How MoMac brought Rodin Cars' race to the world stage in a thrilling long-form documentary series
When Rodin Cars approached MoMac to document the build of a groundbreaking race car, they had a vision but no clear roadmap.
Putting their trust in the Rangiora creative agency, they let MoMac take the wheel. What followed was a fast-paced, unforgettable documentary series capturing the thrill of the build of the Rodin Sinatra and its entry into the 2024 Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge in Sydney.
The project, which marked the 25th anniversary of the car’s original race, aimed to showcase the Mt Lyford-based high-performance car manufacturer’s engineering excellence and the unique story behind the iconic Sintra.
MoMac Creative Director Ryan McDonald said that the initial brief from Rodin Cars was open-ended, with the company unsure if the car would even make it to the event. The plan was simply to begin filming and see how things developed, all while keeping the project top secret.
“They wanted to document the building process but didn’t have a clear idea of what the final product should look like. However, they trusted our team’s expertise, giving us creative license to take the project in the direction we thought best.”
Over three months, the MoMac team captured around 20 hours of footage at several locations including Rodin Cars HQ in Wandle Downs and (spoiler alert) the Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge at Sydney Motorsport Park.
“We had to adjust our film style to suit a longer, documentary format. It was a challenge because we were used to a faster, more dynamic approach. Typically, our videos are quick-paced with lots of movement and energy. However, with longer-format content, we had to slow the pacing down, using longer, more static shots. Instead of moving around with a gimbal, we relied more on locked-off tripod shots. From a videography perspective, it shifted from using camera movement as an effect to focusing on capturing the right moments to tell the story.
“There were also a few challenges on-site, like when the car wasn’t ready, and we had to improvise. But the main issue was the deadline, as everything was tied to the World Time Attack event. We had to produce the videos before the event and deliver them immediately after to keep them fresh and relevant.”
For Ryan and his team, editing was the most complex part of the process. With hours of footage to work through, the team faced the mammoth task of transforming it all into a captivating series. The editing process required careful planning: interviews were reviewed, voiceovers were added to tie the story together, and B-roll footage was layered in to enhance the visual storytelling.
“It’s a difficult process because it’s time-consuming and requires a lot of patience. You have to condense the story as much as possible without losing key content. The challenge is telling the story without dragging it out but also making sure you don’t cut too much and lose context. It’s a constant process of refining, cutting down, reworking, and sometimes adding content back in until you’re happy with the final narrative.”
The final product, a three-part documentary series, titled Legend Reborn – Show Time WTAC 24 has been met with rave reviews from the team at Rodin Cars and cars enthusiasts worldwide.
“The feedback we got from Rodin was that they loved the series, and they loved how it was documented. It captured a story that they were all a part of that they can look back on for years to come. They were really invested in the project, and they were stoked with how the story was captured and portrayed. Beyond that, the external response has also been overwhelmingly positive, with many people expressing how much they enjoyed watching the video, which is always great to see in the comments online.”
The project was the first time the MoMac team, which specializes in short, fast-paced marketing videos, has turned its talents to long-form video work.
“Most of our work is for marketing, so while there’s still a story, the focus is often on selling. But these longer videos are made for pure enjoyment. They’re about immersing the audience in a topic they care about. It’s a very different experience.”
The MoMac team is now looking for more opportunities to work on long-form video projects, Ryan said.
“It’s a massive undertaking that consumes all your time and energy, but the satisfaction comes from knowing you’ve given it everything. Not every project demands that level of commitment, but when it does, the payoff is huge. Sure, we could have taken shortcuts or finished quicker, but the sense of accomplishment wouldn’t have been the same. There’s a special kind of pride that comes from putting everything into a project and being truly proud of the final result.”
To find out how Ryan and the MoMac team can help with your long-form video projects request a quote at www.momac.co.nz/quote or call 03 310 7705.
