Sam Walker directs gravity-defying spot for Formula E

The brand has teamed up again with Uncommon Creative Studio for the new season’s campaign. Here Walker takes us through how they created this mind-bendingly ambitious film

Formula E was first conceived back in 2011 but it wasn’t until 2014 that it held its inaugural championship in Beijing. Since 2020, the series has had FIA world championship status and has grown both in investment and fans, becoming the pinnacle of electric motorsport.

To celebrate season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Uncommon Creative Studio has created a film that aims to illustrate the mentality of a Formula E racing driver. The spot, titled Progress is Unstoppable, is directed by Sam Walker and his brief was to “excite new audiences and bring the thrill and drama of the race to new fans”, with the launch of the Gen3 car as the focal point.

The resulting concept was a Formula E car being driven out of a plane at 21,000ft, with this reality achieved in a highly ambitious and technical shoot. “I was determined to shoot as much as possible in camera. I worked closely with the brilliant DoP Joost Van Gelder to capture the car’s descent as realistically, but also as beautifully, as possible,” explains Walker.

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