Aston Martin Vanquish Volante official trailer - YouTube

I had developed this relationship with this particular director over several Aston Martin campaigns. This was a well funded project and the shoot was several week on the west coast of USA.

He gave me free licence with the musical style and was really in love with the first track I built up. The only element that took a few versions was the drop down section, where the drums drop out and we just have the strings. He didn't want the pace to decrease but really wanted the instruments to change and to have a definite change of style.

The sound design was also quite tricky. I was invited up the Aston Martin where they have a test track. I recorded another V12 Aston as they somehow didn't have a Volante onsite that day. I taped a small portable recorder near the exhaust and I sat in the passenger seat to get any internal SFX, I remember being thrust back into my seat as the driver accelerated to 100mph in about 5 seconds and couldn't pull myself forward to adjust the record levels. Quite an experience!

Aston Martin were very particular with the sound effect and consequently with a shot of a gear change. It's a paddle style gear lever and the driver just touches it with his left hand, I was unaware that this movement was a change down not a change up. Something you only know if you own or drive an Aston Martin!