Wunderman Thompson

About The Project

We are proud to share our recent Live/CGI collaboration for Wunderman Thompson Health.The success of the project was largely due to our creative partnership with the agency whose artistic vision and strong story made the process seamless. We were challenged to visually convey the tension between two battling horse-drawn chariots, as one pushes ahead, the hero’s breakthrough is visualized as he breaks through a glass barrier emerging triumphantly on the other side.

 

 

 

 

 

Process

VFX OVERVIEW

Creating photorealistic running horses, breaking through glass requires a combination of technical expertise and attention to detail.  While our team has extensive experience creating realistic animals, this project had some specific challenges; the talent had to travel a great distance, with horses running on a slippery surface and then break through a glass wall.

When we shot the live action, the stage was not large enough to capture the distance the talent would have to travel. To solve that, we scanned the talent at the shoot and created a digital double so he could travel great distances and crash through a glass wall without placing him in danger.

Achieving realistic muscle simulation that emulates the complex dynamics of a running horse is challenging. To achieve this, we used the ziva muscle system along with accurately modeling the horse’s musculature and interaction with skin.

The second part to making the horses believable is the animation, composition.

Starting with dynamic camera angles and movements we composed the motion to enhance the horse’s heroism. The lower angles helped make the horse appear more imposing, while dynamic tracking shots helped to convey the excitement of a heroic action. Secondary animations including the talent’s clothing, the horse’s mane, and tail, helped to emphasize the movement making the scene feel more majestic.

Project

Wunderman Thompson

Client

Wunderman Thompson Health
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