Blacklist and Tendril were in the driver's seat for this energetic film announcing the launch of Nike’s latest, the Mercurial Vapor IX.  The project was produced for Nike Global Football, and will run both online and in Nike's retail stores worldwide.

The extreme responsiveness of Nike’s new soccer boot is showcased in the film, likening the footwear to Italy’s finest sports cars — beautifully designed objects built for speed.  

"This project was actually our second film for Nike Global Football, and the Tendril team once again worked very closely with the team in Amsterdam to bring it all to life," said Blacklist Executive Producer, Andrew Linsk.  "Tendril's design sensibility and expertise in photoreal CG made them the perfect fit for this project."

“The idea was to use the form, lines, and materials of car engine parts as subtle winks at the design of the Mercurial IX cleat itself,” said Tendril's Creative Director, Chris Bahry.

Tight angled shots, cut between trailer-like title sequences, exaggerate the similarities and highlight the shoe’s cutting edge technology. As the camera slowly pulls back, a pair of the boots are revealed to be the driving pulse of a supercar’s engine.

“The colour separation effect you see throughout was inspired by the double exposure work of photographer Yulia Gorbachenko,” adds Bahry. “Both music and colour are meant to have a slight retro-synth flavour that compliments the palette of the boot as well as the Italo-supercar metaphor that is pervasive throughout the film."

The robust 3D work was executed using 3DSMax with lighting and rendering completed in Vray. The piece was composited in Nuke, and titles and FX were done in Ater Effects.

Source: Blacklist