MPC builds stunning cityscape for new Audi A6 commercial

French directing duo Pleix have completed work on ‘Letters,’ an ambient and striking commercial for the Audi A6, with postproduction carried out at MPC.
The commercial opens on a deserted car park roof, and takes the viewer on a journey through a district of a modern day city.
The spot shows the car deconstructing into thousands of abstract component parts which then travel from one end of the city to the other. These elements become recognisable as letters, which go on to spell out the famous Audi strapline: ‘Vorsprung Durch Technik’.
The task facing MPC’s team was vast. There were three stages; firstly, the creation of an anonymous contemporary city devoid of all signs of life, secondly, the choreography of the letters as they travel through the urban landscape, and finally the replacement of all reflective elements of the car to facilitate its integration into its new environment.
An animatic created by Pleix was pivotal in the team’s realisation of their vision. The urban environment was created from elements taken from over 2,500 digital stills captured by Pleix in various international locations. A combination of 3D and digital matte painting was used to transform these many discrete elements into a composition which worked as a whole. Many of the shots utilised camera projection techniques to create a moving shot. After deconstruction, the letters’ journey was choreographed to show the separate elements moving as a body before culminating in the reformation of the A6.
The final elements were then composited and graded in Inferno at HD. The team worked closely with Pleix, finessing the shots and setting the overall mood.
(GB)