The Challenge
In Germany, HORNBACH has established itself as the hardware store chain for ambitious, large, and joyful projects. But as the cost-of-living crisis hits Europe, fewer and fewer people feel like they have the kind of space that is necessary for big projects. HORNBACH was at risk of becoming irrelevant to urban city-dwellers living in tight, increasingly expensive spaces – by far the biggest and fastest-growing target group in European markets. As the cost-of-living increases, and people pay more money for less space, we need to show that the HORNBACH ethos – creativity, skills, mischief – is still applicable in the homes of potential DIYers today.
The Solution
To prove that great projects can indeed be built in small spaces, the production aimed to build all sets by hand and manage all set transitions and rotations in camera, keeping the use of VFX to an absolute minimum. To this end, most sets were built with movable walls and ceilings to get the camera where it needed to go. This practical approach created significant challenges. For example, Not only did the bedroom set have to be rotated up to 90 degrees, but the emerging shower set, including steam effects and lighting changes had to be perfectly synchronized as well. As the soundstage had no access to hydraulics, the very heavy sets had to be moved 'by hand'.
