Strepsils commercial takes advantage of Disguise’s Virtual Production workflow
Virtual Production
Strepsils may be a 65-year-old brand but the venerable throat lozenges manufactured by Reckitt took advantage of Disguise's cutting-edge virtual production workflow, delivered by MGX Studio in Istanbul.
In this case study you will discover how four Disguise vx 1 and vx 2 media servers, working in conjunction with four rx render nodes, was an end-to-end solution for the studio’s virtual production – enhancing efficiency and creativity for the entire production team.
“Strepsils Defence,” a TV commercial for the Turkish market, details the benefits of using their lozenges by showing a young woman at a birthday party and a young man riding the subway, both of them anxious about their health in crowded situations. Reckitt, a British multinational consumer goods company, and ad agency Havas Istanbul both recognized that virtual production offered the advantages of time and content management, fast creation of setups and universes, and reduction in energy consumption. Shooting the entire commercial spot on-location would have increased the number of shoot days and included a night shoot, while virtual production required just a single in-studio day. Designing and modifying the 3D animated sequence to meet the needs of the brand was also more efficient and interactive via virtual production. As such, they turned to MGX Studio to help make their vision a reality.
The challenge
The project’s production process took about two weeks for MGX Studio, which included presenting visual progress instantly to Reckitt, Murphy Cobb & Associates global production management services, Havas Istanbul and Istanbul production company Shortcut. While it was Shortcut’s first experience with virtual production, MGX Studio has produced more than 25 projects in two years, giving stakeholders reassurance that the project was set up for success.
The solution
The commercials director Senem Bay and DP Arınç Arısoy, the Havas team and MGX Studio collaborated to ensure that the visual quality they desired was achieved. Having all the creative departments lodged comfortably in the studio instead of on-location, promoted greater time and energy management. The content management tools provided by Disguise and the workflow chart that shortened those processes helped MGX Studio to think more creatively and advance the virtual production process. The commercial featured a 9600 x 1536 pixel, curved LED screen and an LED ceiling to create the party backdrop of a beautiful glasshouse or solarium environment. The subway scene used a flat LED backdrop and subway car exterior and interior sets, creating the effect of the crowded train in motion. The 3D animated sequence linked the two scenarios with key product details.
It is a great comfort for us that Disguise equipment makes our workflow incredibly easy. We used Disguise as an end-to-end solution, proceeding in a comfortable way thanks to its flexibility with content management and the convenience it provided us.
Project Manager, MGX Studio
2
weeks of pre-planning
1
day spent shooting
Success
From the viewer’s perspective, the content projected onto the LED screens in the studio looked so realistic that the audience felt as if they actually were attending the party and packed into the subway – one of the great benefits of immersive virtual production.
MGX Studio was happy to partner with a global brand Reckitt and deliver great results to a first-time virtual production client. The stakeholders saw there are no limits to what virtual technology can do – they were fascinated by the technology and very happy with the results.