Honda ad

John Locke · June 13th, 2003, 05:14 PM

Anyone seen this ad? Can you believe that there's only one second of CG in it (used to combine two halves of the chain because the whole thing was too big for their studio to do in unbroken take)?

Here's an article that talks about the "making of."

Mark Moore · June 13th, 2003, 05:54 PM

I have not seen the ad, but that is amazing. What patience to do that hundreds of times!

I'm a quiet guy anyway, but it leaves me speechless!

Thanks for the link.

Ken Tanaka · June 13th, 2003, 06:24 PM

It looks like a truly remarkable feat! Surely it drove somebody absolutely nuts.

(But it sure is a terrible advertisement for a product.)

Thanks for that, John.

Alex Knappenberger · June 13th, 2003, 06:27 PM

Thats cool, but it is a bad advertisement. "Don't you just like it when everything just comes toghether?" oh yeah, but it took them 606 times to get that shot right. :D

K. Forman · June 13th, 2003, 06:47 PM

The crew was certainly glad it worked! That was an amazing feat, thanks John for sharing that!

Trey Perrone · June 14th, 2003, 08:11 PM

===>Thats cool, but it is a bad advertisement. "Don't you just like it when everything just comes toghether?" oh yeah, but it took them 606 times to get that shot right. :D

i think the statement was more directed to hondas fine machinery. Those engines keep on going and going...(wheres the pink rabbit?)

Robert Knecht Schmidt · June 14th, 2003, 09:55 PM

I've seen the ad and the press, but I don't buy it. Here's why I think this is a fully CG production.

(1) The entire setup is a textbook example of a good scenario to use global illumination rendering. Flat, even background, no horizon. Nothing but plastic, metal, and glass parts. Photoreal appearance of an impossible/improbable feat.
(2) Some things just aren't physically right. You don't get tires to roll uphill by tapping them. I've never seen loudspeaker horns puff like that. Some of the aerial acrobatics are executed with a level of statistical improbability so as to be miraculous.
(3) Let's face it--nobody invests in a commercial that they know will take 600 takes.

The story about the hundreds of takes and the CG splice was concocted to lend some shred of believability to it all. Ultimately, I think we'll see the makers of the commercial come forward and announce their hoax. Or, they might just keep it a secret and use it on their resume. In any case, I want to see some hard proof. How about some documentary footage of the rig setups?

John Locke · June 14th, 2003, 10:30 PM

Robert,

I wondered about that, too...but their explanation of the tires rolling uphill holds water. They claim they weighted the tires within and set the weights at the top just at the balancing point. So when the tire is tapped, it rolls the balanced weights off-center causing the tire to roll uphill.

I buy that.

Gary Chavez · June 18th, 2003, 10:28 AM

so what keeps the tires from rolling before they are tapped if they were weighted at the top?, i mean, where is the "balancing point" of a circle? and what caused them to roll forward then when tapped. the "balancing point suggests that it could have rolled either way or fallen to one side or the other.
that was the sticking point for me, the tire sequence.

Will Fastie · June 18th, 2003, 01:51 PM

Whether real or not, it's a great ad.

I was a magazine editor, so I've been up close and personal with advertising. The whole key was making the reader stop and take notice. That's even more critical in a TV spot, where the viewer either is caught or not, no flipping the page back.

This ad absolutely, positively makes you stop and watch. It's a winner.

Will

June 13th, 2003, 05:14 PM	#1
John Locke Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Austin, TX USA Posts: 2,882	Honda ad - 606 takes Anyone seen this ad? Can you believe that there's only one second of CG in it (used to combine two halves of the chain because the whole thing was too big for their studio to do in unbroken take)? Here's an article that talks about the "making of." __________________ John Locke SursumFilms.com

June 13th, 2003, 05:54 PM	#2
Mark Moore Major Player Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 301	I have not seen the ad, but that is amazing. What patience to do that hundreds of times! I'm a quiet guy anyway, but it leaves me speechless! Thanks for the link. __________________ Mark Moore Sugar Free Productions

June 13th, 2003, 06:24 PM	#3
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	It looks like a truly remarkable feat! Surely it drove somebody absolutely nuts. (But it sure is a terrible advertisement for a product.) Thanks for that, John. __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

June 14th, 2003, 08:11 PM	#6
Trey Perrone Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Fredericksburg, VA Posts: 155	===>Thats cool, but it is a bad advertisement. "Don't you just like it when everything just comes toghether?" oh yeah, but it took them 606 times to get that shot right. :D i think the statement was more directed to hondas fine machinery. Those engines keep on going and going...(wheres the pink rabbit?) __________________ Trey Perrone

June 14th, 2003, 09:55 PM	#7
Robert Knecht Schmidt Wrangler Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,933	Robert calls it. I've seen the ad and the press, but I don't buy it. Here's why I think this is a fully CG production. (1) The entire setup is a textbook example of a good scenario to use global illumination rendering. Flat, even background, no horizon. Nothing but plastic, metal, and glass parts. Photoreal appearance of an impossible/improbable feat. (2) Some things just aren't physically right. You don't get tires to roll uphill by tapping them. I've never seen loudspeaker horns puff like that. Some of the aerial acrobatics are executed with a level of statistical improbability so as to be miraculous. (3) Let's face it--nobody invests in a commercial that they know will take 600 takes. The story about the hundreds of takes and the CG splice was concocted to lend some shred of believability to it all. Ultimately, I think we'll see the makers of the commercial come forward and announce their hoax. Or, they might just keep it a secret and use it on their resume. In any case, I want to see some hard proof. How about some documentary footage of the rig setups? __________________ All the best, Robert K S Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| The best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

June 13th, 2003, 06:27 PM	#4
Alex Knappenberger High School Student Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Canton, Ohio, USA Posts: 609	Thats cool, but it is a bad advertisement. "Don't you just like it when everything just comes toghether?" oh yeah, but it took them 606 times to get that shot right. :D

June 13th, 2003, 06:47 PM	#5
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	The crew was certainly glad it worked! That was an amazing feat, thanks John for sharing that!

June 14th, 2003, 10:30 PM	#8
John Locke Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Austin, TX USA Posts: 2,882	Robert, I wondered about that, too...but their explanation of the tires rolling uphill holds water. They claim they weighted the tires within and set the weights at the top just at the balancing point. So when the tire is tapped, it rolls the balanced weights off-center causing the tire to roll uphill. I buy that. __________________ John Locke SursumFilms.com

June 18th, 2003, 10:28 AM	#9
Gary Chavez Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Antonio Posts: 355	so what keeps the tires from rolling before they are tapped if they were weighted at the top?, i mean, where is the "balancing point" of a circle? and what caused them to roll forward then when tapped. the "balancing point suggests that it could have rolled either way or fallen to one side or the other. that was the sticking point for me, the tire sequence.

June 18th, 2003, 01:51 PM	#10
Will Fastie Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Jarrettsville, MD Posts: 353	It IS a good ad! Whether real or not, it's a great ad. I was a magazine editor, so I've been up close and personal with advertising. The whole key was making the reader stop and take notice. That's even more critical in a TV spot, where the viewer either is caught or not, no flipping the page back. This ad absolutely, positively makes you stop and watch. It's a winner. Will