Prada Global SS21 Campaign

Our biggest rig ever built: 240 cameras and 30 computers at the gold plated Fondazione Prada in Milan, signed off five days before the shoot, mid pandemic.

What Did We Do?

This is one of the biggest individual shoots NWD has ever done. Prada wanted our biggest ever rig at the Fondazione Prada, their 24 karat gold plated HQ in Milan, for the principal photography of a major campaign, in the middle of the pandemic.

The build took 240 Canon DSLRs, 30 computers, miles of wiring, custom truss, custom made camera trees, a large purpose built set, and more unpleasant covid tests than anyone cares to remember. The rig shot both bullet time and photogrammetry for the campaign.

As usual, the job was signed off at the last minute, leaving five days to get to Milan and make it happen. The van made its second trip over the Alps that year while a colleague flew ahead from London. The hardest part was getting our colleague Mitch from Philadelphia to Milan with the US kit: 120 cameras and 10 tech boxes split across about 20 cases, all checked in as luggage, because covid flight restrictions left no time for freight. Favours were called in and big money was spent. Where there is a will, there is a way.

The photography went on to run across magazines, websites and social media worldwide.

Common Large Rig FAQs

How big can the DSLR rig get?

Up to 240 cameras, which is what this job used. It is the biggest array we have ever fielded, and it shot stills clean enough for print.

Can a rig this size travel?

Yes, though not gracefully. This one crossed the Alps in a van and the Atlantic as twenty pieces of check in luggage.

More From The Set

More from the build and the shoot. Click any image for a closer look.