Conventional wisdom dictates that when shooting an ad outdoors, you should try not to turn your production into a virtual lightning rod by filming during a massive thunderstorm. But, for UK-based agency Inferno and RSA Films, London, thunderstorms were precisely what they were chasing, ironically enough, for UK insurance company Hiscox.

"The Storm," directed by Brett Foraker, features ominous scenes of a thunderstorm breaking over a city, which, in turn, transmits feelings of uncertainty to various onlookers - a feeling that, as the ad espouses, can be allayed through Hiscox's coverage.

The spot features a variety of locales - rooftops, a dock, an outdoor pool, a lone home on a large tract of greenery and a downtown core - but according to Adam Haywood, art director at Inferno, the agency didn't want the locales to detract from the emotion the ad conveys. It was necessary to find a location that wasn't easily recognizable and Toronto proved to be that option.

"This is an ad for the UK market, but we didn't want people to take a direct location out of it," says Haywood. "Toronto has that fantastic quality. Down Yonge Street [in the downtown core] where we shot, there's minimal branding. If you look at other cities, there are huge logos on top of buildings that are really distinct and you can place it. But Toronto feels like a city that you can't distinguish."

"Quite often you find yourself having to pretend that you're somewhere that you're not," adds RSA producer Annabel Ridley. "We didn't have to do that with Toronto. The only thing that we had to do was paint the CN Tower out and we got the [intended] look."

Aside from the generality of the city's look, the variety of its landscapes were a plus. According to Ridley, all seven of the spot's locales - a mix of countryside, urban and industrial - were shot in and around the city and access between each was good. But it was the high probability of stormy July weather occurring in the city's province, Ontario, that was Toronto's main draw. Still, when a massive storm - a boon for Foraker, who wanted to film in-camera as much as possible - actually shut the four-day production down for half a day, the irony was lost on no one.

"We were shooting in a big public swimming pool [Donald D. Summerville Pool along Toronto's Lakeshore area] on a large platform," says Foraker of the storm that nearly did in the production. "Suddenly the Health and Safety people on the location came out as if they were on fire saying, 'Get down! Get down!' because there was a massive thunderstorm rolling in. So myself and my DP [Bill Pope] scrambled to shoot more. Before long the lightning was hitting about a block away, but we were getting great stuff and I'm always fairly gung ho to get the shot. Finally, they got us down and we just kept shooting along the lake getting a really amazing set of clouds coming in that we could have only dreamed of."

Although the storm's intense flashes of lightning, dense clouds and heavy rainfall look like they could have been achieved in post in actuality there was very little. The effect was largely a mix of in-camera work and traditional filmic techniques courtesy of Toronto-based FX technician Warren Keillor.

Referred to as a "mad scientist" by both Foraker and Karen Silver, EP of production service company Treehouse North, Keillor worked with a cloud tank, a water-filled glass enclosure injected with liquids to create cloud effects, and a Van de Graaff machine that could generate electrical charges. He also built a Tesla coil specifically for the production, which was used to create the lightning effects. Cost-wise the building of the coil was quite reasonable, says Silver. Moreover, it allowed Foraker the flexibility to get really creative without relying heavily on post.

"[The city] had the technical expertise to allow us in our studio day to experiment with several different '40s or '50s-style Hollywood techniques," he says. "Keillor was able to give us what we were after in terms of having practical elements that we could shoot alongside the real storms that we got. There's a shot where the lightning looks like it's coming toward the camera. Most people assume it's 3D, but it's actually practical with a bit of 2D rotation."

The production had a massive undertaking with the closing down of Yonge Street, a major Toronto artery. According to Silver, the city was accommodating to the Saturday night road closure even without much prep time. She does, however, recommend that productions factor in plenty of lead time as the closing of Yonge Street is an infrequent occurrence, usually reserved for major productions.

The Yonge Street shoot was extensive, requiring 30 vehicles, six generators, three 100ft cranes, rain and lighting rigs. All equipment was sourced in Toronto as was the cast, who valiantly soldiered through the shoot while being drenched with cold water scene after scene.

"By the end of it, they were visibly shivering," says Foraker. "But they held it together and were into the spirit of the piece."

Exchange Rate: 1 USD = 1 Canadian Dollar (at press time).

Crane Drain: The shoot required the use of multiple 100ft cranes; however, Toronto only possesses one 50ft Panavision Super TechnoCrane, so book early to avoid disappointment.

Victorian style: While Toronto was chosen for the ambiguity of its locales, the city does have features that can stand in for specific looks. Haywood points to Berkeley Castle in the city's downtown area, which has London plane trees and vines covering its Victorian-esque façade.

RSA Films http://www.rsafilms.com
Inferno http://www.inferno-group.com
Treehouse North http://www.treenorth.com