MPC created a 60-second spot with extensive VFX to launch All4, Channel 4’s new digital service. MPC developed five separate environments from scratch, giving Alan Carr 360-degree vision and providing an alternative transport method for newsreader Jon Snow.
Greg McKneally said, "The beginning and end of the spot take us into an abstracted tunnel through time. Following Neil's suggestion to play with the viewer's sense of perspective, we created a constantly shifting environment of geometric forms, filled with atmosphere and light. It was one of the more challenging sequences in the spot, but great fun to design."
Alan Carr and his set were given complete makeovers, taking his show into the 22nd century complete with hover board steps, intelligent camera drones, tentacles and an entirely new look for his head.
Michael Gregory explains, “4Creative’s Neil Gorringe, director, had a brilliantly kooky vision for Alan Carr’s sequence. We started by filming him against green screen wearing a prosthetic head, minus the eyes. We then shot multiple takes of Alan’s eyes
with various movements. Back in the studio we projected these into the shot plate. This meant that in the final spot, the extra eyes we see on his head are all actually his own. The crowd was the biggest challenge; we had 20 extras on set and had to make up a crowd of 3000. The audience is all real people duplicated and built up in the 3D environment. There were a number of complex shots in the spot, not to mention the huge amount of VFX- in Jon Snow’s scene the only thing that isn’t completely CG is his disembodied head!”
MPC’s team of concept artists designed multiple looks for the Grand National sequence, including adaptations of the horse and helmet based on armor suits used in high-impact sports and costumes worn in action films such as Robocop. The following royal wedding sequence features actors filmed on green screen and an environment that is a combination of matte painting and CG.
Two intelligent drones types were designed – type I, being the more experienced of the two swoops in at the close of the spot to capture the money shot of the smoke trails over the palace. Spaceships and buildings were concepted and designed from scratch for the scene, while the backdrop for Jon’s sequence was based reference photography from high vantage points in London, before being augmented with a futuristic twist.