We were contacted by VIA Agency to create photo-real CG for their client LL Bean. We made 5 x :30s spots, with the first 20 seconds consisting of macros CG shots of LL Bean’s winter product line. The spots then transition to 10 second live-action lifestyle shots. The lifestyle scenes were shot in Chile, where we were co-directors alongside the agency.

PRE PRODUCTION | CGI MODEL

Everything for LLBean was created from scratch, modelling, texture, shade and light. Creating the 5 products in CG as opposed to shooting them live gave us the ultimate control with camera and timing.

Shooting live would have needed a motion control camera with pre-planned moves involving a lot of RnD on the upfront. Ultimately, some extreme macro shots or internal shoe shots would be impossible. With the asset now digitized, we can make multiple deliveries from this in the future, for a much more efficient cost. 

The largest aspect to the CG was to create the ultra-high res textures and materials that reacts beautifully with lighting, the camera moves needed to feel big and so every detail was featured.
Using a combination of procedural texture creation and multi angle scanning, using a tool called substance designer, we were able to capture every detail realistically. 
Our Artists were able to utilize these technologies along with all the other aspects of the footwear like fur grooming and sculpting geometry that was necessary to pull the shot off. The final stage of shading requires a very specific eye for detail and a specialised knowledge of materials to finesse the right attributes to feel better than the real thing. 

Almost all of our projects use Pre-visualization to better understand the main features of a video, this is especially important when working with VFX and Live Action, so that everybody is informed on what we need to film on the big day.
It also helps understand timing and flow editorially for all the CG shots, so that we can choreograph our movement between shots to feel connected.
As you can see from the previz to the final, how closely it followed the direction, this all helps to build an efficient production that educates everyone involved so everybody keeps focusing on the right things at the right times.