The concept of the project was simple. To create a video that would enable customers to see not just any vehicle being constructed, but to see their very own all-new BMW X3 as it is actually assembled. The video is also aimed at highlighting the great work being performed at the Spartanburg Plant in South Carolina. In Spartanburg, pride and dedication are apparent everywhere you look. The video would combine these two ideas – incredible German engineering, assembled with pride and precision in the U.S.A. Although, MINI had set out to do something similar in the 90's -- capture the assembly process -- the technology needed to record, store and edit footage of each vehicle assembled had yet to be developed.
But the effort to show the assembly was almost as complex as the assembly process itself. Starting from when the new assembly hall was a hollowed shell, we worked with BMW on where to position seven different HD cameras highlighting some of the most interesting phases of the assembly. Then we had to figure out how to integrate these live cameras into the line. Weaved around that, pre-built footage of the other stages of the process, from body shop to paint shop to assembly would be produced. As soon as the line became operational the live camera footage would be integrated into the existing template to create a personalized video for the X3 customer. The completed video demonstrates their actual vehicle being assembled and started for the very first time.
The culmintated effort, with months spent in pre-production, shooting and editing took over a year and a half to complete.
We clocked in nearly twenty hours of footage from where these videos were created. An original score along with the voice of Will Lyman put the final touches on this unique and revolutionary project.
Three videos, "Uniquely Yours", "Spartanburg Plant" and "Inside The Assembly Hall" produced along side the owner's videos were honored with a Gold Medal in the category of "Campaign Series", at this year's WorldFest Houston.
The three videos are featured on BMW of North America's website. Watch them here.
