Innovation Week attendees were treated this morning to a once-in-a-lifetime talk by Mike McGee – Global Chief Creative Officer and Founder of Oscar-winning and visual effects (VFX) powerhouse Framestore. The company has been running for only 30 years but their body of work includes some of the biggest TV, film and brand work in the world.
Blending physicists, mathematicians and computer scientists with animators and designers helped them create jaw-dropping VFX and introduce over 500 animated characters, including Dobbie from the Harry Potter series, Lorek from the Golden Compass and Paddington Bear.
Mike delved into a few of their inspiring projects to explain how they made them happen. For example, they recently brought Audrey Hepburn to life for Galaxy chocolate. He even shared a hidden truth in Hollywood that people are now selling their future image rights so their estate is paid when they are cast in films after they have passed away.
One of the most well-known projects was Gravity – the game-changing, Oscar-winning film. Mike spent time explaining how the team overcame their biggest challenge – shooting zero gravity in an environment where there is gravity. The film took over two and a half years in pre-production and included never-before-used technology, including a 360-degree light box. Amazingly, over 90% of the film is computer-generated imagery.
Mike ended by showcasing their work in the virtual reality space, including a Game of Thrones elevator that took people up “the wall” using a headset.
It was an inspiring talk that showed how collaboration and innovation can create magical moments for brands.
