Hennessy – The Piccards

Award winning Director Daniel Wolfe of Somesuch directed the visually epic Hennessy spot “The Piccards”. The Mill helped craft the…
Hennessy "The Piccards"
Case Study

Award winning Director Daniel Wolfe of Somesuch directed the visually epic Hennessy spot "The Piccards”. The Mill helped craft the spot’s father son odyssey into space and sea.

The 90 second ad is a stunning and artistic representation of the achievements of father-son duo Auguste and Jacques Piccard. The tale of exploration documents the Swiss inventor’s feat in becoming the first man to reach the stratosphere, before his son continued this pioneering spirit 30 years later in reaching the deepest point in the ocean.

The Mill’s team of VFX artists carried out extensive research into the look and feel of the time in order to meticulously craft a series of visuals that detailed the duo’s journey to the ends of the earth, utilizing a range of digital techniques and artistry.

The spot was shot in prague using four different cameras and scale models of the submarine and pod, with the aim of achieving as much realism as possible. The Mill’s VFX team then looked to enhance and entwine these visuals, retaining a sense of realism whilst adding in some magic. A host of elements were created in CG, as well as intricate digital matte paintings which were then all seamlessly combined to create an impactful and dynamic final spot.

Behind the Scenes

Credits
Credits

Agency
Agency: Droga 5
Executive Producer: David Cardinali
Creative Director: Felix Richter, Alexander Nowak
Creatives: Phil Hadad, Marybeth Ledesma

Production Company
Production Company: Somesuch
Director: Daniel Wolfe
Producer: Lee Groombridge

VFX & Design
VFX & Design: The Mill
Executive Producer: Sean Costelloe
Producer: Bugs Russell
Shoot Supervisor: Jasper Kidd, Eric Pascarelli
Creative Directors: Gavin Wellsman, Jasper Kidd
2D Lead Artist: Gavin Wellsman
3D Lead Artist: Jasper Kidd
2D Artists: Andre Vidal, Ben Kwok, Heather Kennedy
3D Artists: Jimmy Gass, Laurent Giaume, Katie Schiffer, Justin Diamond, Edward Hassan, Eshan Parizi, Paul Liaw, Joji Tsuruga, Greg Gangemi
Concept Artist: Luca Gabriele Rossetti
Matte Painting: Cedric Menard
Designer: Sally Reynolds
Production Coordinator: Jacqueline Sand

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