A single-shot Starbucks ad, to go

With a demanding script and only a minute to achieve an astounding amount of practical tricks, The Queen pulls out all the stops for Starbucks. 

With impressive execution and something new to look at every second, the ad goes from almonds to milk, espresso magically moving from shot glass to mug by mere transference, and an effortless perspective shift from barista to customer. By choosing live-action rather than a stop motion style, the in-camera effects in It Starts with You become all the more impressive, each part moving seamlessly through the edited single-take film. 

There were a bunch of ways we could’ve done the POV, but we found that using a small handheld camera gave us a lot more control over movement since everything had to be so choreographed,” says The Queen, “the art dept obviously played a massive part in making the tricks work. They made loads of purpose-built rigs and tricks that allowed us to do most of the effects practically. We created a marble surface which fires cups into the air, a coffee packet which dispenses espresso, and a revolving table that can physically spin people into the shot!”

Supporting this massive production is agency Iris London, which conceived the piece and turned over the demanding one-minute script to Fresh Film to take on.