VFX and digital studio MPC rejoins longtime collaborators Leo Burnett in a surreal and humorous look at what happens when buffalo take their wandering habits to unexpected places.
Buffalo roam. It’s just what they do. Just like Esurance saves people money on car insurance. It’s just what they do. In a new spot for Esurance insurance company, buffalo roam everywhere: golf courses, city streets, and even neighborhoods. VFX and digital studio MPC rejoins its longtime collaborators at Leo Burnett in a surreal and humorous look at what happens when buffalo take their wandering habits to unexpected places.
Achieving Director Craig Gillespie’s final vision for the cinematic, sun-soaked spot required a great deal of coordination between the production and VFX teams. “The shoot only allowed for two live buffalo on location,” noted MPC LA Producer Chris Harlowe, “so there was quite a bit of teamwork necessary to get the right kind of plates to transform them into a large herd for a multitude of shots in the edit.”
“Our job was to make the buffalo look absolutely convincing and integrated into the scenes,” added VFX Supervisor Paul O’Shea. “It was vital to the humor of the finished piece that they feel totally real.”
MPC also handled sky replacement, roto, and cleanup, with Ricky Gausis providing a polished color grade, ensuring that the entire spot would capture the unique qualities of the stunning early morning light.
Source: MPC
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
