Peugeot's love at first lens
The Mill Paris animates an adorably love-struck security camera in this sweet spot for the brand's E-308 model.
)
Credits
View on- Agency Open/Paris
- Production Company Movie Magic International
- Director Mark Jenkinson
-
-
Unlock full credits and more with a shots membership
Credits
View on- Agency Open/Paris
- Production Company Movie Magic International
- Director Mark Jenkinson
- Executive Producer Giorgio Borghi
- VFX/Post Production The Mill/Paris
- Executive Producer Fabrice Damolini
- VFX Producer Stephanie Mollet
- CG Supervisor Mickael Girod
- Colorist Philip Hambi
- Creative Director Stephane Lecoq
- Creative Jake Butler
- Creative Nick Kugge
- Editor Max Didelot
- HP Patricia Lucas
- VFX Supervisor Alexis Baillia
Explore full credits, grab hi-res stills and more on shots Vault
Credits
powered by- Agency Open/Paris
- Production Company Movie Magic International
- Director Mark Jenkinson
- Executive Producer Giorgio Borghi
- VFX/Post Production The Mill/Paris
- Executive Producer Fabrice Damolini
- VFX Producer Stephanie Mollet
- CG Supervisor Mickael Girod
- Colorist Philip Hambi
- Creative Director Stephane Lecoq
- Creative Jake Butler
- Creative Nick Kugge
- Editor Max Didelot
- HP Patricia Lucas
- VFX Supervisor Alexis Baillia
Let's get the lamp-shaped elephant in the room out of the way first: the adorably inquisitive protagonist of this sweet spot for Peugeot shares more than a few qualities with Pixar's Luxo Jr mascot.
However, to be compared to one of the most endearing anthropomorphic characters from modern movie history is no mean feat, and it's a testament to the animators at The Mill Paris that their love-struck creation for Drawn By Attraction manages to win the audience's heart as rapidly as its angle-poise cousin.
Following the aforementioned cam as it chases a slinky EV around a city, Mark Jenkinson's cute tale uses its charming character to the fullest, capturing delightful moments of interaction and providing a rousing yarn in the process.
Credits
powered by“Right from the start I enjoyed the scenario and the technical challenges we were given," explains Mickael Girod, CG Supervisor for the film. "I had the impression that it was a short animated film with a sympathetic story including 32 shots to rig and a unique and endearing character to create from scratch. A pleasure for a CG enthusiast!
"In agreement with the director, the client and the agency, we quickly went looking for visual references. Very quickly our inspiration turned to Pixar classics that spoke to us. We created several CG asset mock-ups to validate the modelling, rigging, textures and shading. We wanted a friendly, emotive camera with a slightly weathered look without it looking dirty or obsolete. I think we've managed to give the camera life and personality without creating a cartoony asset.
"To optimise production time and harmonise the lighting and look of all the shots, I created a special tree structure and nomenclature to make compositing more efficient. Added to this important work on the camera were details that served the script, such as rain, water on the camera, reflections, etc. I'm proud of the CG team, because together we succeeded in creating an endearing character who is totally integrated into the story.”
“It was a very interesting and exciting project because we had the opportunity to create and develop a character from scratch," adds VFX Supervisor, Alexis Baillia. "It is always rewarding to explore every technique, from the first designs to the first animation intentions. Our main mission was to create the camera character and insert him into the shots.
"It is not always easy to animate an object that isn't usually animated: how do you make it walk? Where should the joints be placed? Which parts are metal or plastic? Which elements can be bent? There were a lot of questions that we answered with the whole team, especially the CG Supervisor, Mickaël Girod. As well as the asset, I was in charge, with VFX Producer Stéphanie Mollet, of the overall management of the shots, our collaboration with the colourist Philip Louis Hambi from The Mill London and the overall finishing.
"During the shoot, the idea of printing the camera model in 3D quickly became obvious and enabled us to work more efficiently. Working with director Mark Jenkinson and DOP Ottar Gudnason was a real pleasure."
"Around twenty people worked on this project in The Mill Paris studio," says Stéphanie Mollet, VFX Producer, "and we were able to benefit from the support of the Bangalore studio for all the preparatory work on roto and track, as well as clean-up and compositing. I worked with VFX producer Rushikesh Shelar who was my main contact there. The Bangalore team deployed resources very quickly and adapted to our needs. It is always a pleasure to be able to collaborate in this way with other studios in the group.
"This was a global campaign, requiring the rigging of 70 shots and the delivery of numerous versions, around 80 masters for the TVC and 25 for the digital part, all of which were handled by VFX Producer Kahina Lamblin."
