Rolls-Royce
Showcasing the pioneering IntelligentEngine
brief
Hogarth was given a brief from Ogilvy to build a zoetrope which would tell the story of Rolls-Royce’s pioneering innovation. The zoetrope has been around since the 19th century and works by producing the illusion of motion from a quick succession of static pictures or objects.
Although Rolls-Royce is a heritage brand, it is also incredibly advanced from a technological perspective, and wanted to convey this by 3D-printing objects that could tell this story.
We combined a very old-fashioned technique with a very modern execution by engaging Machine Shop, which has worked on some of the biggest commercials in the world. The specialists began by 3D-printing each object which would represent Rolls-Royce's engineering accomplishments, from the development of its own 3D printers to using artificial intelligence to service its engines.
The filming of the zoetrope required a lot of technical consideration, such as frame rates and shutter angles. Director of photography James Medcraft shot at a 11.2-degree angle to reduce motion blur, which required the use of some very strong stroboscopic lighting to counteract the small shutter angle and enabling the zoetrope to be brought to life.
The results were beautiful. This project is one of the only jobs we’ve produced where the animation has been entirely captured in camera. This analogue approach to animation gives this advert a very unique quality.