Engine creates ‘Epic Hydration’ 4th dimension YouTube piece for Schick Hydro via JWT Sydney

Championing the convergence shift in digital and TV, Engine EP, Adam Wells, said the new Schick ‘Epic Hydration’ 4th dimension job the company recently completed was a great example of things to come in the world of advertising and cross media promotion.

Says Wells: “After meeting our creative director Simon Robson (Knife Party) JWT Sydney gave us a brief that revolved around an integrated TV and digital campaign for the new Schick Hydro 5-blade razor.”

VIEW THE CONCEPT

Engine were tasked with integrating VFX into an Internet environment based on an existing concept JWT had developed overseas.

Says Wells: “JWT Sydney gave us some pre-shot assets and storyboards so we could take the idea, adapt it and execute it for the new campaign. We created the VFX per the boards, directed the talent, created the text, ink and 3D boxes which really made the overall space and surprise effect. You really have to see it to get the full impact.”

Engine shot all the water seen on the piece on a Phantom camera at 500fps and from multiple angles as Wells explained, “We had to match the footage to props at exactly the right angles so the water could create a realistic ‘blast out’ effect against the screen and so the drips would look realistic. All of this was done using water and ink shot in a fish tank. We then had to carefully add ink onto text, cut stencils and then create a bleeding text effect, all the while using the original overseas ad for direction.”

The Engine team took all the main elements and edited them in Final Cut Pro to get exact timings, with the elements then compiled into the piece by Lead Compositor Kent Smith. Lead on the job was Grant Everett, who was indispensible as VFX Supervisor and Designer.

Adds Wells: “It’s a clever campaign and one that is best experienced rather than explained. Without giving too much away it’s a YouTube-based piece with a twist. The key to making this so effective was making sure the angles were 100% correct so that the visual experience is believable. The interaction of the water with the viewer breaks the 4th dimension but don’t take my word for it, click on the link and see for yourself. As I said, this combining of the TV and web worlds is most definitely the way of the future in advertising.”

Executive Producer: Adam Wells

Technical Hand: Harry Wells

Picture credits: Stills from the Schick Hydro “Epic Hydration” YouTube piece created by Engine.