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LUCOZADE
'JUNGLE LARA'
Animal
Logic made film experience a priority
in its choice of staff for the latest
Lucozade spot. The commercial once
again features arguably the world's
most famous computer game icon, Lara
Croft.
But
while our hero was the same, the challenges
this time around were quite different.
Producer Lara Bowden explains that
the project was a massive task due
to a new level of intricacy: " In
this latest spot we worked on pushing
the creative boundaries to make the
CGI more filmic."
Director
Peter McDonald adapted his film direction
training from national film school
AFTRS (Australian Film and TV & Radio
School) and his extensive work in
film shorts and animation, to help
with all creative aspects of the Lucozade
spot. These included overseeing the
design on the storyboarding, motion
capture, a live-action shoot, and
producing character voiceovers with
talent in London whilst still in Sydney.
Over
an eleven week schedule, the extensive
Animal Logic team put in two hundred
days of animation time to finesse
the Lara Croft character.
CGI
Director of Photography Craig Welsh,
who designed the lighting of the animation,
translated his experience as a cinematographer
to the digital realm. Whip pans, overshoots,
hand-held effects and over-exposure
were all purposely added to create
a feeling of cinematic realism. Welsh
says "I run tests and try to create
accidents" as a way of embellishing
the qualities on the CGI.
Interestingly,
when it came to designing the feel
and ambience of the new jungle environment,
Welsh turned to a favourite piece
of art for inspiration. "Decline of
the Cartheginian Empire', a painting
by Turner provided me with the reference
I wanted for the jungle landscape
and skies" says Welsh. This lead to
a sky that was more a watercolour
yellow than a typical flat CGI blue.
The artwork also provided a model
for the lighting volumetrics.
This
meant that the CG environment could
be lit to take advantage of a jungle
mist quality. Welsh also added different
CGI lighting effects such as a shards
of light through dense foliage and
dappled effects.
Lastly,
realistic and detailed CGI character
work was produced by animators Rachael
Ward, Craig Baxter and Justin Mettam.
Their painstaking attention to facial
expressions and human movement translates
into unique human characteristics
that endow the CGI characters with
personality. These qualities provide
much of the humour for the commercial
when a butch new character takes on
a camp persona during a break in trying
to destroy Lara Croft.
Overall,
the random nature of these design
elements combine to give the Lucozade
spot a feeling of cinematic verisimilitude.
All of these 'imperfections' help
to extend the interactivity and believability
of Lara Croft, allowing the viewer
to appreciate the action and attitude
of the commercial and its added layer
of realism.
Copyright
© 2006 Animal Logic
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