Photographer/Director Nate Ryan led the charge on a lightning-fast production for General Mills, capturing NFL stars Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Ja’Marr Chase for a high-profile cereal box campaign. With less than 48 hours notice before the first shoot and a schedule spanning three time zones, Ryan balanced intense logistics with a sharp creative focus. His goal: to create clean, bold portraits that would hold their own against the saturated colors of the packaging ensuring the athletes’ faces didn’t get lost behind their helmets.
In addition to the week-long packaging shoot, Ryan partnered with Epoch Films to capture on-set and behind-the-scenes stills and video alongside the broadcast production. “I never really expected to ‘be’ on the cover of a cereal box, but we are!” he said. “I grew up with a Twins ‘87 World Series box in my closet, so this was a full-circle moment.” Becky DaWald, Executive Producer at General Mills, praised the effort: “Lightning-speed execution, super-human flexibility, amazing results! What a team.”
See images and video from the project below. For more of Nate’s work, visit his Workbook portfolio.
