The ad sees a circus of iconic characters, ranging from real life sporting star Usain Bolt to fictional childhood heroes, clowns and bandits, as they rampage through a seemingly infinite tunnel filled with an array of flying CG objects. They’re racing to be the first into Virgin Media viewers homes and screens, playing with the message that if entertainment could choose how it was delivered, it would of course choose Virgin Fibre.

The Mill’s VFX team worked to continuously extend the tunnel in CG as well as populate it with additional photoreal CG people, objects and vehicles, all contributing to the overall sense of energetic mayhem.

On set, the team took hundreds of reference photos of tiny texture details within the tunnel, along with a 360 video to help with the reconstruction of the tunnel in 3D. This meant they could look all around the tunnel as they were driving down the length of the set.

Mill Lead 3D Artist Adam Droy explains, ‘We worked with Director Sam Brown very closely on this project, straight from the early concept and previz stage.

Taking frames from the storyboard, we were able to compose many of the 3D assets prior to the shoot. This helped massively with timings and the placement of shots that involved extensive CG work.

We also replicated many of the cast in 3D to add more drama and excitement to the piece. These included photoreal digital doubles of people, cars and motorbikes. We also created brand new characters such as an oversized robot, futuristic space racers and an astronaut, to name a few.

Sam wanted the spot to feature as much in-camera footage of the tunnel as possible and so the Art Director Andy Kelly was tasked with building a 180ft tunnel in a studio in Budapest. We then extended the physical tunnel in CG, matching the texture and feel of the tunnel’s material as well as the position of the thousands of lights within it.’

Mill Creative Director Jonathan ‘Wes’ Westley continues, ‘This was a huge undertaking but yet another thoroughly enjoyable Sam Brown extravaganza. It’s a chaotic, energetic piece with a hell of a lot of work in there, from art department through to post production, that all come together to bring Sam’s vision to life.’

Mill Head of Colour Seamus O’Kane concludes, ‘Being involved with this project was a fascinating experience.

The original rushes provided a hint of the magnificence to come but the evolution of the colour palette was intimately entwined with the complex and multilayered post.

Sam always had a vision for the intensity of the experience and we sought to balance this against the aesthetic of timeless elegance that would sustain repeated viewing.

I was able to create an environment that seeped tonal intensity into the physical structure whilst allowing for the characters to separate but yet feel totally part of the physical film set that they were photographed within.

It was vital to keep a traditional epic Hollywood level of quality and remain faithful to the shoot to celebrate the illustrious content on offer. The result is an intense visual feast that is also very beautiful.’