Director Andrew Proctor of Mill+ collaborated with adam&eveDDB to create the vibrant ‘Rocket’ for the Samsung Sound+ Soundbar. The pulsating CG visuals in the spot blast into sound oblivion as abstract shapes swirl and blend from one form to another, ultimately converging to reveal the sleek product.
To capture the explosive opening, The Mill’s 3D team modeled parts of a photoreal rocket. Animation artists then broke up the parts to generate the mass of particles that shoot across the screen, undergoing the multitude of transformations. 2D Lead Artist Jason Bergman comments, “Our goal was to use various shapes and forms to define the Soundbar, without actually physically defining the object.”
One major challenge for the animators was crafting VFX elements that depart from the traditional strategy of replicating realism. Andrew says, “This piece offered a great opportunity to convey sounds with imagery in a non-traditional way. For this project we had to let go of reality and create something no one has really seen before. It was crucial that every shot felt like a sound or a piece of music.”
The critical use of sound in the project called for close collaboration with a sound house. The Mill worked with Q Department to ensure the imagery worked cohesively with the audio. Andrew adds, “From the start we knew the audio and visuals needed to work in harmony, so we decided to let the edit and animation lead that conversation. We went through many iterations of the spot in order to get that perfect union. It was a huge team effort and I’m very proud of the results.”