Istanbul-based production company Autonomy worked with MGX Studios and disguise to create a Formula 1-themed advert promoting the launch of the Istanbul Financial Centre (IFC).
The ad sees a Formula 1 car racing around Istanbul, with the IFC reflected in the driver’s visor.
The creative team wanted to show both the car and driver in extreme close-ups and so brought in Turkey’s first virtual production facility, MGX Studios, to simulate the car.
“Together with the Autonomy team we wanted to create a production that looked great quickly, using all the amazing possibilities provided by virtual production technology and disguise. The xR features provided by disguise and the innovation and creativity enabled by disguise and virtual production were key to delivering a great project,” said MGX Studios’ virtual production operations coordinator, Mete Mümtaz.
“The main goal was to achieve perfect reflections and background lighting – basically, that’s why Autonomy decided to shoot the commercial in our studio instead of on a greenscreen stage. It was much easier and quicker to create exactly what they wanted using virtual production. The whole LED setup, consisting of LED side panels, a back wall and ceiling, allowed us to capture immersive reflections with every single shot.”
The commercial is MGX Studios’ first advertising project with hybrid technologies, including static images, video and Unreal Engine scenes. In order to achieve this, the team carried out intensive experimentation in pre-production.
The virtual production shoot was supported by Unilumin Upad III LED walls, three Brompton Tessera SX40 LED processors, a Mo-Sys camera tracking system, Unreal Engine, and three disguise vx 2s and one vx 1.
“While managing the content, the freedom and comfort of using static images, video and RenderStream, if we wished, gave us the confidence to overcome any issues we encountered,” added Mümtaz. “The xR capabilities provided by disguise and the extensive capabilities of our studio allowed us to simultaneously manipulate light, content, reflections and motion.
“Being able to project the images we wanted onto an F1 car with reflective surfaces in an organic way and being able to drive that F1 car virtually through the magnificent streets of Istanbul was a great experience for us and the client brands.”
