Zodiac goes deep blue

Paradox Films, selected as the production coordinating facility for the project, recommended the newly established Firefly Animation Studio for the project. Their interpretation and understanding of the brief, experience, and enthusiasm made them the ideal partner to create the complex photorealism and seamless integrated imagery for the new Zodiac G4 television commercial.

The technical challenge to Firefly was to create CGI material from different platforms of input (CAD, motion video footage, graphics) for the output into different platforms and formats for television, video, web, and large outdoor print.

The creative challenge was meeting the expectations of the agency-client-production team. Interpreting the brief for the new creative concept to deliver an innovative and memorable reveal of the Zodiac G4 meant that Firefly's team of animators had to tell the story of the "Main Attraction" well through superb seamless animation of photo-real CGI, revealing unexpected product detail and features, and presenting it as a dramatic visual experience.

The "Main Attraction" concept is a viewer's journey through an aquarium where popular attractions are upstaged by a new arrival on the scene, drawing large crowds. First, motion video footage of the crowd scene scripted, was captured by Paradox Films in a chroma-key set studio. A motion-tracking rig was placed on set to allow for the 3D composition in post.

Firefly then created the master 3D grid with 3D cameras for the virtual aquarium tour, allowing the viewer to journey past various tanks and finally, through a crowd of people, travels into a water tank to finally observe in extreme detail the new Zodiac G4 unit in operation.

Then the wire-frame structures for the shark, octopus and small tropical fish were generated and clad. Animated bone rigs were then activated to provide movement and action. And, from converted CAD technical drawings, the hero, the Zodiac G4 unit, was constructed and brought to life along a controlled motion path.

The final optical effects including refractions, particle effects, and caustics, combined with various textured layers and lighting, were added to create the ideal environments of the aquarium, both inside and outside the water tanks.

Digital effects used included fogging, blurs and warps. A total of five line tests were done though out the production as checkpoints for timings, models, animation, lighting and compositing before the final render was made.

Additional renderings of the unit in exploded 3D form as well as the adapting the original CGI material was made for use in a national sales conference launch video. Screen savers for computer systems are currently in production.

Finally, a static rendering of the unit was rendered for use on billboards.

The successful completion of this complex production within budget and timeframe was achieved through careful planning, integrated coordination of activities, and the intimate involvement in the project of all stakeholders.