Role: Director of Photography
Director: Mark Brown
Client: Budweiser
Production Company: Draftline
Camera: Sony FX9
Format: 4K
Deliverables: 16:9 and 4:5
Budweiser Message on a Bottle Campaign
Budweiser Message on a Bottle is a football-focused branded film built around messages from England fans. For the campaign, supporters shared words of encouragement for the England men’s football team.
Budweiser printed the messages onto bottles and presented them to members of the squad. The film then follows the players as they read and react to the fans’ support.
I worked as Director of Photography on the campaign for Draftline and Budweiser. Together with director Mark Brown, I developed a warm and polished visual style that still felt natural.
Football Branded-Content Cinematography
The creative idea depended on genuine reactions. Therefore, the camera and lighting approach needed to feel carefully crafted without disrupting the players. At the same time, the exchange could not feel overly staged.
Working with the director, I planned coverage of the branded bottles, individual responses and interaction between the players. For example, close-ups gave the messages and reactions emotional weight. Meanwhile, wider compositions established the group and kept the film visually varied.
My experience providing Director of Photography services helped balance the campaign requirements with the spontaneity of a contributor-led shoot.
Sony FX9 4K Camera Package
We filmed the campaign in 4K on the Sony FX9. Its full-frame sensor and flexible exposure controls suited both detailed close-ups and wider group coverage. As a result, the different angles retained a consistent visual character.
In addition, we planned the compositions for both 16:9 and 4:5 delivery. Careful framing protected the key action, bottle branding and player reactions across landscape and social-media versions.
This multi-format planning is an important part of my wider camera operator and filming service for commercials, branded content and sports productions.
Commercial and Social Deliverables
The finished film connects Budweiser’s bottle branding directly with the supporters’ messages. Consequently, the campaign combines controlled commercial cinematography with authentic player reactions.
Producing both landscape and portrait-friendly versions also gave the central idea more flexibility across digital channels. Each format retained the bottles, messages and player responses as the visual focus.
Finally, if you need a DOP and Sony FX9 package for a sports campaign or branded production, please contact me. I can help plan the filming approach, crew, equipment and multi-format deliverables.
