Mill Flame team bubbling over O2

Visual effects facility The Mill have just completed postproduction on the first campaign from new mobile communications network O2.
Daniel Barber directed the commercials at Rose Hackney Barber for London-based start up agency VCCP. The Mill's Jason Watts supervised the visual effects on the new 60-second brand commercial titled 'Can Do'. The commercial is set in an environment where bubbles are emitted following any action, with the bubbles visually representing O2 in relation to its surroundings.
To achieve this effect, The Mill attended a shoot in Devon to film bubble plates in a large diving tank, to decide how to film the bubbles so that they would match the movement of the live action within the commercial. As soon as a bubble is emitted it takes on a life of its own, reflecting its surroundings, so different methods were used to manipulate different bubble shapes, sizes and movements. The main part of the commercial was shot on a large stage at Shepperton Studios, within a circular cyclorama.
Back in Soho, a team of Flame artists began working to composite the bubbles into the live action and they also worked to sync up animated bubble elements. For the shot where a boy throws a ball in the air, Watts manipulated an arc of bubbles to follow the action of the ball as it travels, adding in shadows and reflections.
The Mill flame team also extended the top of the part-built set, removing rigs attached to the characters, and enhancing the rays of lights that come down to spotlight various elements within the commercial.
The commercials are airing in the UK, Ireland, Germany and Holland from the beginning of May.
The Mill, www.mill.co.uk
(GB)