HONDA - COMMERCIAL
Michael Werk, Director
Mark Robinson, Location Manager / Marine Coordinator

SPOTS FILMS (L.A.) contacted Mark Robinson with what would appear to be a simple request: Director Michael Werk wanted to shoot the new Honda spot at a parking lot with the Skyway Bridge and Tampa Bay as a backdrop. One obstacle – the bridge is seven miles long and there is no parking lot within three miles of the picturesque bridge span.

The solution was that Mark needed to locate a barge at least 50' wide and 80' long and oversee it’s conversion into a parking lot. He located a spud barge with 50' long steel pillars that go through the deck of the barge and into the ocean floor. This locks the barge into position without anchors, allowing the barge to rise and fall with the tide without loosing the critical camera angle. The barge was paved and painted, curbs were added, the Honda was loaded on and the hired tug boat towed the floating parking lot across Tamp Bay to the skyway bridge.

The sunrise shot on the barge was a success but in order to take advantage of the morning light the crew had to move quickly onto helicopter shots of the Honda on the bridge roadway overhead. The challenge was there was only going to be one Honda. Mark had a local welder build a custom drive on platform so that the Honda could be lifted by crane from the barge. With the car safely on the road the barge parking lot became a convenient staging area and landing platform for the helicopter.