Creative

"After 400 years of silence, the angels burst onto the scene."

The Challenge: Our team was tasked with creating a trio of bumpers that humanized this significant moment. We explored the internal psyche of three specific messengers—capturing the weight and wonder of the news they were chosen to deliver.

The Vision: We aimed for a visual language that felt fantastical yet grounded. Instead of the typical white robes and halos we used flight jackets and messenger bags - blending ethereal elements with tactile, traditional nods (e.g. Angel wing pins to convey seniority) to redefine what an angel looks like for a modern audience.

Concept

Director Johnathan Shimabuku’s script provided a strong narrative to translate into a visual language. His writing served as our roadmap, allowing us to begin to build our world and bring our characters to life.

Pivot

We initially envisioned a rustic library or an old church study as our backdrop. When that fell through, we didn't have the time or budget to scout a new external site. Instead, we got scrappy. We moved the shoot to Willow’s in-house studio and challenged ourselves to build the set using only materials we had on hand. It was an exercise in "limitations breed creativity," and the result still captured the vision of the original concept.

Left: Original concept | Right: New in-studio concept

Production

Gaffer Joe Farris worked to design a look that gave our team maximum flexibility in the space. The setup was simple yet efficient: a single Aputure 1200x pushed through muslin served as a soft, warm overhead key light. To add depth, the scenic lighting utilized a mix of Aputure 600 and 300x units, supplemented by several tungsten fixtures to rake the curtains with warm, organic texture.

Bethany Lee doubled as Producer and Production Designer, curating the essential details that brought our studio set to life. She was instrumental in finding the "flexible solutions" needed to turn our in-house pivot into a visual success without overextending the budget.

To anchor the environment, Ed Suchocki, Dan Smith, and Jon Richardson designed and fabricated a custom ornate door. Serving as the primary threshold for our messengers, the piece was built to feel heavy and historic—providing a tangible "portal" that bridged the our "celestial" space to the real world. A key element was that its support needed to be low profile enough for us to transport the door outside.

We captured the project on the Sony FX6 paired with Zeiss CP.2 cinema glass. The FX6 remains a staple in our kit for its exceptional image quality and versatile form factor. The CP.2s gave us a clean foundation that we softened with Tiffen Black Pro-Mist diffusion—giving the final image a smoother, organic texture.

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EP: Jeff Boriss, Shauna Borst
Director / Writer: Johnathan Shimabuku
Producer: Bethany Lee
Director of Photography: Peter Kim
Gaffer: Joe Farris
Key Grip: Jeremy Christen
1st AC: Sean Piggot
2nd AC/Grip Swing: Allen Rodriguez
Steadicam Op: Jacob Habib
Location Audio: Ben Weltzin
Location Audio: Shawn Sommer
PA: Josh Lee
PA: Rae Smith
Production Design: Bethany Lee
Door Construction & Design: Ed Suchoki, Dan Smith
Door Decal Design: Jon Richardson

Editor & Colorist: Peter Kim
Post Audio & SFX: Ryan Pribyl (Level Audio)
Post Audio & SFX: Fernando Gamas

Camera Package: Sony FX6 w/Zeiss CP2