Hasta La Creative!

Brickyard VFX collaborated with ad agency gyro on a new spot for Turn, a tech company that amplifies marketing outreach. Capturing the iconic style of “Mad Men” in its art direction, color correction and overall aesthetic, the :30 spot aired exclusively during the show’s season 5 finale on June 10.

Directed by Michael Lehmann of Dark Light Pictures (credits include “True Blood” and cult classic “Heathers”), the spot opens in the midst of an intimate moment between a 60s-era executive and his female secretary in his office. Their would-be tryst is interrupted as the executive’s wife enters, pulls a pistol from her purse and fires. In a series of dramatic slow motion shots, the bullet soars toward the couple. Just before impact, the Turn logo animates on screen, leaving the viewer in suspense.

Brickyard VFX crafted the visual effects, color correction and animation in-house at its Santa Monica shop. While on set, Brickyard’s VFX Supervisor Mandy Sorenson and CG Supervisor David Blumenfeld assisted in choreographing the shot sequence, and captured HDRI to seamlessly integrate the CG bullet into the live action. Brickyard also created photoreal animation of the shell casing and muzzle flash at the instant the gun is fired.

“We did extensive research on ballistics and the specific type of bullet in the previs stage to ensure the animation would match the “Mad Men” era without any modern undertones,” said Blumenfeld. “We also worked closely with Michael and DP Matt Jensen to determine the best angles and lighting for the shoot to achieve a photographic level of realism.”

The Brickyard team used Autodesk Maya for animation, Autodesk Flame for visual effects, and Autodesk Lustre for color correction, achieving a period-appropriate palette throughout the spot.