We’ve already seen some of the official images of the new Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, but now the car has made a cinematic debut of sorts, featuring in a new film by Nick Knight, the notable photographer who has also shot music videos for the likes of Björk and Lady Gaga. In 2016 he took an official portrait of the Queen for her 90^th birthday.

Knight, an Aston Martin owner himself, is described as having a "passion for bold forms and striking imagery," with a "modern baroque" style that has "redefined fashion photography." 

Can he do the same for cars? Judge for yourself by watching the video here.

Talking about the behind-the-scenes process, Knight described meeting with Aston Martin’s head of design, Marek Reichman, for a briefing on the car. "I asked what the single key attribute of the car was," said Knight, and the answer was “speed”’. 

Knight and his team mixed photography and CGI to come up with their video, shooting in a former steelworks for added atmosphere. "I like to push the frontiers of non-narrative film," added Knight. "It's about weaving in a set of emotions and responding naturally to what you see." A hugely complex 3D model of the DBS Superleggera was animated, with dynamic reflections that morph and flex in time with the soundtrack.

Fast-changing angles, "impossible" computer-generated camera moves and perspective shifts are intended to convey a sense of speed and power: "This vision of the car coming out of darkness is like a galaxy speeding towards us," explained Knight. "By being shown very little, the audience are compelled to use their imagination – the car’s dark brooding beauty is intensified by the suspense."

Watch the behind-the-scenes video detailing work on the shoot below. 

Source: Aston Martin