Telstra’s Latest is a Single-Shot iPhone Film Featuring Cascading Drums

​Telstra’s bespoke agency village +61 and Bear Meets Eagle on Fire have launched a single-shot brand film featuring cascading percussive instruments apparently played without a musician.

The fluid, escalating energy of the spot is reminiscent of Telstra’s dominos work launched in January, though Bear Meets Eagle on Fire chief creative officer Micah Walker told LBB any similarities are coincidental, rather than a deliberate “ongoing structure”.

In reducing the number of cuts in a traditional TVC, the single-shot spot spotlights the iPhone’s capability to mark the introduction of the iPhone 17 Pro to Australia’s largest mobile network.

“The continuous one-shot was [director] Martin [Krejčí]’s suggestion,” Micah told LBB.

“We had discussed it, but didn't mandate it, so we were open to whatever was the best way to convey the drumroll idea, and build to the product reveal.”

He added the shoot -- a collaboration between EXIT Films, Ruffian LLC, and Merman – was tricky.

“Orchestrating the actual drumroll, which you then have to shoot to, was the trickiest part,” Micah said.

“Once you commit to a single shot, then everything has to be pre-planned and set up accordingly. The types of drums, sounds, and cadence of the drumroll had to all be sorted up front, so getting that right and finding the camera language was a lot of work.”

The creative leader praised the efforts of Martin Krejci and the EXIT Films team.

“The whole team worked so hard on this -- there's so much hidden work on this that made it look easier than it was.

“Martin and the team did countless tests and run-throughs, making sure it all fell into place. It was harder than it looks.”

Post-production company Blockhead Studios handled the visual effects, writing in a LinkedIn post it was “buzzing” about the idea from the “genius minds over at +61”.

“Working with one perfectly timed camera move and the intricacies of hundreds of instruments, our CG needed to hit the right beat, not just visually but musically,” the studio wrote.

“We designed a system that allowed the control of hundreds of components to both animate in time to the music, yet feel organic in movement. The result is a remarkable one-er that we think is the greatest drumroll of all time.”

When asked to what extent the spot relied on visual effects compared to practical effects, Micah said coyly, “Hopefully it's hard to pick that out.”

The 60” spot follows the telco’s Christmas ad, featuring the unexpected friendship of a girl and a ghost. The previous instalment of ‘Together is for Christmas’, featuring a singing donkey, is one of the brand’s four global finalists for the 2025 Immortal Awards.