Visual Effects Post Production studio ArsenalFX produces visual effects for two new national Lexus spots, “Shift” and “Say Nothing.”
Santa Monica, CA – Visual Effects Post Production studio ArsenalFX has produced visual effects for two new national Lexus spots. Working directly with El Segundo, CA-based client Team One, ArsenalFX provided VFX to two spots, “Shift,” which broke during the weekend after Thanksgiving, and “Say Nothing,” which broke on November 15th. Both spots will initially be airing during in-game sports presentations.
In the “Shift” spot, we see the dashboard inside a silver Lexus GS performance sedan, as the driver pushes the start engine button, and accelerates down a dark road at night illuminated by brilliant white lights blurring past. The driver shifts, then shifts, and then shifts again, through all eight speeds of a transmission connected to more standard horsepower than the German competitors. We hear the VO announcer say, “That is the moment when driving the Lexus GS will shift your perception. This is the pursuit of perfection.”
The “Shift” spot involved ArsenalFX digitally removing vehicle front and rear sensors, and dirt, as well as some light spec removal on the vehicle itself. The entire conform of the spot consisted of variable speed alterations and motion estimation warps. Light effects were added by ArsenalFX to simulate the outer lights on interior shots. Road vibrations and vehicle movement were also simulated by Arsenal FX on all exterior road shots.
In addition, interior speed and RPM gauges were also reconstructed and redesigned by Arsenal FX for proper speed manipulation. Roto-scoping and tracking was also utilized in various shots. To tie the full spot together, each shot had to be repo'd and resized for optimum viewing. A 2:35 letterbox was added by Arsenal FX for the final touch.
In the “Say Nothing” spot, we see a white Lexus IS sport sedan speeding around the curves of a racetrack under a cloudy sky, snowcapped mountains in the background, as we hear the VO announcer: “We could say a lot about the most track tested IS ever. About its stiffer suspension, precise steering, and more rigid chassis. But the truth is, we don’t have to. The experts have spoken -- now it’s your move.”
This spot required ArsenalFX to clean up a good deal of ground seen on the race track, as the road whips past the speeding car. This work spanned crane shots, curving roads, and camera zooms. Conventional 2D tracking techniques would not have been able to provide this outcome without extensive hand tracking and an odd-looking perspective.
In order to accomplish this road cleanup, ArsenalFX used 3D tracking software boujou to create a 3D camera that would match the live action camera which was used to shoot the original footage. These sequences were then brought into a 3D program (Maya) where the ground was modeled as geometry. Simply using a flat plane was not enough -- ArsenalFX needed to match the curvature of the ground. This was all exported as an FBX and imported into Flame.
Once inside Flame, the ArsenalFX team painted numerous clean still frames of the race track. These were then projected onto the ground geometry and tracked in, via the 3D camera. Ultimately, a seamless and camera corrected fix resulted in a faster process, and in superior quality of the finished picture.
Source: ArsenalFX
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
