To promote the reinvented Hyundai i30, this film captures the prior version of the car plummeting to terra firma from the stratosphere. Gripping shots of the falling car were achieved through a combination of full CGI, rendered with Redshift in Maya, and shots of a real i30 suspended by a crane. The car was then rotoscoped and dropped into one of the falling skydiving plates, seamlessly marrying the two elements together.
Once the car hits the ground, the stunning impact (powered by explosives and tennis balls filled with dirt) kicks up its own cloud, from which emerges the new i30.
Daniel Askill directed the piece, titled “Fall,” via production house Collider for agency Innocean Australia. VFX/post studio on the job was Fin Design + Effects.
“Dan [Askill] wanted to film as many in-camera moments as possible,” commented Justin Bromley, VFX supervisor at Fin. “We were able to advise fully on the overall approach regarding the blend of VFX and practical effects thanks to our early involvement in the creative process. While a last-minute change in location from Broken Hill, New South Wales, to Flinders Ranges, South Australia, meant that the scenery matched very closely to the director’s vision set out in pre-viz–vast open outback desert and clear blue skies–perhaps the skies were almost too clear as we created a huge amount of CGI clouds for the car to actually fall through. I’ve worked with Dan before, but not on something as complex and FX-heavy as this spot. His collaborative attitude and openness to our creative input really allowed us to take the creative ball and run with it, which made for a fantastic and rewarding experience. It’s always great when the initial vision in your head matches the final images that go to air!”
The impact upon landing was captured high-speed at 1,000-frames-per-second; the in-camera shots were then tuned extensively in compositing. Rather than grading footage in one big session, Fin opted to grade in Flame with the option of being able to constantly adjust the look in line with the evolution of the creative. Initial color tests were carried out with Askill as a conceptual reference, then applied to every shot as the final composites were completed, resulting in a beautiful overall finish.
Alastair Stephen, Fin Design + Effects EP, who oversaw the project through from conception to delivery, commented: “There was a strong understanding and trust between the entire team, which was informed by our shared collaborative history and high level of creative all around. Fin’s relationship with Collider goes way back, and we’ve partnered with Steve [Jackson, ECD of INNOCEAN], and Dan in the past. This meant that we could channel our focus towards what was best for the project, which was all the more important considering the tight turnaround.”
