Land Rover Defender
Octa Edition Launch Film
Project Overview
Working with the incredibly talented team at Imagination, my team was tasked with creating a stunning 3D animation to help launch the new limited edition
Land Rover Defender OCTA.
Creative Development
We worked hand in hand with the team at Imagination to help craft a story that delivered on the key proof points of the new OCTA vehicle, developing storyboards and early stage animation tests to help realise the ambition for the film. With a short production lead time it was key that all parties were aligned from the outset, allowing us to focus on R+D for more complex animations and comps.
“We were looking for a production partner that shared our vision for the concept. With Boulder, we found a team who clearly understood, and were excited by, the creative ambition for the film and through their treatment showed us how far we could take the idea.”
Modelling
With the new vehicle still under development (and a heavy embargo) one of our first jobs was to model the vehicle in 3D in 2 beautiful colours – Petra & Faroe. Following a trip to JLR’s ‘Q-Branch’ facility in Warwickshire to capture numerous stills and videos of the WIP vehicle we built incredible photo realistic renders of the vehicle to supply as stills as well as for integration into our animation.
Environment
We built realistic terrain environments that represented the base and mid tones of our music track, undulating and moving to the beat of the music. To give a dark and ominous tone to our landscape we used Obsidian as a material, providing a raw, yet also beautiful, feel to our world – much like the Defender OCTA.
This organic, natural texture looks incredible in its reaction to the beat – mountain ranges transforming to mid tones as loose rock and scree vibrate to the bass. The aim was to build out an environment that felt authentically Land Rover, but in a visual style that reflected the contemporary creative direction of the experience.
This hyper realistic environment built and adapted, along with the sound waves, to the rhythm of the music, creating further dynamism and beat integration through perfectly sync’d cinematography throughout the edit.
Soundwaves
In unison with our ever evolving environment terrain, we overlaid bright and elegant sound waves that visualise the high tones of the track, further building the pace and dynamism of the film. The contrast of the bright sound waves against the dark black of the obsidian landscape creating a beautiful, futuristic blend of physical and digital textures.
Technical Animations
Forming from our sound waves, technical visualisations spark to life with colour and movement, delivering impact and drawing attention to the standout features of the vehicle. The natural contours of the elements shine brightly, highlighting the elegant beauty of its design and the power of its performance.
OCTA Mode
OCTA mode represents the culmination of our animation, a pivotal moment that encapsulates the essence of what the car is capable of. In the final sequence, we switch our blueish white hue to a dramatic scarlet red, synchronised with the corresponding shift in the music. As the transition unfolds, our environment dynamically responds, presenting a more rugged terrain that skill-fully showcases the capabilities of OCTA’s ABS and 6D suspension systems.
Logo Reveal
Created as an intro to our film and to be used as a stand alone asset, we looked to create the OCTA logo from the world we had built – combining our obsidian earth with diamonds and the light from our sound waves to create a beautiful and arresting opening sequence that sets the tone for our film and the power and prowess of the vehicle.
Post Production
From the outset we had a very collaborative process with Father who were tasked with composing the sound scape for our film. From early stage pre-visualisations through to the final mix we worked closely with the Father team to ensure that visual and audio were seamlessly integrated – ultimately delivering a filmic experience that launched the vehicle at bespoke VVIP events around the world as well as through digital and social advertising platforms.
“Wow, what an amazing film. I’m very proud of it, and so grateful to everyone at Boulder. What a dream team. It looks PHENOMENAL!”
— Helen Bellringer | Imagination