Impossible Objects Gets Unreal on GM OnStar Campaign

Team uses state-of-the-art virtual production and real-time technology, including Unreal Engine and disguise, to highlight expanded tech capabilities of OnStar’s offerings – without ever having to hit the road; check out ‘From The Lab: Building the OnStar’ to see how.

Creative lab Impossible Objects (IO) used real-time technology for GM’s new OnStar campaign, producing the spot in Unreal Engine, from previs through post, and with disguise for playback. Captured in the state-of-the-art LED volume at NantStudios, IO shared its reel, From The Lab: “Building the OnStar,” for a behind-the-scenes look at how virtual production contributed to the creation of this new futuristic campaign, which you can see below.

“Campbell Ewald and General Motors partnering with our team to produce ‘The OnStar,’ using all the hallmarks of virtual production, marks a special moment for us here at Impossible Objects,” said IO Founder/Creative Director Joe Sill. “This campaign demonstrates how we can bring an ambitious visual concept to life more quickly and efficiently with real-time tools and a team of creative and technical experts who know how to navigate this new production realm.”

With the new tagline “Better Never Stops,” the spot highlights the expanded tech capabilities of OnStar’s offerings, including safety, connectivity, and entertainment. By approaching the campaign as a virtual production, the team created a unique collaborative creative space for the shoot without ever having to leave the LED volume. It enabled the production of an impactful final product incorporating all creative elements delivering energy and life to the campaign’s message.

The campaign’s four-day shoot included scenes ranging from the bridge of a spaceship to driving over a city bridge and down forest and coastal roads—all captured in the volume. Once a scene finished, the team quickly changed the digital environments playing out on LED walls and foreground set pieces to “move” to the next location.

“Working the way we do, we can use the same digital environments we create for the pre-visualization in Unreal Engine and build upon them throughout the production,” said Virtual Production Supervisor Mark Allen. “This allows us to remain consistent and saves budget on the back end,” said Mark Allen, Virtual Production Supervisor.

Check out: From The Lab: “Building the OnStar”