Culver City-based visual effects house Zoic Studios’ co-founder/creative director Loni Peristere helms a pulse-quickening alpine escapade via Bandito Brothers for the 30-second “X-TRAIL,” for Nissan.
Culver City, CA -- Culver City-based visual effects house Zoic Studios’ co-founder/creative director Loni Peristere recently directed, via Bandito Brothers, the 30-second “X-TRAIL” for Nissan out of TBWA, Japan. Produced for the Japanese market, the spot features an electrified snowboarder being pulled by a Nissan X-TRAIL through rugged terrain.
Zoic handled comprehensive post-production for the action-filled wintry spot, including on-set supervision for the five-day shoot in Chile, visual effects, color grading, editorial and finishing. To allow the ability to control numerous visual elements independently, two cameras were stacked to shoot simultaneous high-speed footage. This setup allowed the Zoic team to create slow-motion effects by moving both sets of footage through compositing, morphing and quick crash zooms. Additional effects included cleanup work to transform the resort mountainscape into a more weathered and raw environment.
To heighten the visuals in the spot, VFX Creative Director Robert Moggach led a team of artists to craft intensified optical effects that amplify the reflective sections on both the snowboarder’s suit and the vehicle itself. He notes, “It was a really fun challenge to fine-tune the light-based effects to create a truly optical feel.”
“X-TRAIL” opens on an aerial shot of a snow-capped mountain along with the Nissan logo. We circle a red Nissan X-TRAIL perched atop the precipice as the headlights turn on and the electrified track propels the motion forward, revealing the fearless snowboarder being hauled by the SUV. The stuntman weaves through the wintry terrain with style, eventually releases the tether and flips deftly between peaks, finishing with a parachute deployment. The X-TRAIL drives on, effortlessly navigating the icy elements. The vehicle halts and we see boarders stashing their gear via a view from the SUV’s roomy cargo space. “Innovation that excites,” indeed.
Source: Zoic Studios
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
