CUPRA – NO DRIVERS: On Set with Director Nono Ayuso

Shot between Lithuania and Barcelona, CUPRA – NO DRIVERS is a project built on a complex mix of practical stunts, large-scale coordination, and carefully controlled visual language. Below, director Nono Ayuso shares his full director’s notes from the set.

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Director’s Notes — Nono Ayuso

One of the biggest challenges of this film was the sheer number of scenes. Each of them involved a significant level of complexity in execution. Every sequence came with its own technical and creative demands.

For instance, the scene in which the girl breaks through the wall had to be performed by a professional stunt performer. I had wanted everything to be done practically from the very beginning. We conducted extensive testing to determine the exact thickness and materials of the wall. As a result, this ensured that it could be broken safely while still appearing completely realistic on camera.

In the case of the girl walking a tightrope between skyscrapers, we worked with a professional circus artist. We had to shoot at a very specific time of day to achieve the correct light for post-production. Furthermore, the entire environment is CGI.

On top of that, we were working with children and babies, as well as with footballer Alexia Putellas (Ballon d’Or winner). We coordinated shots with cars, hundreds of extras, and between locations and the studio. Each scene presented its own challenges. Consequently, the entire production of Blur Films and 247 Radioaktive had to operate like clockwork to successfully shoot the film across two different countries: Lithuania and Spain.

With Dani Abelló, the DoP, we spent a great deal of time discussing how to unify the look and feel. We aimed to define a consistent visual language. You’ll notice that the camera rarely moves, and when it does, the movement is extremely subtle. This was entirely intentional. We wanted the focus to remain on the action, not on the epic nature of the camera movement.

The editing process was particularly demanding. Nik Köhler did an outstanding job bringing all the scenes together in a way that felt organic. He achieved this without relying on conventional transitions. This allowed the film to progress naturally. Additionally, we collaborated closely with Sam Jurkovič on the sound design. This played a crucial role in giving the film cohesion and rhythm.

From the outset, I was certain that the film needed to go through a film-out process to unify the visual look. We therefore carried this out with Cinelab. We worked on 16mm using 50D stock.

Credits

Director: @nonoayuso
Production Company: @blur__________
Blur EP: @herrpablo
Blur Producer: @juliaestruga
Blur Head of Production: @pherraized, @gaidolfifrancesca
DOP: @abellodani
DOP Barcelona Unit: @abellodani & @pepegay
Editor: @nik.kohler_, @cabinedit
Postproduction: @the__post__office_
VFX Supervisor: @danartsvfx
EP TPO: @dbondcreative
Prod. Ass TPO: @lore04
Post Production Coordinator: Florenciamiguez
Giant VFX: @Pepelu.99, @Leyre14, @lukeras6
Colorist: @julienalary_color / @tmls.tv
Sound Design: @nik.kohler_, @samo_jurkovic
Sound Mix: @samo_jurkovic
VO Artist: @emmabarberbarber
VO Recording Studio: Idea Sonora
Music: @m83music
Film Lab: @cinelabuk

Client: @cupra_official
Agency: @rosasagency
ECD: @_polmartinez
Creatives: @iren.esanchez, joan.a.c
Agency Producer: @j_jordisole
Accounts: @enricsubi, claudiamatas

Lithuania Unit — Service Company: @247xradioaktive | Executive Producer: @kate.galytska | Producer: @ievacrn | Production Manager: @rozukaite | 1st AD: @dennissonin | Production Designer: @david_kharaishvili | Art Director: @grtvlkt | HMUA: @aurellijaa | Stylist: @smelnychenko

Barcelona Unit — EP: Edu Olavide | Producer: @julitabas | Production Manager: @angelalunera, @marc.sitges | 1st AD: @juantxo82, @gemmetz | Production Designer: @rodo_fs_ | Stylist: @cris_quer | Virtual Studio: @themediaprostudio

Thank you for reading and for joining us behind the scenes of CUPRA – NO DRIVERS. We hope these director’s notes offer a clear view into the craft, coordination, and decisions behind this production.

Stay tuned for more stories from the set on FilmmakersWorld. In case you missed our latest article, please check it here!