Since March, motorcycle enthusiasts worldwide have been eagerly anticipating the June 7 launch of Harley-Davidson’s all-new 2023 CVO Street Glide and CVO Road Glide.
Those weeks were all hands on deck for Director Bernardo Marentes and his colleagues at the full-service, award-winning commercial production company Caravan. Immediately after delivering the latest in a series of high-profile commercial projects for Harley-Davidson, Marentes and Caravan were invited back onboard to produce a 15-minute “love letter” to the new CVO models.
Early into that finished film Harley-Davidson VP of Motorcycle Design & Creative Director Brad Richards explains, “CVO was really born out of the desire just to make the most ultimate custom motorcycle that we can as a company.” Over a tapestry of iconic imagery elegantly interweaving riding footage, product shots, and environmental scenery, Richards goes on to address the great American touring philosophy Harley-Davidson has brought to life over its 120-year history.
Next comes the brand’s VP of Motorcycle Development Glen Koval: “At major points in the company’s history, it’s been about innovation, new models, new technologies that have really broken through,” he says. “This is one of those moments for us.”
Based on a detailed creative briefing on the project by Associate Creative Director Jon Cain, Marentes rapidly conceived a plan. Leaping into action together with Caravan’s Executive Producer Jon Muedder and Producers Michelle Wheeler and Mike Wine, the team began coordinating with local crews in Milwaukee, Santa Fe, and Northern and Southern California. Ultimately, Caravan completed 14 unique days of production, including photography in each location. Accomplishing the mission in time for a 50-second teaser to launch on social media in May was truly a monumental feat. Watch below:
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“The speed at which this latest film with Harley came together represents what is possible when artists and brands prioritize trust and collaboration,” said Muedder. “We know this latest venture is just the beginning of what we’re hoping to accomplish together.”
Crafting a Cinematic Love Letter to H-D’s Custom Vehicle Operations
While many filmmakers might have been daunted, Marentes came away from this exciting creative briefing and deadline discussion with a vision. He immediately understood the need to activate the multifaceted cross-country production approach detailed above, with the goal of compiling a large library of raw materials they could use to construct the film in post.
Jumping to the end, that plan worked beautifully, as Caravan’s Post Production Supervisor Thomas Torrey managed multiple editors and collaborators, all working remotely to whittle down 40TB of footage into the finished film. Adopting a cloud-based post-production workflow using the Productions framework in Adobe Premiere Pro, each editor had instant access to every frame.
Everyone at Caravan was inspired by the passion of all those met at H-D, and the pressure to get the story right was palpable. According to Marentes, “To build a film that felt cohesive, inspired and effectively communicated the story of CVO, I had to think several steps ahead and anticipate what type of footage or action might be helpful. The creative approach definitely shifted and adapted at each step.”
Marentes continued, “For example, as soon as we captured footage of the testing and development process, we knew we’d want running footage of the bikes that would tie-in with the motion and compositions captured in the design process. Seeing what lights and angles showed off the new body work informed our studio and running days.”
Completing this job required expert use of many tools and technologies. For principal photography, Marentes chose the ARRI ALEXA 35, paired with a set of Tribe7 Blackwing B-Tuned prime lenses. Other cameras used for drone, hard-mounted bike shots, and in the camera car included Sony’s Venice 2, ARRI ALEXA Mini, and RED KOMODO.
Caravan partnered with Override Films for the camera car and aerial elements, shooting in New Mexico and along California’s coast. The talented Aaron Brimhall captured the project’s photographic elements.
With time being of the essence, Caravan’s use of Frame.io to share works-in-progress allowed them to rapidly gather client feedback and approvals.
“As feedback came in from the H-D team, maintaining the unified vision demanded over-communication on my part,” Marentes added. “From sharing camera settings, LUTs, and composition guidelines, to communicating what type of movement we were looking for or the correct way to frame up additional interviews, the flow of information to additional directors, DPs, and crews was constant.”
In regard to the finished film, Marentes shared these words: “The 2023 CVO Road Glide and Street Glide bikes represent a big leap forward for H-D and we’re honored to have played a small part in getting this story out into the world. Ultimately we feel like we did these awesome bikes justice.”
In addition to those mentioned, the project’s credits include supporting Directors Austin Peck, Connor Carroll, and Ben Carter, Directors of Photography John Carrington, Jack Shanahan, Jon Bregel, Mike Reyes, and Alex Rivera, Lead Editor Tanner Howell, Editors Shea Sizemore and Blake Edwards. Telecine was courtesy of Nice Shoes and Colorist Sal Malfitano. Bradford Nyght of The Bakery Studios designed the sound, and CUBBY provided the original music.
