05/30/2024
After nearly a year of planning, our team produced this promotional Audi spot to increase the visibility and accessibility of larger virtual production opportunities in our region.
Like any filmmaking tool, Virtual Production is a wonderful resource to have in the arsenal, and we wanted to create a comprehensive product to showcase not just our end result capabilities but also to showcase and teach the process of the technology to our clients and community. So we partnered with The Pine Box Studios, Vp Toolkit, Catalyst Virtual, and Expressway Cinema Rentals to create a cinematic spot, accompanied by an all-encompassing in-depth behind-the-scenes look into the project’s creation.
This project originated with our Director Nic Reader developing the concept, shots, and storyboards while EP Mike Gualtieri and Producer/PM Joe Leonard started putting the pieces together to make it a possibility. Our longtime pal and collaborator Brian Market from the Pine Box Studios opened the doors and gave us carte blanche to all of their magical resources. The Pine Box’s Ryan Ward led the charge from the logistical and rigging approach for all lighting and the LED wall essentials. Format then teamed up with Ian Fursa and VP Toolkit to create the 3D environments in Unreal Engine as the immense LED wall construction began. With a 35’ wide backdrop, a 30’ horizontal LED wall for top reflections, and two 13’ high LED wild walls, we could bring the spot to life and surround the talent and hero vehicle with ease.
We shot using an Alexa 35 - which has an internal genlock option so we could seamlessly sync with the virtual wall. We decided to shoot this project with Cooke anamorphic lenses to enhance the cinematic quality while enhancing the luxury style and feel of the spot.
Our new friends at Winner Auto in Wilmington, DE generously donated a brand new Audi e-tron to the project and have been a valuable partner throughout production and post-production. With production wrapped, Format’s Post Supervisor Andrew Kunkle took the wheel in post-production as we brought the spot to life. Format’s Daniel Haddaway and Mark Melchiorre created CGI shots that were added throughout to augment the in-camera footage. Our longtime pal Ben Wong from Dragon Fly Audio Post and Rob Bessette from Color Refinery added the final touches to the sound and color respectively to bring the spot across the finish line.
Every live-action scene in the entire spot was generated in Unreal Engine and captured in-studio over the course of just one single production day. Virtual production is a great tool that allows us to transport to multiple complex environments quickly and seamlessly. With this tool, we were able to bypass any company moves, process trailers, weather conditions, and multi-day/night filming.
Check out the final results below and an in-depth behind-the-scenes look linked in the comments!
Watch the BEHIND THE SCENES here: https://youtu.be/bovx7s2bYwoFormat goes virtual! We teamed up with the Pine Box Studios, VP Toolkit, Catalyst (and many mor...
