Nissan LEAF: Polar Bear
Daniel Kleinman has directed Nissan’s latest spot ‘Polar Bear’ promoting their new all-electric car, Leaf. Produced by Richard O’Neill at TBWA Chiat Day and Johnnie Frankel at Epoch/Rattling Stick, the commercial features the lone trip of a polar bear migrating from her melting environment. MPC provided post including a CG polar bear and extensive compositing.
A polar bear leaves her melting polar habitat and crosses purposefully across many vistas, ultimately reaching her destination in suburbia to say thank you to an owner of a Nissan Leaf for owning an environmentally friendly Nissan.
MPC was responsible for compositing all the shots where the bear, car and man are together. A real polar bear was used for most of the shots and MPC modelled a CG polar bear for the shot were it walks on the bridge. The main challenge was to create the end shot, where the polar bear is hugging the man. Daniel Kleinman was able to use the real polar bear hugging her trainer. MPC had to do a head replacement and adjust the body to make the trainer’s body look more like the actor’s. MPC also integrated various plates, compositing actor, bear, car and background together. MPC took advantage of their global network capabilities to offer interactive review sessions, connecting the Clients in Los Angeles to the VFX artists in London.
Mark Gethin added the all-important master grade.
The commercial will be on air in the US from 9th September, 2010.
Seeing its arctic home melting away, a lone polar bear sets out on a great journey to thank someone who is trying to help.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNeEVkhTutY
Look behind the scenes at the making of the Polar Bear commercial for the 100% electric Nissan LEAF.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASM4lR5soQw
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