Ever wondered what the glitz and glam of a film festival looks like from a dog's perspective? Five years ago, Tim Newman, producer of Woof!, had the same idea: the prestigious Cannes Film Festival from a dog's-eye view. After searching for a dog that could climb the iconic Palais steps and whose images would be seen around the world, Messi, the dog from Palme d'Or-winning Anatomy of a Fall and superstar of the 2024 Oscars, was the perfect pup for the job.
Director Loïc Pourageaux was tasked with directing the title sequence in the 30 minutes before the star-studded red carpet officially opened. They had to meet Cannes' strict timing (the security guard, anyone?) and high-pressure conditions, with over 200 photographers on either side. It's enough to make anyone nervous, but Messi kept his cool with trainer Laura Martin at his side.
The real challenge, however, was how they would film this unique perspective to bring the vision to life. Other cameras they tried couldn't get the angles they were after and were too heavy for a dog to comfortably hold. After testing multiple cameras and the practicalities of how Messi could hold and move with the camera, the 8K 360º Insta360 X4 and tiny, featherlight Insta360 GO 3 made their red-carpet debut.
Check out how Insta360 X4 and GO 3 made Messi's unique dog's-eye view of the glamorous film festival possible.
Insta360 X4
Messi was first seen strutting his stuff holding Insta360 X4 in his mouth. Since X4 is a 360º camera, they ended up with multiple high-quality, stabilized angles of Messi, but also of what he was seeing. By using X4, the Woof! team had every possible angle to look at and choose from in the edit.
"The advantage of a 360º camera is that we don't have to frame during the shoot; we reframe in post-production. This is something original that allowed us to quickly shoot several angles simultaneously, enabling us to meet the tight deadline and get some unique shots of Messi."
Loïc Pourageaux, Director of Woof!
Invisible Selfie Stick
After wrapping the Invisible Selfie Stick with tape and cotton, Messi was able to firmly hold it in the back of his mouth as he moved. The selfie stick automatically disappears in the final 360º footage for a really original look at the red carpet.
Monkey Tail Mount
The soft Monkey Tail Mount can be easily bent into shape for more flexible angles, giving the team the perfect way to get Messi ready for his close-up. After rolling up the mount, Messi easily held it in his mouth (just like it was a stick!) and took to the red carpet, freely and happily.
Insta360 GO 3
Next, it was the tiny GO 3's time to shine, the ultimate pet camera. At just 35g, Messi didn't even feel the camera on him, allowing for natural, immersive POV shots and a never-before-possible insight into how he sees the film festival. Fastening the comfortable elastic Pet Harness Mount under his belly, they mounted the tiny GO 3 camera without causing any distress to Messi.
"We took a POV shot where you see his head, but we could have filmed his back, his paws because the advantage of such a light harness is that Messi didn't feel the camera on him, which is great when filming with animals."
Loïc Pourageaux, Director of Woof!
While Messi took the tiny cam solo, the humans hung back and saw it all unfold on the Action Pod, thanks to its remote control and live preview feature. Looking to take your POV shots up a level? The new GO 3S is the same tiny cam, but now shoots stabilized POV shots in stunning 4K.
After five years, Insta360 X4 and GO 3 were solid gold choices to realize this unique creative vision exactly as Tim Newman had imagined it. With Messi the dog putting on a show to rapturous applause and interviewing high-profile stars, including Claude Lelouch and Zaho de Sagazan, the Woof! teams' hard work paid off, and for the first time ever, incredible images of a dog climbing the stairs at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival were seen worldwide.
"With these three angles, we had our title sequence but with truly magical images."
Loïc Pourageaux, Director of Woof!
Keen to keep up to date on Insta360 stories? Keep an eye on our blog and sign up for our mailing list.
%20(1).svg)
%20(1).svg)
.svg)
