Perth crews rated as some of the best in the world after production with Roger Federer

Taking a well-earned break over the Festive Season, Split Screen/Solo Films director Scott Wright received a phone call on Boxing Day. Looking at the number, he thought it was from a call centre and ignored it. After checking his voice mail, he discovered the call was, in fact, from an LA production company. The call was confirmed by emails sent to Wright and Lee Guy-Wallis confirming that the company was looking to shoot in Perth during the first week of January. 

Another email arrived soon afterwards with a confidentiality agreement to sign before storyboards would be released. Duly signed and returned, the boards arrived within the hour.   

The shoot was for a video promoting a charity tennis match for Africa played every year featuring tennis great Roger Federer and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

“At first I thought it was call centre disrupting my Boxing Day bliss” said Wright. “Once we pushed for more information we both realised this was legit, and to make it happen we had to hit the ground running”.

Guy-Wallis said the Emmy Award-winning team from the US were debating between shooting in Perth or Melbourne.

“It was all based around where Federer was going to be but the US crew were so impressed with how quickly we jumped on it, they chose Perth.”

All the elements with Federer where filmed in the Crown Towers Ballroom and were matched when filming Gates in the US.

“We had nine set-ups to film and only had Roger for 2 hours, so precision of shooting was paramount” said Wright. 

The outcome was a very successful production and a huge accolade for Wright and Guy-Wallis from Supervising Producer David Sanger: 

Lee and Scott

I owe you guys both an extraordinary debt of gratitude. I do not take on collaborators or make recommendations lightly, and this was a situation where I needed to act fast based on internet research, instinct and a little bit of faith. How well you and Solo Films rewarded me! Everyone on my team made specific mention of how well-taken care of, professional, and enjoyable your team was to work with. Adam especially loved working with Mick McDermott, your DP. And Ian, who does not throw compliments around gratuitously, said that your expertise and attitude throughout the week made for one of the best experiences he’s had with an outside production company anywhere in the world.

Selfishly, I gotta say, you two made me look really clever for picking you as our production partner. Stephen Schwartz wrote that it’s smarter to be lucky than it’s lucky to be smart. I certainly feel incredibly lucky to have made your acquaintance when I did, and I can’t thank you enough for making me look so smart.

Yours,

David Sanger

Supervising Producer – bgC3

Los Angeles  / Seattle

Rather than lazy holiday break, Wright and Guy-Wallis enjoyed one of the highlights of their careers.

“Put together the number 1 sports icon in the world with a client who just happens to be one of the most influential people in the world – and his production team thinking that our abilities match some of the best in the world. It does not get better than that.” 

Watch the finished film.