Six tennis legends. Eight VFX worlds. โCall Of The Kingsโ is a trailer promoting Riyadh Seasonโs โSix Kings Slam,โ a one-of-its-kind tennis tournament. This five-minute film was developed by BigTime Creative Shop and directed by Los Pรฉrez, with visual effects from Electric Theatre Collective.
Tennis players Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune and Jannick Sinner star, each integrated into a bespoke VFX environment which mirrors their unique skill set. Djokovic, synonymous with mental strength, uses his power to stop a hurtling ball, whilst King-of-clay-courts Nadal shatters a gigantic clay effigy to take his shot. A viking explosion on seriously choppy waters, a near-invisible robot in a sandstorm and an armor-clad roaring bear are other elements of the film, deploying assorted VFX disciplines.
Fire torches, crumbling rocks, exploding waves, parting oceans, creature animation, flaming tennis courts, electric rackets, avalanches and other FX elements were crafted in Houdini, while traditional digital matte painting allowed for set extension and enhancement throughout.
With a host of celebrity talent with tight diaries shot against green screens and set builds, Electric Theatre Collective began concepting the scenes from the early stages, gathering photographic references, utilizing Midjourney and drafting concept art, while considering lighting and camera language and timing in pre-vis. Meanwhile, photogrammetry scans of sand dunes and cliffs helped to cement a huge scale 3D world, allowing for dynamic camera moves which are integral to the flow of the campaign.
Dean Robinson, CG creative director, commented, โThis job was far bigger and broader than anything Electric has ever dealt with before. The film is almost entirely in post, like a full CG feature or a Marvel film. The project had a tight turnaround due to the playersโ schedules, so we eagerly hit the ground running, working with Los Pรฉrez to world-build eight distinct environments, each with its own VFX challenges. The end result is a true homage to visual effects and Electricโs unfaltering crew.โ
Held at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, โSix Kings Slamโ runs from today (10/16) through Oct. 19.
Client Riyadh Season Agency BigTime Creative Shop, Mohamed Sehly, CEO; Rayyan Aoun, chief creative officer; Inas Nagy, sr. producer. Production Co-produced by Truffle Film & Grayskull Los Perez, directors; Michel Abou Zeid, Cynthia Chammas, exec producers (Truffle); Mary Bou Aki, head of postproduction (Truffle); Maria Awika, sr. producer (Truffle); Elissa Massaad, head of research (Truffle); Dani Monedero, Jesus Alamo, exec producers (Grayskull); Alvaro Priante, international exec producer (Grayskull); Agata Bert, producer (Grayskull); Pau Castejon, DP; Jose Tirado, production designer; Nuria Dura, costume designer; Ramon Morejon, editor.ย VFX Electric Theatre Collective; Ryan Knowles, Dean Robinson, creative directors; Dorianne Fibleuil, Matteo La Motta, Gareth Bell, Beck Selmes, Will Medcalf, Jack Powell, CG VFX supervisors; Scott Ryan, Taran Spear, David Filipe, James Belch, Alberto Pizzocchero, Constantin Von Zitzewitz, Alex Snookes, 2D VFX supervisors; Fabrice Fiteni, animation director; Luke Morrison, colorist; Antonia Vlasto, exec producer; Joe Billington, sr. producer; Rose Corbett, producer. Titles Electric Studios Sound Design 750mph Music 2WEI Music
Snickers, BBDO NY, Director Pete Marquis Celebrate Halloween With A Twerking Zombie
A Halloween lawn display is a beautiful thing, putting you and onlookers into the mood of the season. But things can go awry if you put your display piece together while in need of a snack. Exhibit A comes in the form of this Snickers spot, โZombie,โ in which a large mechanical zombie doesnโt exactly look menacing as intended. Instead heโs twerking like crazy. A mother and child pass by--she has a look of disbelief and then shoos her kid away from the gyrating zombie.
The couple who set up the zombie mull over what went wrong. The wife concludes they must have missed a step in the directions. Her hubby is a bit bewildered. A supered message appears on screen: โConfused. Maybe you just need a Snickers.โ
Pete Marquis directed โZombieโ via production house Good Behavior for BBDO New York.
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