Spaghetti Junction
The Brief
Kier Highways asked Humanoid to capture the process of waterproofing Spaghetti Junction over a weekend closure.
The Solution
Humanoid’s crew used HDR timelapse photography, aerial and live action video to produce a dramatic sequence.
The Result
The video was used at events, released through social media and re-cut in support of a testimonial case study.
Humanoid spent a weekend on Spaghetti Junction this month, filming the complex transformation as teams of engineers raced against the clock to repair and waterproof the road.
After the success of our coverage for their Health, Safety & The Environment week, Kier Highways brought Humanoid in to document the full process of this high-profile project.
Beginning late on a Friday evening and running until early Monday morning, the Aston Expressway was closed to all traffic. Heavy machinery planed off the road surface, allowing teams of testers to examine the concrete beneath for faults and take corrective action, before a watertight lining was sprayed down and the road re-laid over the top.
A roving camera crew used telephoto lenses and an elevated work platform to capture close-ups of the action from a safe distance, whilst our timelapse camera took triple exposures to capture detail in the darkest shadows and under the brightest lights.
“We knew high dynamic range photography was going to be essential for this timelapse, because you’re dealing with such dramatic changes in lighting as the sun sets and rises. The process allowed us to compensate completely, and deliver a smooth, flicker-free seqence where every detail is visible and clear.”
-Tom Down, Humanoid’s Project Director
A “before and after” of the process was captured from Humanoid’s aerial drone, which lifted off from a neighbouring field to perform a dramatic flyover, both during the process and at rush hour the following week.
During the testing phase, the Humanoid crew crossed the barrier onto the highway and used a camera crane and motorised glide to capture a cinematic sequence of the engineers at work.
The resulting footage was synchronised to a dramatic music track and edited down to an intense, social media-friendly sequence. After its delivery, the footage was quickly re-released as part of a case study testimonial for the project.
