Role: Director of Photography
Client: The AA
Agency: TMP Worldwide
Production Company: Contended Brothers
Director: Flossie Catling
Featured Talent: Ant Middleton and six AA employees
Format: 24-hour live interactive social campaign
Camera Package: Sony FS7, HD
The AA’s Ready for Anything Campaign
Ant Middleton’s Ready for Anything? was an ambitious employer-brand campaign created for The AA. The project placed six AA employees into a demanding 24-hour wilderness adventure led by former Special Forces operator and television presenter Ant Middleton.
Broadcast live online, the campaign allowed viewers to follow the team throughout the challenge. In addition, audiences could take part through social media and vote on the tasks the employees would face.
I worked as Director of Photography alongside director Flossie Catling, Contended Brothers and TMP Worldwide. My role was to create engaging outdoor imagery while responding to the pace and unpredictability of a live production.
Director of Photography for a Live Adventure
The campaign combined adventure, factual storytelling and employer-brand content. Therefore, the cinematography needed to capture the scale of the environment as well as the personal reactions of the six participants.
Working outside across a continuous 24-hour schedule required a flexible visual approach. Camera positions and exposure had to adapt quickly as the team moved between physical and mental challenges. At the same time, the coverage needed to preserve the honest, immediate character of the experience.
My experience providing Director of Photography services for factual and branded productions helped me balance polished cinematography with the responsiveness required by the live format.
Sony FS7 Outdoor Cinematography
I used the Sony FS7 to capture my principal material in HD. Its documentary-style ergonomics made it well suited to following contributors through the outdoor environment, while its internal ND filters supported fast exposure changes as conditions developed.
The filming included wider establishing shots, moving action and closer observational coverage. Consequently, the finished content could show both the physical scale of the adventure and the individual effort behind each challenge.
Careful handheld operating also allowed the camera to remain close to the participants without interrupting the action. Further information about my location filming packages is available through my UK camera operator services.
An Award-Winning Interactive Campaign
The project brought The AA’s Ready for Anything? employer proposition to life through real employees, live storytelling and audience participation. It reached millions of potential candidates, engaged thousands of AA employees and contributed to a significant increase in applications.
The campaign was subsequently recognised at the 2020 RAD Awards, winning Work of the Year, Innovation and Use of Social. This recognition reflected the unusual scale and interactive nature of the production.
If you need a DOP or camera package for a branded, adventure or live production, please contact me to discuss your brief and filming requirements.
