Format

How do you capture the transformation of a home throughout 20+ years, through each distinguishable season, with only a handful of production days? The Format team accepted this challenge from our longtime agency friends at Red Tettemer O'Connell + Partners. Filming on location for this project would be infeasible due to the custom aesthetic changes we would need to make to the home, problematic weather conditions, and the ultimate need to control the seasonal visuals of each scene. So, we once again synced up with the folks at The Pine Box Studios to help us create a controlled environment in which practical elements could be applied over a virtual LED wall background and we got to work to create this unique ad for American Standard! 💥

How do you capture the transformation of a home throughout 20+ years, through each distinguishable season, with only a handful of production days? The Format team accepted this challenge from our longtime agency friends at Red Tettemer O'Connell + Partners. Filming on location for this project would be infeasible due to the custom aesthetic changes we would need to make to the home, problematic weather conditions, and the ultimate need to control the seasonal visuals of each scene. So, we once again synced up with the folks at The Pine Box Studios to help us create a controlled environment in which practical elements could be applied over a virtual LED wall background and we got to work to create this unique ad for American Standard! 💥

Production checklist: Philadelphia, PA ✅ Atlanta, GA ✅ San Diego, CA ✅ Lexington, KY 🔜 Keep an eye out for a TON of new work from the Format team in the coming weeks! 💥

After nearly a year of planning, our team produced this promotional Audi spot to increase the visibility and accessibility of larger virtual production opportunities in our region. Like any filmmaking tool, Virtual Production is a wonderful resource to have in the arsenal, and we wanted to create a comprehensive product to showcase not just our end result capabilities but also to showcase and teach the process of the technology to our clients and community. So we partnered with The Pine Box Studios, Vp Toolkit, Catalyst Virtual, and Expressway Cinema Rentals to create a cinematic spot, accompanied by an all-encompassing in-depth behind-the-scenes look into the project’s creation. This project originated with our Director Nic Reader developing the concept, shots, and storyboards while EP Mike Gualtieri and Producer/PM Joe Leonard started putting the pieces together to make it a possibility. Our longtime pal and collaborator Brian Market from the Pine Box Studios opened the doors and gave us carte blanche to all of their magical resources. The Pine Box’s Ryan Ward led the charge from the logistical and rigging approach for all lighting and the LED wall essentials. Format then teamed up with Ian Fursa and VP Toolkit to create the 3D environments in Unreal Engine as the immense LED wall construction began. With a 35’ wide backdrop, a 30’ horizontal LED wall for top reflections, and two 13’ high LED wild walls, we could bring the spot to life and surround the talent and hero vehicle with ease. We shot using an Alexa 35 - which has an internal genlock option so we could seamlessly sync with the virtual wall. We decided to shoot this project with Cooke anamorphic lenses to enhance the cinematic quality while enhancing the luxury style and feel of the spot. Our new friends at Winner Auto in Wilmington, DE generously donated a brand new Audi e-tron to the project and have been a valuable partner throughout production and post-production. With production wrapped, Format’s Post Supervisor Andrew Kunkle took the wheel in post-production as we brought the spot to life. Format’s Daniel Haddaway and Mark Melchiorre created CGI shots that were added throughout to augment the in-camera footage. Our longtime pal Ben Wong from Dragon Fly Audio Post and Rob Bessette from Color Refinery added the final touches to the sound and color respectively to bring the spot across the finish line. Every live-action scene in the entire spot was generated in Unreal Engine and captured in-studio over the course of just one single production day. Virtual production is a great tool that allows us to transport to multiple complex environments quickly and seamlessly. With this tool, we were able to bypass any company moves, process trailers, weather conditions, and multi-day/night filming. Check out the final results below and an in-depth behind-the-scenes look linked in the comments!

A sneak peek behind-the-scenes from our Audi #virtualproduction shoot with our good friends at The Pine Box Studios, Vp Toolkit, and Catalyst Virtual. Stay tuned for much, much more! 💥 #ledwall #virtualproduction #vfx #virtualset #digitalproduction #virtualfilmmaking #unrealengine #volumewall #formatmade #createordie

We partnered with Jon Walley and Christian Carl to produce this thought-provoking spot for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Shot in one single day, we successfully leveraged one home location to create these five distinct scenes. From there, Format's team took on post and editorial to deliver multiple versions for various social distribution platforms. --- #peta #commercial #createordie #production #video #contentcreation #formatmade

"Calf-cow separation” and “repeated and forced impregnation” are nothing to smile about—so why do we keep saying “cheese”? On the heels of the Edie Falco Super Bowl Spot comes another spot about cheese. This one did not meet the approval of several networks so we soft launched it on Youtube, Social Media and Peta's site. It's getting some decent traction, so we'll be pitching news outlets and publications in the coming days. Jon Walley and I co-directed the spot and Philadelphia-based production company Format went above and beyond to help us get it done.

February is heart month and we ❤️ your ❤️ health. This 3D spot, made with love for Aloysius Butler & Clark and AtlantiCare, reminds patients to get their heart checked! --- #3danimation #cgi #3dmodeling #animation #hearts #healthcare #formatmade #createordie

A half-time experience only a (real) Usher can provide! The fine folks at Red Tettemer O'Connell + Partners tapped Format for production and post on this series of shenanigans with real stadium Ushers - featuring delicious Dietz & Watson meats and cheeses. #biggame #dietznuts #videoproduction #setdesign #comedy #ushers #postproduction #formatmade #createordie

Always a pleasure to team up with Aloysius Butler & Clark for some 3D animation! #3danimation #tvspot #3dmodeling #createordie