For this FLIR TCX spot we created a CGI sequence where the viewer is led through a ventilation system and into a room. Along with the the CGI intro, we tracked and screen replaced the alarm and thermostat, created a CGI animated fan and animated the exploding FLIR TCX product. Since the spot was shot in low light, we knew tracking software would have a hard time locking onto small tracking dots and adjusting to low light noise. So all shots had to be tracked without a single physical tracking dot. Instead, we tracked certain areas in the environment and digitally added dots the 3D camera tracker would recognize.

The most challenging shot was tracking and lighting our CGI fan. During the shoot we measured distances, recorded camera information, and took photos for HDRI reflection and lighting. But once the shot was tracked, we still weren’t satisfied with the timing and easing. For a better creative result, we manipulated the track frame by frame. To create a realistic nighttime effect, we modeled additional detail into the fan, digitally painted layers of texture passes and several lights, including the police red and blue highlights.

The end card CGI product explosion took a week to create. Since there were no CAD files available we had to do the work ourselves. So we took apart the physical products, modeled the exterior and interior circuit board parts, textured, lit, animated and rendered, V-Ray and composited in After Effects.