Pittsburgh Pirates Commercial Spot Case Study "The Hat"​

After working with the Pittsburgh Pirates for several years, we had the opportunity to conceptualize and produce a broadcast commercial that would resonate with fans across generations. Here at Voyage Visuals, we embrace the challenges that come along with creating a cinematic experience. In this video production, we utilized thoughtful set design, location, casting, wardrobe, and camera movement to tell this legacy story. 

Conceptualization & Script

This broadcast commercial was especially exciting because we knew telling a story that spanned across decades would provide us with creative freedom. The initial step in creating any commercial is the conceptualization and soon after, the script. Our collaboration with the Pittsburgh Pirates was critical for all of our collective ideas to eventually come to life on camera. Together, we formed a script that followed the legacy of the Pirates hat over decades and generations. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a history and culture that is ingrained in the lives of each Pittsburgher. Because many Pittsburgh natives can remember where they were during historic sporting events, we wanted to include notable moments to spark the memories of Pirates’ fans. Our opening scene displays the 1979 World Series which resonates with die-hard fans who were huddled around the TV during that game. During the 90s viewing party scene, we subtly included Barry Bonds' home run on the big screen.Once our character becomes an adult, we show him listening to the official radio station of the Pittsburgh Pirates, 93.7 THE FAN. Collectively, we wanted these scenes to be historically accurate and relatable to Pirates fans of all generations.

Before we could execute our vision, we needed to think about who and what was included in each shot throughout our story — this is where the storyboarding came in. We knew that “the hat” was going to follow a boy throughout his life, so our first shot needed to reflect the era in which he grew up. Our storyboard artist, Jeff Lavezoli, could personally relate to this story because he was that kid sitting on the floor watching the 1979 World Series. The details in our storyboard process were the first step towards creating the art direction and location in this live action video commercial.

Casting

Once the storyboard was reviewed and edited by the Pittsburgh Pirates and ourselves, we were able to take those images off the paper and bring them in front of the camera. Choosing the actors who go in front of the camera is an imperative step to tell a story that feels honest and real. We were aware that we needed to nail casting for our audience to see the same character growing up throughout our story. During the casting process, Docherty Talent Agency quickly presented a family with two sons that looked eerily alike, along with a 20 year old and 40 year old version of our character. We found that taking the time to effectively cast our main character throughout his life was a necessary step in creating this story.

Location, Art Direction, and Wardrobe

As always, we are limited by time and budget. Going into the location scout, we knew that we had to find a single location that could be altered to reflect multiple decades in the boy’s life. The opening 1979 World Series living room scene required more time and effort dedicated to art direction due to the time period complexity. With the help of set designer Kellan Andersen, we created a 70s-style living room through thoughtful planning and referencing decor examples. 

Our art direction wouldn’t feel complete without a coinciding wardrobe to represent each era. Every piece of clothing was meticulously chosen to display what would have been worn during each period of the boy’s life. For the Pirates viewing party scene, we wanted to ensure that extras were wearing what would have been worn sometime in the 90s. After some research, we found out that modern-day sports jerseys/attire wasn’t worn until after the 2000s. We believe researching these small details, especially for a period piece, makes a big difference when you’re a storyteller. 

Cinematography

We took a classic cinematic approach to this commercial. In many ways, the focal point in this spot was the ‘Pirates Hat.’ Most of the commercial was shot on a dolly or tripod with a few gimbal shots to follow the older kid while he was running outside. Due to scheduling requirements with the child talent, we had to blackout the entire house during the day to shoot the opening night TV scene. This also allowed us to have time to set up lighting and art deck for our exterior night party scene, without going too late into the night. 

We chose to shoot the commercial spot on the Alexa Mini due to its flexible size for the gimbal shots and spherical Cooke S4 Prime Lenses which gave us a classic 16:9 look. Our cinematographer, Ryan Kroboth, had simple and effective lighting solutions that allowed us to move quickly between the four scenes we had to shoot in one day. Ryan displayed a solid understanding of the style we were going for and was able to provide direction to Jim Mclain, our gaffer. Jim was then able to work ahead to set up the HMIs for the night scene while we were finishing the day exterior. 

Post Production and Finishing

While the video production process differs from project to project, “The Hat” wasn’t specifically difficult in the editing phase because we mapped it out thoroughly in the script and conceptualization phase. We spent most of our time in post-production honing in on the pacing off the 30-second broadcast spot, along with corresponding music and sound design.

The music and sound design are equally as important when it comes to the success of a commercial spot. We reached out to music collaborator Leo Flores, whom we have worked with in the past on other projects. At the time, he just released 'You Never Left Me', a heartwarming song about his relationship with his father and baseball. Leo truly puts his passion and heart into every project he does and our commercial was no exception. 

Once we secured the picture lock, Defacto Sound incorporated exemplary sound design and polishing. At the same time, Henri Pulla, our visual effects supervisor and colorist was working on sky replacement and the final color grade. We decided to mute the colors slightly to create a classic cinematic feel while maintaining the saturation and color in the Pirates “P.” 

The Pittsburgh Pirates were amazing collaborators and clients. It truly takes a village to achieve a spot that stands out amongst the rest and speaks directly to the viewers. Check out this behind the scenes video below to see the cast and crew in action.
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