Hennessy vs the piccards

Award winning Director Daniel Wolfe of Somesuch directed the visually epic Hennessy spot "The Piccards”. The Mill helped craft the spot’s father son odyssey into space and sea. The 90” ad is a stunning and artistic representation of the achievements of father-son duo Auguste and Jacques Piccard. The tale of exploration documents the Swiss inventor’s feat in becoming the first man to reach the stratosphere, before his son continued this pioneering spirit 30 years later in reaching the deepest point in the ocean. The Mill’s team of VFX artists carried out extensive research into the look and feel of the time in order to meticulously craft a series of visuals that detailed the duo’s journey to the ends of the earth, utilizing a range of digital techniques and artistry. The spot was shot in prague using four different cameras and scale models of the submarine and pod, with the aim of achieving as much realism as possible. The Mill’s VFX team then looked to enhance and entwine these visuals, retaining a sense of realism whilst adding in some magic. A host of elements were created in CG, as well as intricate digital matte paintings which were then all seamlessly combined to create an impactful and dynamic final spot. Agency: Droga 5 Executive Producer: David Cardinali Creative Director: Felix Richter, Alexander Nowak Creatives: Phil Hadad, Marybeth Ledesma Production Company: Somesuch Director: Daniel Wolfe Producer: Lee Groombridge VFX & Design: The Mill Executive Producer: Sean Costelloe Producer: Bugs Russell Shoot Supervisor: Jasper Kidd, Eric Pascarelli Creative Directors: Gavin Wellsman, Jasper Kidd 2D Lead Artist: Gavin Wellsman 3D Lead Artist: Jasper Kidd 2D Artists: Andre Vidal, Ben Kwok, Heather Kennedy 3D Artists: Jimmy Gass, Laurent Giaume, Katie Schiffer, Justin Diamond, Edward Hassan, Eshan Parizi, Paul Liaw, Joji Tsuruga, Greg Gangemi Concept Artist: Luca Gabriele Rossetti Matte Painting: Cedric Mernard Designer: Sally Reynolds Production Coordinator: Jacqueline Sand AWARDS D&AD D&AD HENNESSY – 'THE PICCARDS' Special Effects AICP HENNESSY – 'THE PICCARDS' Visual Effects AICE HENNESSY – 'THE PICCARDS' Best of New York Cannes Lions Awards HENNESSY – 'THE PICCARDS' Gold - Film Craft: Visual Effects