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"Pepsi's
'Sumo' spot was the commercial most liked
by viewers during a recent poll of July
05"
Source: AdAge.com Online Edition |
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Framestore NY Creates VFX For New Pepsi Spot Via
BBDO
What happens when you cross a bottle of Pepsi and two roasted
chickens? Answer: a wrestling match in Framestore NY and BBDO's
new :30 spot for Pepsi entitled 'Sumo'.
"The challenge was trying to make realistic, edible chickens,
while giving the animators freedom to move the chickens however
they liked, well beyond the movement a real chicken can achieve,"
said Andy Walker, 3D Animator, Framestore NY. "All areas needed
to be strong with a robust character setup, complex shaders
to make it look succulent and animation with the right balance
of humor, weight and realism."
'Sumo' opens with a young man toting a two litre bottle of
Pepsi into a convenience store to buy himself a roasted chicken.
After the cashier asks him which of the two chickens he would
prefer, the man bends down to get a closer look at the golden
brown birds in the deli showcase. When the chickens feel his
presence and catch a glimpse of his Pepsi bottle, the spot
quickly turns into a bizarre lesson in survival of the fittest.
The two chickens suddenly pop up and begin to sumo wrestle
as the young man watches in awe. Unfazed, the cashier provides
occasional commentary. 'Sumo' ends with one chicken being
thrown out of the display case and the victorious chicken
is awarded the honor of being tonight's dinner.
Framestore NY used a standard 3D Maya/Mental Ray pipeline
as well as a large selection of in house tools created during
their long experience in creature and character work for film,
television and commercials. Proprietary skinning and dynamic
muscle systems helped to hold the shape of the chicken character
as well as allow efficient character design changes.
"The entire fight was planned prior to the shoot," said Murray
Butler, VFX Supervisor, Framestore NY. "Using footage we shot
of actual sumo wrestlers, the director was able to cut an
entire sequence and even decide on general angels for each
shot. The fight footage was then adapted to work with the
CGI chickens we built. We shot real roasted chickens in position
for reflections, shadows and general look reference. We also
made sure we shot real focus pulls and glass reflection passes
to ensure that our effects looked optical as possible." |
