Movie maker Paul WS Anderson, the director behind such films as Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil, has crafted a 90 second 3D timelapse commercial for Deutsche Telekom in Germany. And it's the first time that such techniques have been used... ever.

Produced by the team at The Mob (a production company based in Manchester, UK, and LA, US), the advert, titled 1000 things, also stars Oscar-winner Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds), who has been working with Anderson recently on the new version of The Three Musketeers (out in October later this year, and also shot in 3D). 

1000 Things will be shown in its entirety worldwide at trade shows, exhibitions and festivals, while a 60-second version will air in 3D cinemas across Germany. Smaller, cut-down versions will also be broadcast on German TV.

Shooting was undertaken over five days on location in LA, with additional shots filmed in Berlin, and while some commercials have been converted to 3D, this was entirely captured with stereoscopic cameras. It was some task, including the need to create new technologies, just for the shoot: "Paul set us quite a challenge on Telekom, shooting high speed, time-lapse and aerials all in stereo," says Vern Nobles, Anderson's long-time collaborating director of photography. "Shooting in Berlin and Los Angeles with as many as 30 set ups a day, we also needed to get the gear tested and ready over the Christmas Holiday. There was not one camera system that could do everything Paul wanted and we had to invent some new tech along the way.

"Tom Hallman from Pictorvision put together, at short notice, a stereo gyro stabilised helicopter system that we'd developed after Resident Evil 4 and we couldn't have done it all without the help of Vince Pace and the Pace fusion 3D system. Vince and Jim Hays opened their doors and gave us complete support, letting us come in over the Christmas holiday and build the systems.

"We ended up using Arri Alexia on the Pace Fusion rig for stereo time lapse, 24fps and 60fps in Los Angeles with master primes and Red MX and master primes in Germany for High Speed and 24fps, with Red MX and 17-80 zooms in the helicopter."

And even a Canon 7D was utilised: "The Canon 7D system with ultra primes was used for time-lapse when objects were not too close to the camera."

Watch a 2D version of 1000 Things here: www.mobfilm.com/latest-news