Working from just a single day on-stage with an LED wall, the studio’s virtual production harnessed Unreal Engine to create an expansive world for the battle between good and evil in a style reminiscent of iconic tales from the film and gaming realm.
Impossible Objects embraced virtual production and game engine tools to create Follow the Toad, the recently released music video for up-and-coming musical artist PIA and EDM music producer Anymize, starring Indian actor Abhay Deol. Reflecting PIA’s love of music, art, movies, and video games, the project pushes the boundaries of storytelling with a narrative that explores the battle between good and evil in a style reminiscent of iconic tales from the film and gaming realm.
The video was captured in a single day on a small stage outfitted with a 30 X 12 LED wall, illustrating that virtual production is not relegated solely to big studio budgets. Teams of any size can leverage the technology to create mesmerizing visuals.
Watch: Follow the Toad
Impossible Objects co-founder Joe Sill, who directed the project and created its environments, drew inspiration from the tales of Indiana Jones, the landscapes reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings, and the world of Dune. To realize PIA’s narrative and his vision, Sill worked entirely in Unreal Engine using everything captured in-camera on the mini-LED wall during the live-action shoot. He also used assets from Quixel, Big/Medium/Small, and the iPhone app RealityCapture from Epic Games to scan both actors and create their digital doubles. All the video’s wide shots feature a 50/50 split of actors and their digital double counterparts.
The video goes beyond conventional music video production. It caters to the tech-savvy gaming community, a significant part of PIA’s identity as a visual artist, storyteller, and world-builder. The male lead in the video, Bollywood actor Deol, is an old friend of PIA’s and was eager to explore virtual production.
Source: Impossible Objects
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
