Edge computing is a game changer in space. Astronauts can now make faster decisions for projects like water analysis and DNA sequencing- using data processed on the International Space station. Previously, this computing would take days because the data had to be sent back to Earth to be crunched. Now it’s done in minutes.
Edge technology won’t just benefit astronauts in space. We’ll be able to use it here on Earth for things like autonomous vehicles that need to make decisions in split seconds.
It’s very exciting when you get to take groundbreaking technology and tell a story around it. In late 2021, our creative team was tasked with featuring Red Hat and IBM’s work on the International Space Station as our first brand campaign commercial for 2022.
Our campaign’s theme was centered around the “quiet win.” Not all successes are celebrated with fanfare and news headlines. For developers, they may hit IT milestones but often they’re on to solve the next challenge. Although our story involves a watershed moment for data analysis on the ISS, our heroes are not the astronauts. They are the dedicated IT practitioners whose code made it all possible behind the scenes.
In order to hit our story beats exactly and get buy-in from leadership, we created storyboards and an animatic to show how the narrative would cut together with the tone we were hoping to achieve.
With our main lead, we wanted a certain nuance in the emotion she expressed on screen. While static ads could rely on larger gestures (raising a glass to cheers or fist pumping the air) to translate that happiness or relief, we wanted our hero’s pride to be more subtle and sophisticated in the video spot. Working with the talented Melanie Mendez on set, we spent time on each take to dial in that emotion.
During production, we also shot alternate takes and voice-over for different :15 versions to be used on social media.
I was really happy with how our vision translated to the screen. This is the first in hopefully many more customer featured commercials for Red Hat. Keep an eye out for the :30 spot on Samsung TV from April-June 2022.
Featuring: Melanie Mendez, Jonathan Harrell, Tim Davidson, Andrea Nicole Mitchell, Shelton Charles, and Kat Khietnha
Producers: Rachel Rooney, Shawn Lamons
Writers: Jimmy Ryals, Naomi Amado
AD: Brett Abramsky
Art Director: Jenna Slawson
DP: Kyle Messina
1st AC: Ryan Shackleford
2nd AC: Jeff Polina
Gaffer: Adam Thomas
Key Grip: Matt Moore
Grips: Jim Mahorney, Mike Milstead
Sound: Brooks Lester
Hair & Makeup: Ashley Watts
Photographer: Tyler Northrup
Photography Assist: Walker Anderson
Colorist: Rob Besette / Color Refinery
Composer & Audio mixer: Alex Davis
VFX Artist: Jingky Gilbert
Project Manager: Graham Rountree
Creative Strategist: John Lane
Account Manager: Jessica Burkitt
Director & Editor: Kieran Moreira