F1 Movie Looks Like an Automotive Commercial
In recent years, big budget films have been talked about not only for their stories but also for their visual world. However, F1, which was released in 2025, set an unusual example in this regard. Starring Brad Pitt and directed by Joseph Kosinski, the production created a common feeling in the audience from its first trailer: The film looked more like one of the world's most expensive automotive advertisements than a Hollywood production.
The reason for this perception is not only the aesthetic appearance of Formula 1 vehicles. The director's camera choices, use of lighting, color management and the way he conveys the real racing atmosphere into the film transform the cinematographic language used in automobile advertisements to date into a feature film.
Joseph Kosinski is not a foreign name in this regard. The director, who previously successfully brought the feeling of real speed to the big screen with Top Gun: Maverick, adopts the same approach in the F1 movie. However, this time, warplanes are being replaced by Formula 1 vehicles with speeds exceeding 300 kilometers per hour. The resulting visual world resembles a global advertising campaign of a high-end automobile brand rather than classic sports movies.
One of the most striking aspects of the film is that it creates the feeling of speed with real cameras, not computer effects. By placing specially developed lightweight camera systems on Formula 1 vehicles, the production team transports the audience directly into the cockpit. Thanks to this, images not only look impressive; The audience really feels like they are in the race. While many action movies today use intense visual effects, F1's reliance on real images as much as possible significantly increases the credibility of the movie.
The use of color is one of the important elements that supports this feeling of reality. Formula 1's natural color palette already has a strong visual language. Carbon fiber surfaces, bright sponsor logos, high-contrast lights of the pit areas and the asphalt texture of the tracks add an extra aesthetic to the film. The production team prefers to highlight this natural visual language rather than disrupt it. As a result, the film preserves the dynamism of the real racing atmosphere rather than artificial color adjustments.
Another reason why F1 feels like a commercial is that it uses brand integration in a natural way. Real Formula 1 teams, sponsors, tracks and race weekends are not just the background of the film, but become active parts of the narrative. Under normal circumstances, this much brand visibility in a movie would be distracting. However, due to the nature of the Formula 1 world, sponsor logos are already an integral part of this sport. Thus, the film combines advertising aesthetics with the natural flow of the story.
Camera movements also strengthen this approach. Thanks to low-angle shots, use of long telephoto lenses, high-speed tracking shots and dynamic cameras placed on the bodies of the vehicles, the audience not only watches the race; He's starting to feel the physical impact of the speed. These techniques can be considered as a cinema adaptation of the methods used in automotive advertisements for years.
The art direction of the film also bears a striking simplicity. Racing garages, engineering teams, pit areas and technical equipment are not overly stylized. Because Formula 1's own world already offers a strong enough aesthetic. The production design prefers to make this reality visible rather than changing it. This approach enhances the documentary feel of the film while also creating a premium brand experience.
When we look at the advertisements of luxury car brands today, we see a common language: natural light, minimal editing, a feeling of quality materials, quiet but powerful music and cinematography that emphasizes movement. The F1 movie uses exactly this language. For this reason, many viewers subconsciously connect with the perception of quality created by automobile advertisements while watching the movie.
As Voldi Creative, we do not consider the F1 movie only as a sports movie. For us, this production is a strong example of how close cinema and advertising aesthetics can be to each other. Because a good advertisement doesn't just sell products, it offers an experience. A good movie doesn't just tell a story, it transports the audience into that world. This is exactly where F1's success lies: by combining the technical discipline of commercial cinematography with cinema narrative, it creates an unforgettable experience, both visually and emotionally.
Nur Oğuz