The answer can sometimes be found by going back in time to one's roots. And this Liberty Group Limited spot, titled "The Answer," for Johannesburg agency FoxP2 does just that in a visual tour de force that winds its way back through the decades.
Visual effects studio Digital Domain teamed with director Adrian De Sa Garces of Velocity Films in Johannesburg and Cape Town on this reverse time-lapse piece which takes viewers from one of the most economically successful square miles in all of South Africa–the glittering jewel of commerce known as Sandton City–to show its creation as it sprung from the vision of Liberty investors in 1973. It's a remarkable evolution and transformation as we see from whence this development came and find that it was indeed built from the ground up.
The :60 is completely computer generated except for the live-action shot of the founders and their classic car at the very end of the spot. Director De Sa Garces and the Digital Domain ensemble, led by visual effects supervisor James Atkinson, set out to re-create the city blocks. As the original buildings were designed and built in a period pre-dating computer-assisted design (CAD), there were no CAD models, few blueprints, and in the ever-changing area, even Google Street View was out of date and didn't show the most current skyline.
Proving resourceful
So the Digital Domain had to be resourceful and fill in the considerable gaps to take viewers through a reasonably accurate trip through time. Digital Domain artisans took to the streets and skies of Johannesburg, surveying the five city blocks of Sandton City with photogrammetry and creating a 3D reconstructed model. From that data they were able to create CG buildings that they could then deconstruct–including dimensions, textures, workers, tools, props, piles of lumber, scaffolding and bricks, customized to each building.
Because the lighting and skies had to be continuously moving, the Digital Domain ensemble created time lapse clouds, realistic sunrises and weather changes, animating them along with the buildings. To create these effects, the team built a virtual sky and atmosphere in Terragen, an environmental simulation tool. This was augmented with time-lapse photography shot from atop the main office tower.
One of the most striking visuals in the piece is a time-lapse tree. To create that Digital Domain used SpeedTree, software that provides tools for procedurally growing trees.
The piece is a detailed, intricate story of how this patch of real estate grew from an unremarkable suburb of Johannesburg into one of the richest city blocks in all of South Africa.
Partizan Connects With Directorial Duo Ethan & Tom For Global Representation
Partizan has added the London-based directing duo Ethan & Tom to its roster for global representation. Known for their expert technical fluency and authentic casting, Ethan & Tom deploy diverse methods of filmmaking, telling stories ranging from well-crafted visual jokes to stunning and extravagant cinematic worlds.
Ethan & Tom met in 2017 at the University of Westminster where they started making music videos for friends. One of their early projects for the band Badgirl$ caught the attention of Sony Music, leading to a series of successful videos--all while they were still students.
They’ve since worked with a diverse array of artists, including Flohio, Greentea Peng, P-rallel, Nayana IZ, Wu-Lu, Berwyn, PinkPantheress, Tendai, and Jeshi. Ethan & Tom’s work captures the essence of their collaborators and finds intimacy in the artists with whom they work. Ethan & Tom have collaborated with brands like Toyota, North Face, Puma, JD Sports, Lacoste and Gorillas. Prior to joining Partizan, Ethan & Tom were most recently represented by Academy.
In a joint statement, Ethan & Tom shared, “We’re really excited to be joining Partizan’s roster, their creative spirit and exceptional team of producers, reps and EPs have been a dream to work with and we’re buzzing to be stepping into this next chapter with them.”
Partizan founder Georges Bermann said, “Ethan and Tom’s reputation for originality, dedication, and innovative thinking has truly stood out. We’re anticipating a very exciting future for them at Partizan.”
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