PUMA x Arsenal We Are The Arsenal Shanghai, China
Commercial / Sports fan film
Shanghai production support for PUMA x Arsenal fan films
For We Are The Arsenal, a PUMA x Arsenal home-kit launch project built around fan films from Shanghai, London, New York and Mumbai, Alchemist Films worked as Shanghai local fixer and production support for Perform Group. The Shanghai brief covered real-supporter casting, location research, crew and equipment planning, access and permits, visiting-team logistics, shoot coordination and footage handoff.
- Project
- We Are The Arsenal
- Brands
- PUMA / Arsenal
- Format
- Home-kit launch fan-film project
- Production partner
- Perform Group
- Shanghai production
- April
- Public release
- July
- Alchemist Films role
- Shanghai local fixer and production support
How Alchemist Films supported the Shanghai production
Real-supporter casting and liaison
Sourced Shanghai Arsenal supporters beyond a single outreach channel, organized casting material for London review and kept participant communication aligned with the developing brief.
Location research and repeat scouts
Researched and revisited the Bund, traditional-street, e-bike, restaurant, bar and football options so the visiting director and camera team could choose workable Shanghai contexts.
Local crew, equipment and data handling
Planned camera-assistant support, on-set data handling, sound and lighting, equipment and drives for a compact mobile unit around the overseas-led production.
Access and production preparation
Coordinated location-access and permit needs alongside wardrobe, props, hair and makeup, and other Shanghai production preparation.
Visiting-team and shoot logistics
Handled airport pickup, hotel, transport, catering and local movement across two preparation days and two main shoot days in Shanghai.
Footage and post-shoot handoff
Supported footage and rushes transfer into Perform Group's London post-production workflow and coordinated the return of project wardrobe and product after filming.
Shanghai supporter stories within the wider fan-film format
Turning supporter casting into a workable Shanghai shoot
The project used one shared film format with different fans in each city. The Shanghai production depended on finding supporters who could speak on camera, then connecting their availability with practical locations and a compact call sheet.
Casting, repeat scouting and direct participant liaison moved together so the visiting team could film real supporter stories without separating people from the places around them.
- Cast through more than one route Supporter-group outreach was supplemented with wider online recruitment so the Shanghai segment did not depend on a single source.
- Match people to practical locations The shortlist connected fans with Bund, traditional-street, restaurant and bar settings that could work within the shoot.
- Keep participation inside the call sheet Casting links, repeat scouts and participant availability were updated against the April 7-8 production window.
Supporter identity, Arsenal colours and Shanghai context
The visual treatment connects real supporter portraits with recognizable PUMA and Arsenal details across Shanghai streets, waterways and fan environments.
Alchemist Films handled the practical Shanghai layer: finding fans and places, coordinating people and production, and supporting the visiting team through filming and handoff.
Shared format, local people
The shared storyboard structure was localized with Shanghai supporters and the places around them.
Wardrobe within the production plan
PUMA and Arsenal product was coordinated for filming and returned through the Shanghai production contact after the shoot.
Shanghai-specific settings
The Bund, traditional streets and everyday fan environments placed the supporter stories in a recognizably local context.
Four planning decisions for a supporter-led Shanghai shoot
This case highlights four practical decisions for overseas brands, agencies and production teams planning a supporter-led commercial or real-people shoot in Shanghai.
Build casting beyond one contact
Use several recruitment routes, allow time for self-tapes or casting links, and keep participant communication active as the brief changes.
Scout around people and movement
Test locations for access, sound, transport, participant availability and unit movement, not only for the strongest frame.
Keep a small unit operational
Plan local crew, equipment, data handling, transport and catering as one mobile system when the shoot moves quickly through real Shanghai locations.
Plan footage handoff before shooting
Confirm drives, on-set data-handling responsibilities, upload or courier routes, and the receiving post-production workflow before the first shoot day.
Related production planning: Shanghai video production support video production coordination in China location scouting and filming permits in China China production and fixer support
