Hollywood-level tech set to disrupt corporate commercials

Techniques used in multi-million-dollar movies are now a viable option for brands. 

The disruptive move from Manchester’s Yamba Films and G6 MoCo is showcased in the latest Carringtons Coffee Co. advert. 

Viewers are transitioned seamlessly from a tropical jungle in Ethiopia to a Manchester coffee shop. 

Katy Bass, Producer at Sharp Project-based Yamba Films, describes the ‘Hollywood-level tech’ as game-changing for brands. 

“There’s no doubt that this is a big moment for corporate commercials and branded content,” she said.

“The Carringtons Coffee Co. advert is a signpost for the future as we’ve been able to essentially make techniques associated with box office films a very real and viable option.”

Ramzan Anwar, founder of G6 MoCo, said: “Normally there’s a 7-12 frame delay with this technology when the camera moves within the Unreal Games environment on the video wall.

“With our robots we’ve managed to reverse the delay in our motion control programming path so we now have a 0-frame delay, meaning we have more freedom with virtual production shoots which is a game changer.”

The advert for Carringtons Coffee Co. showcases the advantages of working with virtual production over a green screen as well as the benefits of repeatable, high precision motion control.

A use of much smaller LED volumes by Yamba and G6 is a driver behind the tech’s entry into the world of corporate commercials. 

The tropical jungle to coffee shop transition was achieved through multiple passes of the robot camera and included details such as reflections in the water and refractions in the glasses to showcase some of the advantages of using an LED wall over a green screen.

Katy added: “This a more agile and iterative process compared to traditional filmmaking. Most of the creative decisions are made earlier on in the process. With pre-visualisation you can see exactly how the robot camera moves within the physical and digital environments, as well as how the shots will look before walking on set. It’s a brilliant way of making films and we’re excited about what the future holds.”

Watch the video here