Integrating fire and water elements to emphasize the craftsmanship of the car in three acts, ‘Forged from Passion’ poetically mirrors the suspense of the unveiling after 11 years in the making.

The Mill+ team creatively strategized their on- and off-set approach to the piece, starting with establishing three main plot points: the introduction of the fiery environment and the craftsman; the shaping and taming of the flames that refine the details of the model; and finally, the pouring down of the cool rain that solidifies the car as it races off.

Paul comments, “Once we got the story down, we decided how to best use CG and effects to bridge those story points – the stuff that we wouldn’t be able to shoot for real, such as lava flow and rainfall. Then it was all about getting our heads together to see how we could go about achieving as many of the other effects as possible on set. That’s where the collaboration really came through.”

One of Andrew and Paul’s key visions was to capture as much as possible in camera. Andrew says, “Even though the overall concept is fantastical, we wanted to shoot real, tangible elements so every frame would look believable. We weren’t trying to break the rules of physics: the flames behave like real flames, and the lava behaves like real lava. The only leap of faith is that this guy can actually touch it.”

The team lined up shots ahead of time to make the most of the one-day shoot. Paul recalls, “Felix [Urquiza], our 3D Lead Artist, built CG plates to help our actor do his thing. The plates, along with the help of various physical props like hard acrylic and soft putty for the actor to physically touch, helped determine how he should interact with the ‘car’ that wasn’t actually there.”

Adds Andrew, “For the performance of the actor, it was essential that we build specific props for him to engage with. There was a real tactile connection between his hand and the lava.”

The end result is a passionate, live-action film comprised primarily of in-camera effects and visual effects enhancements.

“Andrew and I didn’t want this to be a straight, linear story about the LS 500,” says Paul. “It had to speak to the love, care and commitment that went into building it. It’s been in the works for quite a long time.”