Case Study:
Ford Fiesta ST & Mondeo ST – Sky Sports Football Idents
Client: Ford UK / Boutique Productions
Location: Michael Ryan Studios, Wimbledon, London
Service: Onsite window tinting for filming shoots
The Challenge
In 2014, Ford UK worked with Sky Sports and Boutique Productions to produce a series of idents featuring the Fiesta ST and the newly launched fourth-generation Mondeo ST to coincide with their UK market debut in late 2014/early 2015. The idents were part of Ford’s Premier League sponsorship, requiring the energy of football to be reflected across the car panels, creating the illusion that each vehicle was immersed in live football action.
Multiple brand-new vehicles had to be prepared for high-speed filming in a studio with carefully controlled lighting and reflections. The Tint Shop role was critical in managing the cars’ glass surfaces so that reflections could be captured and adjusted as needed during shooting.
The Solution
Filming took place in a studio with black surroundings to allow maximum control over reflections and lighting. Multiple Fiesta ST and Mondeo ST vehicles were on-site, including red, white, and blue cars. Red was ultimately selected for the final idents, as it produced the clearest and most dynamic reflections.
The tint shop trialled different tint shades — 5%, 15%, 20%, and 35% — to determine the best balance for reflections. The 20% tint was selected for the final shoots, providing optimal clarity and consistency across all sequences.
All glass on every vehicle, including windscreens, was tinted to achieve the correct level of reflection for filming. Onsite tinting was applied to allow rapid adjustments between sequences. The team worked closely with Boutique Productions, following recommendations from producer Dan Smith and director David Perry, to ensure each vehicle’s windows were ready for every take.
The setup involved filming footballers performing kicks, volleys, and dives against a green screen, captured with high-speed cameras and multiple lighting angles. Vehicles had to be prepared for each shot so that reflections were clean and consistent, allowing the post-production team to map football action onto the car panels seamlessly.
Once all shooting was complete, The tint shop removed the tint from every vehicle before they returned to dealerships.
The Outcome
The collaboration resulted in over 100 unique idents for Sky Sports during the 2014/2015 Premier League season. The tint shop work ensured that brand-new Fiesta ST and Mondeo ST vehicles were ready for rapid, repeated takes and that reflections behaved correctly for post-production.
Fiesta ST and Mondeo ST vehicles became the signature cars in the idents, with dynamic football reflections creating visually striking results. The project highlighted the importance of expert onsite tinting in supporting technically demanding filming shoots and ensuring a smooth, successful production.
The tint shop delivered reliable, precise results across multiple vehicles and sequences, contributing to the campaign’s overall impact and the vehicles’ launch visibility.
