Crafting Commercials with Director Runar Ingi Einarsson @RorZFilms1

Crafting Commercials with Director Runar Ingi Einarsson @RorZFilms1

Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Rúnar Ingi is an Icelandic born filmmaker and commercial director known for his work with Land Rover, Lidl and Volvo, among many others. His projects have garnered global awards and nominations from Epica, CameraImage, Webby, Roy, Edda, and the Icelandic Ad Awards. His work has been featured in industry standard-bearers such as Shots Magazine and Creativity Online.

Since arriving on the commercial scene with a 2012 Nike spot featuring triathlon athlete Sarah Reinertson, his advertising and narrative films have developed a reputation for impactful storytelling with a distinct emotional and visual style. Rúnar Ingi’s fascination with improvisation, found moments and poetic, real-life imagery can be seen throughout his work.

Rúnar Ingi drew on inspiration from childhood memories to create his short film, Apology, in 2016. It premiered at the Reykjavik Film Festival that same year, and he’s now developing the short into a feature length project.

Crafting Commercials with Director Runar Ingi Einarsson

$Director - Henry Hobson Live Action Director, Artist and Graphic Designer https://www.henryhobson.co.uk/ #director #filmmaking #podcast 1:07 – Introduction: Growing up in England 1:45 – Early film experiences in Hull 2:52 – VHS tapes and first exposure to cinema at home 4:04 – Discovering music videos and early inspirations 6:02 – Transitioning from graphic design to filmmaking 7:08 – First camera and Super 8 experiments 8:02 – Training at Why Not Associates and learning to direct 9:32 – First creative commercial projects 10:10 – Resistance 3 pitch and breakthrough work 11:49 – Moving to America through graphic design 12:21 – Designing graphics for the Oscars 13:19 – Differences between working in the US and UK 14:17 – Building a reputation in the American market 15:00 – Filming at Quantico with the Marines 16:20 – Oscars design criticism from Donald Trump 18:23 – Designing categories to reflect cinematic craft 19:53 – Pushing briefs from motion graphics to live action 20:32 – Pitching process and making ripamatics 21:02 – What is a ripamatic, boardamatic, crapamatic 23:02 – How AI and Unreal Engine will change pre-production 24:50 – Importance of storytelling over technology 25:56 – Leaving room for improvisation during shoots 27:25 – Filming spontaneity: Reflections and real-world dynamics 28:39 – Ford commercial process with Idris Elba 30:07 Mustang’s electric model connects to its heritage, showing the family legacy. 31:03 Personal stories from crew deepen the Mustang’s emotional impact. 32:03 Filming the diverse Mustang lineup driving out with unique sounds. 33:00 Fox Body Mustangs, disliked by some, are crew favorites. 33:14 The script celebrates Mustang’s philosophy and history. 33:51 Idris Elba chosen for his voice and charisma to narrate. 34:49 Epic feel achieved through pacing, editing, and emotional shots. 35:52 Strong teamwork across departments powers the production. 36:41 Relatability sets the foundation before scaling to epic. 38:17 Winning pitches involves deep research and aligned vision. 39:50 Collaboration with agencies is key to refining ideas. 41:05 Navigating disagreements requires subtle psychology. 42:57 Clear communication avoids confusion on set. 44:20 Keeping decision-makers informed prevents surprises. 45:57 New Cyclops rig enhances POV shooting realism. 48:08 DP and director collaboration shapes visual style. 50:40 Complex action scenes use detailed planning and multi-channel comms. 55:12 Calm and organized 1st ADs keep production on track. 57:11 Typical timeline: 1 week treatment, 3 weeks prep, 3–4 days shoot. 59:25 Mexico City shoot enabled creative scale at lower cost. 1:00:04 – Visual set pieces and behind-the-scenes intrigue on a high-end car project in Mexico during the World Cup 1:01:00 – Storytelling about a curious night guard fascinated by the car factory’s inner workings 1:01:28 – Creative use of lasers, stripped chassis, and LED lighting for graphic expression 1:02:01 – Art Department’s sourcing of authentic car parts and use of motion-control robots 1:02:22 – Mixing weird and wonderful elements to spark audience curiosity about car factories 1:02:46 – Introduction to the “Audi Butcher” project and choosing director of photography 1:03:13 – Challenges of director availability and shooting in a hometown for a small project 1:03:55 – Elevating a simple story with cinematic style and metaphorical “car butcher” concept 1:04:36 – Balancing sexy dark lighting with daylight realism in car cinematography 1:05:35 – Controlling lighting to highlight car curves and metalwork 1:05:43 – Transition from graphic design and commercials to feature filmmaking ambitions 1:06:02 – Enjoyment of short, cinematic commercial projects with diverse, exciting locations 1:07:01 – Low-budget filmmaking experiences with “Maggie” and art department constraints 1:07:48 – Renewed passion for longer form storytelling and inspiration from short-form commercials 1:08:38 – How Arnold Schwarzenegger got involved with “Maggie” and his dramatic acting debut 1:10:03 – Arnold’s emotional performance and breaking the stereotype of strength 1:11:04 – Using Arnold’s character to convey deep emotional fractures and storytelling economy 1:12:15 – Arnold’s appreciation for the film and being introduced to dramatic roles 1:12:57 – Shooting the entire film with one 65mm macro lens due to budget and artistic choice 1:13:37 – Bigger budget for the “Mobile Strike” commercial and Arnold’s playful mood on set 1:14:41 – Directing Arnold through emotional scenes and building character emotional arcs 1:16:40 – Arnold’s dramatic depth beyond action and comedy roles enabled by “Maggie” 1:17:18 – Advice for filmmakers wanting to shoot car commercials: showcase cars in varied lighting 1:18:10 – Emphasize creativity and storytelling beyond just car footage on your reel 1:19:11 – Respectful closing remarks on life unpredictability and storytelling surprises$

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Crafting Commercials with Director Runar Ingi Einarsson