Marching Penguin partnered with OKRP on the Metro by T-Mobile “Nada Yada Yada” social media campaign. Together, we produced a series of videos in multiple sizes for Instagram and TikTok. Maybe you’ve seen some of them lately?
When you imagine a commercial shoot, you probably don’t picture filming five unique spots in a twelve-hour day (six if you count the English and Spanish versions). Thankfully, we had an amazing cast and crew who bulldozed through a complex day that spanned four sets across two floors of Interwoven Studios in Culver City.
Jordi Matsumoto led the team through what could have been a chaotic experience. While I wish we had more time to craft some of the images, I think we found a good balance—moving at the speed required while still capturing something worth sharing.
We paired my ARRI Alexa 35 with Marching Penguin’s Zeiss Supreme Prime Radiance lenses. Because we needed to keep shots wide for the various social formats, we mostly lived on the 21mm. Given our distance from the subject, shooting wide open didn’t limit depth of field much—so my excellent 1st AC, Samantha Kelly, had a relatively easy day on the focus wheel.
We also tested the limits of overexposure on the Alexa 35 with the “Forgotten Customer” spot. The location offered limited space for lighting, so we couldn’t push as many foot-candles as I would’ve liked. I think we would’ve held even more background detail if not for the clouds and white building.
Maybe it’s the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, but I’m seeing Metro stores everywhere since we shot these spots. Constant reminders of a fun experience.
Crew
Director
Jordi Matsumoto
Production
Jordi Matsumoto — Executive Producer
Johanna Saldaña — Producer
John Lovejoy — Producer
Ericka Burwell — Coordinator
Rachel Gaudiosi — Coordinator
Elle LeBlanc — Coordinator
Adrian Rozas Cristino — 1st Assistant Director
Bryant Familia — 2nd Assistant Director
Camera
Dustin Pearlman — Cinematographer
Samantha Kelly — 1st AC
Jacqui Carriere — DIT
Grip & Electric
Valentin Salembier — Gaffer
Noah Frassetto — Best Boy
Richard Brush — Key Grip
Gordon Chan — Best Boy
Production Design
Amanda Fletcher — Production Designer
Carolina Perdoza — Art Director
Marko Prelik — Carpenter
Maximo Huete — Set Dresser
Tai Wilson — Set Dresser
Wardrobe & Makeup
Chaisson Baggett — Wardrobe Stylist
Sonny Nguyen — Makeup
Cindy Mon — Hair Stylist
Sound
Alex Altman — Sound Mixer
Cast
Abbey Mohaddes
Niyah Coleman
Ava Rose Paul
Juan Madrigal
Daniel Vasquez Jones