Chicago & Phoenix Director of Photography, Cinematographer, Drone Pilot, and Video Production
Client: Rust-Oleum
Project Type: Brand Marketing Content Production
Location: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Duration: 7 Days
Services: Commercial Photography · Corporate Video Production · Drone Cinematography · Steadicam Operation
Rust-Oleum Brand Campaign Production Case Study | Commercial Video & Photography
Project Overview
Rust-Oleum engaged Jamie Link Photography to create professional brand marketing content documenting the creation of a large-scale mural painted by a professional spray paint artist in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The production goal was to capture the full arc of the creative process, from early-stage surface preparation through the completed installation, and deliver both cinematic video and commercial photography assets that could anchor a product launch campaign.
The content needed to do two things simultaneously: tell a compelling visual story about the artist's process and function as high-quality brand marketing material showcasing Rust-Oleum's product line in action. That dual requirement, narrative and commercial, shaped every production decision made over the course of the seven-day shoot.
Production Challenge
Documenting a live creative process presents a set of challenges that a controlled studio shoot does not. The mural evolved organically over seven days, which meant the production schedule had to remain flexible while still delivering a consistent body of work across both video and photography formats.
Several specific challenges shaped the production approach:
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No art director or producer on set. Jamie Link handled all production planning, shot selection, and day-to-day scheduling independently, functioning as both the creative director and primary operator throughout the engagement.
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Unpredictable progress. Mural creation is not linear. Certain sections developed rapidly while others required extended detail work, which required continuous on-the-fly adjustments to capture the most visually compelling moments of the process.
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Dual-format production. The client required both cinematic video and commercial photography from the same production window. Managing lighting conditions, camera positions, and timing across two distinct formats simultaneously required disciplined production management.
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Scale and environment. Capturing a large-scale outdoor mural required aerial perspectives to communicate the full scale of the work, while ground-level cinematography was necessary to capture the detail and craft of the artist's technique.
Production Approach
The production was structured around a three-discipline approach — Steadicam cinematography, drone cinematography, and commercial photography — deployed strategically across each day of the installation.
Steadicam Cinematography
Steadicam operation was the primary tool for capturing the artist's process at ground level. The fluid, stabilized motion of a Steadicam system allowed for dynamic tracking shots that followed the artist through the creative process without introducing the mechanical feel of a gimbal or the static quality of a tripod-mounted camera. This approach produced footage with a cinematic quality appropriate for brand marketing use — footage that could hold its own alongside high-production-value campaign content.
Aerial coverage was essential for communicating the scale of the mural installation. Drone cinematography provided wide establishing shots of the mural in its Lake Geneva environment, progress overheads showing the installation at different stages of completion, and final reveal shots of the finished work. As an FAA Part 107 certified drone pilot, Jamie Link operated the drone production in compliance with applicable regulations, without requiring a separate aerial operator or additional production coordination.
Alongside the video production, a dedicated commercial photography workflow ran throughout the engagement. Product-forward images were captured throughout the process — showcasing Rust-Oleum products in active use — as well as hero images of the finished mural suitable for print, digital advertising, and social media deployment. Commercial photography deliverables were captured with the same intentionality as the video content, ensuring the still assets matched the visual standard of the campaign.
Production Deliverables
The seven-day production yielded a complete suite of brand marketing assets for Rust-Oleum's campaign:
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Edited brand marketing video documenting the full mural creation process, structured for use across digital platforms including web, social media, and campaign placements.
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Cinematic b-roll footage library captured via Steadicam, including artist process footage, close-detail shots of product application, and environmental footage of the Lake Geneva location.
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Aerial drone footage of the mural at multiple stages of completion, including a final overhead reveal of the finished installation.
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Commercial photography suite including product-in-use images, artist and mural portraits, and finished mural hero images formatted for multi-platform marketing use.
Campaign Outcome
The content produced gave Rust-Oleum a fully developed library of brand marketing assets created from a single, efficiently managed production engagement. Rather than commissioning separate photography and video productions, the client received an integrated suite of assets, video, b-roll, aerial footage, and commercial photography, produced under unified creative direction and delivered production-ready for campaign deployment.
The production demonstrated how a single, experienced commercial production operator can manage the complexity of a multi-day, multi-format brand content shoot without the overhead of a larger crew. For brands and agencies planning similar campaigns, product launches, brand storytelling, or location-based content production. this approach offers both creative quality and operational efficiency.
Production stills from the Rust-Oleum mural installation, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Planning a Brand Content Production?
Jamie Link Photography produces commercial photography and corporate video content for brands, agencies, and marketing teams across Chicago and beyond. If you have a production coming up — whether a product launch, brand campaign, or event coverage — let's talk about how to make it work.
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