04 INSIGHT THE STORM An ARRI Alexa camera is a pretty precious object, and in the making of the new Land Rover Discovery advert starring Land Rover BAR team skipper Sir Ben Ainslie, which hit our televisions and computer screens in early February, it almost came to ruin. Ainslie performed his own stunts for the 60-second film, directed by award-winning commercial director Jake Scott, the son of seminal director Sir Ridley Scott, manoeuvring the All-New Land Rover Discovery through swirling sand in a desert location outside Valencia in Spain. “You get these massive sandstorms, and we wanted to put the Discovery right in the heart of one,” says Matt Statham, Creative Director for the spot. It was the culmination of a five-day shoot first thought of months earlier and designed to announce to the world the arrival of the new Discovery – a reveal that represents a quantum leap forward for one of Land Rover’s most recognisable vehicles. “The vehicle has been been revolutionised in terms of both design and technology. It’s a significant advance from anything they’ve done previously,” says Statham. “So we wanted to create a bit of drama.” And drama they got. In the spot, while the sandstorm rages outside, Ainslie drives through the chaos in peace and quiet, thanks to the car’s composed capability and serene interior, to rescue his teammates. The Olympian revelled in taking the wheel. “He’s a professional sailor, so he’s pretty adept at adapting to different conditions and he loved the vehicle from the moment he saw it,” explains Statham. Perhaps too much. For one shot, Ainslie was required to race through the storm, hampering his visibility, and come as close to the camera as possible. He was a little too close for comfort, ending up two inches from the camera lens. “He knew what he was doing, and the cameraman was ready to get out of the way if needs be,” says Statham – “but it was pretty close.” NOW WATCH THE FILM Look out for the full video on youtube.com/landrover 17