These are early test we did after being briefed on the job:
The deadline was crazy tight, so we devised a workflow around Softimage's efficient ICE framework and renderer Arnold. The balls were simulated using Lagoa for fast calculations of the collisions between the individual balls. The result: revisions were superfast to process and even our preview renders had motion blur ticked on.
The properly rendered motion blur and depth of field was integral to the quality of the final result. A fake post-blur just would not cut it with this mass of thousands and thousands of CG balls.
The job went through a pre-production phase where we tried different behaviours for the balls. At some point, we had them defying real-world physics.
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The final edit called for something more believable though, and we ended up with reactions that feel more natural and in-camera.
Once the particle system's behaviour was nailed down for the Francois ad, we could adjust it for the subsequent Toya commercial. The animation for the balls on Francois' ad was more "rock-and-roll" and grungy, while Toya's were more controlled to match the mood of the dubstep music.
This was director Louis Minnaar's first commercial film and we're very proud to have helped pull it off. It rocks (and dubsteps?)!!
CREDITS:
Agency: Jupiter Drawing Room (Cape Town)
Executive Creative Director: Jonathan Beggs
Copywriter: Jonathan Warncker
Art Director: Hayley de Vantier
Production Company: What We Want
Director: Louis Minnaar
Executive Producer: Erik De Jager
Producers: Vanessa La Trobe, Michelle Kruger
VFX: BFX Studios
VFX Producer: Leigh Human
Flame: Jean du Plessis
CG Artists: Yolandi Meiring, Amanda Goosen
Watch the full ads here:
Francois Van Coke
Toya Delazy