DP David Wells Chooses ZEISS Nano Primes for POV-rig on Sweepstakes Starring Ludacris

What led you to cinematography?

My path to cinematography isn’t that ordinary. I got my degree in architecture, but I always wanted to go into film. As a kid, I wanted to be an actor. I would put on concerts of The Lion King for my parents in our living room. I have always loved movies. I'll go see a film once or twice a week when I can, although it’s harder now with kids now.

When it was time for college, I told my dad I wanted to go to film school, but my family pushed me toward something else and I went into architecture to stay creative. I always tell young people not to stress about where they're going. Film naturally leads you to where you're supposed to be.

During the 2008 recession, I quit my job and worked at a startup’s production office. I was more of a producer, but I met a guy named Greg Folks, who taught me a lot about shooting. After four years, I left and worked at a sports media company as an in-house DP. That was where I really learned what worked and what didn’t. It was great because I had the space to fail and improve.

Eventually, I started landing freelance commercial gigs. My career has grown from there. I owe so much to the wonderful people I’ve worked with. Lighting and cinematography can only take you so far—you need people who want to work with you.

What is your history with ZEISS?

I got connected with David Warner (Cinema Technical Sales Specialist) at South by Southwest. I hadn’t used a lot of ZEISS before. I had used Supreme Primes once or twice, and when I started shooting on film, the Super Speeds became one of my favorite lenses. We got to talking, and he showed me the Nanos. A week or two later, I got a project, and I thought, ‘I need a small lens that’s going to look great, shave weight, and have a stop of T-1.5.’ I didn’t know any other lens like that, except the Nanos I had just learned about. It made the whole project.

What is this commercial about? What makes it special.

We were approached for the project by C4 to shoot a sweepstakes promotion featuring Ludacris and giving away a newer version of a car he drove in Fast and the Furious. The treatment showed a POV setup, meant to feel like a real-world video game. Everything was shot from the character’s POV and they wanted to include head shakes to show the character’s understanding.

I knew right away it would require a POV mount. At first we thought we could shoot on the FX3 to save weight. But the client wanted to shoot raw on large format with the Venice 2 Rialto. We looked at using another brand, but they proved too heavy during tests. The actor had a hard time holding his head up with those lenses.

It then dawned on me that we had talked about ZEISS Nano Primes. The Nano Primes are small, clean, and fast–they checked all the boxes. David sent us some lenses to test and they proved perfect for the job. The actor was able to move his head easily, and the lenses just worked. We used those lenses, and they were gorgeous. We shot at T4 inside, then did an iris pull outside all the way to T1.5. They were perfect for the project.

Not every lens manufacturer offers something like this. If you’re shooting with Supreme Primes, you typically don’t have small lens options for crash cams or tight spaces. The Nano Primes open up a lot of possibilities. You don’t need a completely different lens to match a larger one, which can be a challenge when shooting large format with signature primes or other big lenses. 

How did you handle the lighting?

All the operators, technicians, and the rest of the team were crucial. We didn't have the money for a Condor to hang a big softbox with raking lights, we ended up putting lights on the top of the store.

My camera team was fantastic, from the AC to the camera operators and gaffers. They made everything work perfectly. My gaffer, Keaton, helped find perfect lighting spots. We rigged all these ARRI S60 Fixtures to the rooftop of a 7-Eleven and shot them through soft lighting. We also hung hard fixtures to imitate existing streetlamps in the parking lot and replaced overhead lights under the gas pumps with movie lights to ensure everything looked right.

Can you describe the testing process for this project?

The testing process— ZEISS sent me the lenses early and I own the camera and the vest, so we had more freedom than if we had to book a test day for camera tests or wait for prep. We sub-rented the helmet rig from a close friend. Since he’s done this type of shot before, he had great insights on how to set it up.

We mounted the Venice 2 to an Easy Rig with a little plate that fits on the back, using the tension to help hold up the operator’s head. Even with a small setup, it can get heavy. We had a monitor in front of his eyes as well as a focus motor on rails, lenses, and a matte box for filtration. I don’t remember exactly how much it weighed, but I thought I could manage one solid take before it started hurting my neck. That’s where the Easy Rig helped, using the tension to give some support without losing mobility.

How did you find your operator?

I needed someone who could handle this type of shot correctly. The line producer on the project had an operator known for a couple of unique setups, James Navarra. He came in to test it, and he could do it all. It looked really great. That fist bump in the video is James too.

What focal length did you use for the shoot?

I think it was a 25mm. We tried the 18mm, but it was just too much for the large format. I didn’t have much time to mount the lights and really check the field of view, but I knew it needed to be in that range—between 18 and 25mm.

What really sets these lenses apart is how fast they are. I think they're the fastest out there. I don’t think there’s anything below a T2 anywhere else. And for me, the difference between a T2 and a T1.5 is huge, especially in large format. That’s a significant gap.

Tell me more about your thoughts on the Nano Primes.

Honestly, there are so many things I like about them. They tick a lot of boxes for me. In the industry, name recognition carries a lot of weight—sometimes too much. Some lenses get a bad reputation because they’re less expensive, even though they’re beautiful. These Nano Primes, though, are compact but still have good weight. They’re not overly heavy, but they feel solid, which is important. Some lenses in this size category can feel cheap, especially if you're not using a PL mount.

The Nano Primes are like smaller versions of Supreme Primes. They’re not identical, but for what digital sensors can do now, they’re a fantastic choice when you need a small, compact lens. They’ll work well in situations where you could lose a camera and need a more affordable lens. They give us the opportunity to get closer in tight spaces and maintain a high-quality look.

Supreme Primes are used on a lot of big shows, and having these smaller options opens more possibilities. They elevate the quality, and they’re not just crash lenses—they can be your main set of lenses. They really push the visual quality past what we used to be able to do. For example, something like Top Gun Maverick, where they used small cameras in fighter jets or in Brad Pitt’s new F1 movie–you could put T1.5 Nano Primes with the Venice Rialto in tight spaces and still shoot the main shots on Supreme Primes. It really takes the look of a show to the next level.

Were there any interesting moments or challenges during the shoot?

It was definitely a fun project but also challenging. It was refreshing to tackle something different. When you start a project, you have an initial idea of how you will do things, but then reality hits, often in the form of budgetary or time restraints. You have to get creative. How do I maintain quality without compromising the look? The biggest challenge was not being able to put any lights on the ground since we were going to be shooting 360 degrees. Because we physically couldn’t have stands on the ground, I had to rethink my usual approach.

Also working with Ludacris was great! I just turned 40, and his first album came out when I was in high school, so I’ve been a fan for a long time. It was one of those full-circle moments where you get to work with someone you’ve admired for years. Ludacris an icon in the music industry. He knew what he was doing and really hit his mark with ease. I think we got it by the fifth take. From start to finish, the project was a blast. The client loved it, the team was incredibly talented, and we couldn’t have done it without the help of ZEISS.