Zac Hancock: Brilliant Creativity That Makes a Tripod Engaging!

Today’s breakdown is distinctly creative. Following the success of his campaign (A commercial for a Tripod), Zac reached out to share his creative process and behind-the-scenes insights with us.

We immediately thought of expanding the Instagram post into a more comprehensive breakdown.

What struck us about Zac is his incredible and genuine energy (evident in the video). Also, we noticed how he managed this project by involving other creators and adding incredible value to the campaign.

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Hi Zac, and welcome on board! Could you please briefly introduce your journey, your background, and what motivates you most to create ‘out-of-the-box’ work?

Absolutely! I’m a young director from the UK who started out creating social media campaigns back in 2016.

Fast forward a few years, and a bunch of experimenting – I was getting nicknamed “the viral guy” as our video concepts would often trend. Also, they would be picked up by national tabloids.

I figured that we’re living in a new era… you don’t need film school, or 20 years in industry for permission to tell a story.

You just needed an idea, and the confidence to try. Also, the opportunities that can come from taking that leap, learning your style, and saying “I can do that” are mind-blowing.

It’s lead me to work with boxing legends such as Tyson Fury. In addition, I got to direct UK top 40 Music videos for artists like Hozier, Meduza, and James Hype.

Or even travel the world with my creator friends, to make the new Ace 2 Tripod commercial. And that’s something I can’t get enough of.

This was one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced. Tell us more!

It has taken me to 5 countries across the globe. Meanwhile, I have been working with an incredible team of creators filming in every kind of condition imaginable.

– Blistering Barren Deserts
– The depths of water
– Bone-chilling snowstorms

Which only scratches the surface, and if you’re asking WHY?

Well, back in 2023, Sachtler reached out and said they’re releasing the new Ace Mark 2 tripod. They asked if I was to make a commercial for it… what would I do?

MY ANSWER?
Show the world that tripods aren’t boring.

Therefore, the advert would be creative with zero restrictions, and ambition was the only rule.

4th of January hits.. and we’re all systems go!

I called 5 creators who specialize in completely different areas – and challenged them to film a shot with no rulebook. If they could think it, we would go and do it.
Then we did…and I’m so stoked with the result.

This has been a labor of love.

Countless 3 AM hotel headaches when we’re figuring out how one transition can connect to the next…

When the weather is throwing everything against you, and saying adapt or don’t get the shot. Or sticking to my word, and figuring out how to actually make the ideas with no rule book even possible.

And I just want to say a massive thank you to every single person involved whose unwavering commitment brought this concept into reality.

What technical equipment was used for this campaign?

It had to be lightweight. This is because: we were traveling to 5 different countries, it had to fit in hand luggage, and we were taken to some very remote locations.

In most scenarios, there were only 2 of us as crew. I needed a Jack of all trades.

Therefore I chose the Canon R5 with:
•⁠  ⁠15 to 35 RF 2.8
•⁠  ⁠28 to 70 RF 2.0
•⁠  ⁠70 to 200 EF 2.8 

This allowed us to capture the video in a high-quality format with a range of creative options. Additionally, we could also snap accompanying imagery for the brand across all the locations. 

Then in areas with better bases, we expanded our armory with FX6s, probe lenses, and sliders that helped us achieve unique perspectives. This was especially helpful in the longer 2-minute cut.

Thank you so much Zac for sharing your experience and these valuable insights with the community!

If you wanna learn more about Zac Hancock, go check his Instagram @Originalhancock. Want to see Zac’s new campaign for Manfrotto? Click here!

See you at the next exclusive interview we have in the loop. If you missed our latest article, go check it out!

Much love!
FilmmakersWorld Team