Lexus Hybrid and SWAY Studio Motor Through Interactive Campaign

SWAY Studio has a well-earned reputation for standout photo-real car work, and a recent project for Lexus, via Team One, allowed the studio to take its high-end, broadcast quality work into the interactive space.

For its first collaboration with Lexus and Team One, SWAY created more than a dozen demonstration movies marketing the high-tech features of the new Lexus HS250h luxury hybrid. The demos depict the Lexus hybrid driving through minimalist, hyper-real city, urban, and country environments.

The project, which called for some 300 VFX shots in six weeks, came with a unique and varied set of challenges. According to SWAY VFX Supervisor Aaron Powell, “We started the project with very little to go on, aside from the CAD data of the car.” Fortunately, the agency was very open to creative collaboration. SWAY brought in Art Director Serge Machial to assist with concept development. “Team One was very receptive, and it helped our team, who were working on the previs,” Powell says. “As is the case with so many projects these days, we were up against a tight deadline so any time we could help speed up the process we jumped right in.”

“The incorporation of a great deal of motion graphics into nearly every shot compelled us to develop an appropriate pipeline with the partner company supplying most of the motion graphics,” adds Powell. “This included 3D, After Effects, and Nuke. In the end, with three different color variations on the car, we had produced about 18 minutes of demos. Lexus was so happy with the results that they want to use some of them for broadcast as well.”

“We shattered all of our previous records in terms of how fast and efficiently we got this done,” says SWAY Founder/Creative Director Mark Glaser. We’re constantly adapting and evolving. This project was a surge forward in our throughput capability.”

One example is SWAY’s work for Mini this summer: an all-CG HD broadcast campaign, a first for that car-maker. SWAY brought its talent, skill, and efficiency to bear on the project, completing three spots in four weeks. “We did some really fun, aggressive driving on that one,” Glaser says, referring to the SWAY’s Drive-A-Tron^TM technology. Among SWAY’s other recent automotive milestones was the first-ever all CG driving shot for BMW.

Glaser and his team recently completed virtual stunt driving work for the feature “2012,” directed by Roland Emmerich (“Independence Day,” “The Day After Tomorrow”). This involved driving a stretch limousine over devastated and shifting road surfaces created by an apocalyptic earthquake using the physics-based simulation within the proprietary Drive-A-Tron^TM. The film opens nationwide November 13. Other recent credits include a 2010 Ford Taurus campaign, interactive content for HyundaiGenesis.com and HyundaiUSA.com, and the groundbreaking hi-tech cover shoot with Kanye West for the April/May 2009 issue of Complex Magazine.

About SWAY
SWAY studio is among the premier animation, effects, and design studios in North America. Dedicated to advancing the artistry of visual content while pursuing fresh creative ideas across multiple media platforms, SWAY’s world-class creatives use cutting-edge, innovative technology to produce unforgettable imagery.

For more information, visit www.swaystudio.com

Agency:Team One, Venice, CA
CD:Jon Pierce, Tim Meraz, Phil Glist
AD: Vince Murray
CW: Madu Kalyannaraman
Product Specialist: Robert Jordan
Account Executive/Product Specialist: Michael Matsumura
Management Supervisor: Ryan Payne
Account Executive: Nicole Peyraud
Associate Project Manager: Dana Philp
Project Manager: Pilar Leff
Business Affairs: Janet Anderson
Broadcast Coordinator: Robin Alpers

Visual Effects: SWAY Studio
Creative Director: Mark Glaser
VFX Supervisor: Aaron Powell
CG Supervisor: Marko Mandaric
Art Director: Serge Machial
EP: Meredith Machial
Producer: Jason Cohon
Production Coordinator: Aaron Abt

Artists: Art Sayan, Cesar Chavez, Steven Wang, Rob Glazer