MPC Revs Up Global Pipeline for Mercedes
VFX artists from MPC’s New York and London offices recently joined forces to complete an alluring new campaign introducing Mercedes-Benz’s all-new 2014 S-Class. Drawing on the strength of its global network, MPC was able to seamlessly execute six distinct versions for the carefully crafted two-spot campaign.
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The spots celebrate the deep history, uncompromising philosophy, and incredible technology that make up the essence of the modern Mercedes. Four Words is a winding journey through Mercedes factories, racetracks, and crash-test floors, bound by their founder’s four-word declaration that his cars would be “The Best or Nothing.” Control shoots alongside the S-Class through a skyscraper-laden city while spooling through its array of features – a bold interior lighting system, hot stone seat massages, and scent-enabled ventilation system – but still asserting that the incredible car is much more than the sum of its parts.
To deliver the finished spots in the necessary timeframe, MPC called upon the teams at both its New York and London offices, leveraging its global VFX network to coordinate with the UK based production while handling the bulk of the work in NYC. The factory sequence in Four Words alone was the result of a massive collaboration between the two offices. MPC artists provided modeling, texturing, lighting, and animating for the veritable army of fully CG assembly robots on display – all created for an unknown background, as the intricate digital matte painting of the factory setting was being created simultaneously.
The effects-heavy campaign proved to be an invigorating challenge for the MPC team. “One of the most satisfying tasks throughout the project was compositing the car, which was shot in a studio, into the various environments featured throughout the spot,” notes MPC NY VFX Producer Camila De Biaggi. “All of these shots required a great deal of attention even from the very beginning stages of pre-production to ensure the height, angles and lenses of each background plate matched that of the car to create a truly seamless and realistic look.”
“MPC has the best-integrated global production pipeline in the business,” explains MPC London VFX Supervisor Jim Radford. “Our global studios are all interconnected, allowing top artists from around the world to work together from several locations.”
Downloads:
Credits:
Brand and Product: Mercedes S-Class
Title: Four Words, Control
Agency: Merkley + Partners
Executive Creative Director: Andy Hirsch
Creatives: Chris Landi, Kirk Mosel, Scott Zacaroli, David Fox
Producer: Chris Coccaro
Production Company: Outsider
Director: Dom&Nic
Producer: John Madsen
Editorial Co.: NO6
Editor: Andrea MacArthur, James Duffy
VFX: MPC
Executive Producer: Justin Brukman
Head of Production: Camila de Biaggi, Derek Macleod-Veilleux
Producer: Camila De Biaggi
VFX Supervisor: Jim Radford, Alex Harding
VFX Team: Alex Harding (lead), Sohee Sohn, Elsa Tu, Asuka Otake, Carl Fong, Karen Weiss, Jon McKee, Sang Lee, Ricky Weissman, Vicky Osborn, Grae Revell, Stu Schwartz, ShuChen Lin, Mike Marsek
About MPC:
MPC is a creative studio.
We craft spectacular visual experiences in any space, on any screen.
We have been one of the global leaders in VFX for over 25 years, with industry-leading facilities in London, Vancouver, Los Angeles, New York and Bangalore.
Renowned for adding visual wonder and creative expertise to the advertising, film and entertainment industries, some of our most famous projects include blockbuster movies such as the “Harry Potter” franchise, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” “Prometheus” and “Life of Pi,” and famous advertising campaigns for brands such as Evian, Cadbury, Sony, Coca Cola and John Lewis.
Our broad range of skill-sets provide a multitude of creative solutions, including concept design, pre-viz, shoot supervision, 2D compositing, 3D/CG effects, animation, motion design, software development, digital and experiential production, colour grading for advertising and any combination of these services.
MPC is the sum of the parts: creative partners and a range of creative solutions harnessed through a dedication to collaboration. It all comes together in our enthusiastic and talented people, working every day to be a part of creating some of the best and most inspirational work in the industry.