We got an exclusive look at this new short film made using EVs: Here's what we thought (VIDEO)

Electric vehicles (EVs) have had a surge in popularity, with a major push from the federal government to have people consider moving away from their internal combustion engine vehicles to electrified alternatives.

As these vehicles improve and evolve, companies have started exploring the potential uses for them outside of getting you through your morning commute.

To showcase the potential and power of its EVs, Ford of Canada partnered with New York-based filmmaker Danilo Parra to help him bring his short film, Mushroom, to life.

Ford

Mushroom is the story of an old forager who comes across a rare Matsutake mushroom, only to be confronted with a younger, more modern treasure hunter who’s also after the same mushroom. The two set up tents in the forest near the mushroom as it keeps growing bigger the longer their standoff holds.

Parra likes to play with surrealism and horror while adding elements of humour to his films — and this short film is no exception. The inspiration for Mushroom came from that feeling of wanting the last of something that someone else also wants.

“In Brooklyn, there are these electric bikes that you can rent on the street, but usually only one is left at each station. So there’s always this moment of approaching this last electric bike just as someone else is walking towards it,” Parra tells Daily Hive. “In Mushroom, instead of a bike, it’s a giant mushroom … [symbolizing] nature’s beauty which will live on past our human time on earth despite our greedy little actions on this planet.”

Ford

Parra stated that when Ford of Canada approached him to come up with a short film concept that could be powered by EVs*, this was the perfect project to bring to life. “In nature, there’s no place to plug lights in so these electric vehicles worked out great. We were able to bring the vehicles very close to set and they didn’t make any noise whatsoever,” says Parra.

With a range of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery EVs, Ford put its vehicles to the test by challenging Parra to power this short film using its EVs.

Film sets require a lot of power — the lighting, cameras, batteries, visual effects such as lightning and a windstorm, and even a coffee maker all need a source of power to run. Given Ford is one of the leading brands for EVs, both the Ford BEV Model F-150 Lightning® and E-Transit had the ability to keep the set running strong.

Because Ford’s Pro Power Onboard™^ allowed Parra to take electricity into places he might not otherwise have access to, he was allowed to be more creative by using more of the locations in the forest. “With the power from the vehicles, I realized I could alter the whole look of the forest with lighting, fog machines, and wind.”

Ford

The power from the F-150 Lightning® Platinum allowed the team to film for 10 hours through the night, only using 25% of its power†. On his past projects, Parra has used a more DIY approach when shooting, often reverting to a clunky plug that connects to a car’s cigar heater, which didn’t always work.

With the Ford F-150 Lightning®, Parra could execute effects that allowed them to change from a moonlight atmosphere to a lightning storm without wasting any gas or worrying about noise from a running car. “I think the crew had fun powering everything with a truck that could get so close to set. And the sound guy loved how quiet it was.”

The Ford E-Transit was also used as a post-production suite right on set, which allowed them to edit the film as they went. “This was helpful because if the edit didn’t flow, we could do a pick-up shot right away,” says Parra.

Even after running tests with the F-150® Lightning to make sure everything would run smoothly, Parra prepared a backup plan that they never ended up using.

Ford

Parra stated that he was excited about the filmmaking possibilities of this truck, as it will allow people to set up impromptu shots quickly.

“If you’re driving down the highway and see an awesome location but it’s too dark to shoot it, now you can. If you’re shooting a scene but realize it could look better with more fog, now you can plug a fogger in and have all the fog you need,” says Parra. “I didn’t expect that they would end up being creative powerhouses but I’m glad they can be used in this way.”

To learn more about the short film and the potential of electric vehicles, visit Ford’s website.

_{*The 2022 Ford Lightning® Platinum & two 2022 E-Transit Cargo Van RWD Low Roof were used in the production.}

_{^In production the 2022 Ford Lightning® Platinum used 9.6kw Pro Power Onboard^TM and the 2022 E-Transit Cargo Van RWD Low Roof used the available 2.4kW. See Owner’s Manual for important Pro Power Onboard^TM operating instructions.}

_{†Power from the 2022 F-150 Lightning® Platinum was used as needed over the course of 10 hours. See Owner’s Manual for important Pro Power Onboard^TM operating instructions.}