Visual effects and content creation studio The Mill teamed with J. Walter Thompson Atlanta to create “Anthem,” a fully CGI spot for the United States Marine Corps.
Anthem is an ode to the Marines that speaks to the nobility of their fighting spirit–a spirit that lives in their hearts and is manifested as a promise they’ve made to their country. The spot depicts iconic Marine Corps battles–both figurative battles recruits fight to earn the title and literal ones in combat–made to form one large Marine sculpture.
Directed by The Mill’s ECD Ben Smith, Anthem celebrates the past and inspires the future through a series of epic moments of heroism immortalized in CGI by a team of VFX artists.
Although completed within CGI, the spot is cinematic in style, employing traditional camera movements, focus, lighting and texture within the CGI environment.
“From beginning to end, this project was all about authenticity. We wanted the final results to feel as real as the epic moments in history we were depicting,” said Smith. “We spent a lot of time researching genuine, specific moments from history that personified Marine Corps values of honor, courage, and commitment. We strived to faithfully recreate the craft and material finishes of bronze sculpture work, and used lighting and cinematography to underpin the sense of realism.”
Credits
Client United States Marine Corps Agency J. Walter Thompson Atlanta Vann Graves, chief creative officer; Tom Wilson, creative director; Brian Steele, copywriter; Daniel Prado, Michael Powell, art directors; Brad Powell, producer. Production Mill+ Ben Smith, director; Chris Kiser, exec producer; Nick Strange Thye, sr. producer; Tom Basis, Tyler Richardson, Eve Grissinger, research & story development. Editorial The Mill Ryan McKenna, Alex Trierweiler, editors. VFX & Design The Mill Chris Kiser, exec producer; Nick Strange Thye, sr. producer; Ben Smith, creative director; Kyle Cody, 2D lead artist; Tom Bardwell, Olivier Varteressian, David Fleet, 3D lead artists; Molly Intersimone, Dae Yoon Kang, 2D artists; Arman Matin, Paul Liaw, Ivan Joy, Nick Couret, Ylli Orana, Yong, Chan Kim, Jimmy San, Jackie Liao, Adam Dewhirst, Zed Bennett, Will Atkin, Alex Allain, Aton Lerin, Rachel Start, Navdeep Singh, Mike Garcia, Juan Carlos Barquet, Anna Cardillo, Justin Miller, Christina Ku, Jonathan McCoy, Incheol Jeong, 3D artists; Anthony Dodero, Ian Bradley, art department; Elena Orlova, Michael Brown, production coordinators; Josh Frankel, animation lead/3D layout. Color The Mill Fergus McCall, colorist; Dee Allen, exec producer, color; Natalie Westerfield, color producer; Evan Bauer, color coordinator.
This trailer promotes Charge Around The Globe, a new adventure docuseries that follows record-breaking traveler Lexie Limitless on an extraordinary journey to circumnavigate the globe in an electric vehicle--traveling over 30,000 kilometers across six continents, all in pursuit of one world record. The three-part series on Prime Video in the U.K. showcases the capabilities of modern electric vehicles while immersing viewers in the numerous experiences and challenges Lexie encounters throughout her journey. As she navigates various challenges throughout her trip, Charge Around the Globe serves as a testament to the spirit of exploration. Ford, Wieden+Kennedy London and WracK teamed on the series.
The documentary aims to address the primary concern hindering many consumers from transitioning to electric: doubts about the range and capability of electric vehicles. As a 120-year-old brand, Ford looked to its past as inspiration for the switch that’s taking place today. Over a century ago, pioneering explorer Aloha Wanderwell set off from Nice at the age of 16 to become the first woman to drive around the world in a Ford Model T. Now, in 2024, we get to see Lexie, the youngest person to visit every country in the world, take to the wheel of the electric Ford Explorer, reinventing that historic journey for a new generation. Along the way, she meets extraordinary people, navigates difficult terrains, and faces the challenges of a constantly evolving charging infrastructure that puts her to the test.
“Charge Around The Globe has been the ultimate test drive for our new electric Ford Explorer. We took on every kind of weather and road condition and dealt with just about every charging scenario. The journey embodies the true... Read More
