Although our main activity is in post-production we increasingly organise shoots for videos we create from scratch that need some live elements. These projects generally involve shooting in a studio against a green key background so we can isolate the protagonists/live elements and integrate them within a virtual (2D or 3D) environment in post production.
We work with experienced freelancers, all specialists in their area to ensure high quality standards. Our post-production knowledge enables us to chose the best technical solutions at production start, including shooting equipment.
Champion, Wolf, Vittel, Bel&Bo, Leonidas, SoftKinetic, Delhaize Direct, guru training systems are good examples of projects where we had had to organise a shoots prior to post-production work.
For all projects involving our collaboration with a production company it is essential for the production team to be in close contact with a special effect supervisor. 3LP provides this service to make sure all the necessary precautions are taken during the shoot to produce images and camera movement that will be usable in post production to create visual effects.
Our VFX Supervisor gives on-set technical advice to resolve issues as efficiently as possible and always with the post-production in mind. He/she works closely with the director and the DOP tomake the bridge between production and post-production as smooth as possible.
Good examples of projects where our input in VFX supervision has been particularly useful are: Champion, Wolf, Vittel, Bel&Bo, Leonidas, Recupel, VW Blue Motion, Pearle, Bofferding, Duc d'O commercials
Sometimes also called 3D, CGI is our core business. We have an in-house team specialised in creating highly realistic computer generated images. Objects and characters are modelled, then textured and lit to fit the overall mood of the project.
This stage of the post production process requires many references to be able to model objects in their correct proportions. Creating the right textures and lighting the objects properly will allow for a realistic finish. Nearly all our projects include Computer Generated Images.
Once objects have been created in 3D (CGI) they need to be animated and brought to life according to a script or storyboard. Movements and timings need to be precise as rendering animated sequences are generally very time-consuming. The complexity in animating lies in making the movements realistic and coherent with the surrounding environment.
As with modelling and texturing we work with many references to make sure we render animations as realistic as possible narrowing the gap between real imagery and 3D imagery.
Here a few of our projects that feature quite a lot of animation: Wolf, Champion, Bekaert, Bebat, Bel&Bo, Gordon Commercials ("Spider" and "Lamb"), SoftKinetic,Tic Tac "Catwalk" and "Strawberry"
Motion capture is the process of recording movement and translating that movement on to a 3D model. While sometimes we may want to animate characters manually, recording actions of human actors in studio brings realism to digital character models animated in 3D : The animation data is mapped to the 3D model so that the model performs the same actions as the actor.
We also capture subtle expressions of the face or fingers movements when realistic animation becomes priority.
In computer generated graphics, certain elements are more difficult to recreate than others because they behave according to physical laws or mathematical rules, this is the case for fluids, cloth, hair, fur and smoke to name a few. To recreate these effects realistically with computer generated animations it is necessary to use specific software and advanced techniques.
This technology has developed tremendously in the last few years allowing for increasingly realistic simulations of explosions, glass breaking, water splashes, hair and fur movements.
Good examples of projects where we have created simulations are : Calyssandre teaser, Gordon commercials ("Spider" and "Lamb"), Pay TV, guru training systems. You can find other examples of tests we have made in our Lab section.
Whether it is to give an overall look and feel or to add text to a video or animate a logo, it is sometimes necessary to create certain graphics in 2D. They can either be stand alone graphics or be integrated with 3D elements. Certain effects can be quickly created and animated in 2D and match an existing 3D animation.
Compositing is an important stage that comes at the end of the post-production process. It is the art of combining visual elements from separate sources into single images. Our compositing work aims to create the illusion that all those elements are parts of the same scene : good compositing is the key of photorealistic integration. All our projects require compositing, so don't hesitate to browse through all our videos.
Colour grading is the process of altering and enhancing the color of a motion picture, television image, or still image. We do digital color correction using color suite.
When working on projects from scratch an edit is always necessary to construct a sequence that tells a story with an appropriate rhythm. We can also work from existing rushes and put them together depending on the briefing requirements. We are also able to provide this edited content in TV, Film, video and web compatible formats.
Should the project need it, we may add some subtitles to a video in any language. Alternatively we can also add a voice over if the project requires it with a voice casting prior to recording.
Many communication/marketing campaigns require different kinds of output, while our specialty is within computer generated graphics, video and animation, we are often asked to translate video content into print either for the web or for print.
We also produce 3D objects for print use. Creating it in 3D rather than photographing the real object in a studio allows for great freedom in producing different types of images while preserving a photorealistic aspect. Having the object in 3D means it's easier to reposition the camera virtually, relight it and create new stills. If you missed a picture during a photo shoot, it is a lot more time-consuming and costly to re-organise a new one!
This can also be useful for prototypes of objects that don't exist yet and only exist in concept drawings.
We recently created for Tayo the Leonidas shop window visuals Gia d'Or, St Nicolas and Christmas 2012. And from Those visuals we created TV Commercials for Gia d'or and Christmas 2012