BlackGinger worked closely with director Bruno Bossi of Giant films and agency FoxP2 to create the cinematic new commercial for Mweb ADSL Service Provider.

The visual effects and animation for Mweb's "Lost" commercial involved creating thousands of flocking paper planes. All the planes were computer generated with the exception of the first few shots where the plane is in the girl’s hand.

This project required accurate 3d tracking in order to get matching 3d cameras for the many aerial shots filmed from a helicopter over Cape Town. We then generated complex particle systems in order the get the planes to fly with the characteristics of huge bird flocks. Added complexity was needed to get the splitting and recombining of thousands of planes pushing the organic, purposeful and fluid feeling of the planes as they needed to feel like they where being guided towards a destination. Close up "hero" planes that required more specific character and choreography were hand animated. This was then combined with computer systems that would unfold, deform and stick the planes to an approaching surface.

Lighting was then carefully matched and textures and paper characteristics such as edge flapping and bending were crafted, finally being composited, graded and integrated in Flame.

This commercial is spotlighted in Screen Africa’s “Cannes Contenders” feature in the run up to the Cannes Advertising Awards and has received a great response locally.

MWEB soars to new heights |