Hennessey "The Piccards"

Award winning Director Daniel Wolfe of Somesuch directed the visually epic Hennessy spot "The Piccards”. The Mill helped craft the spot’s father son odyssey into space and sea.  

The 90” ad is a stunning and artistic representation of the achievements of father-son duo Auguste and Jacques Piccard. The tale of exploration documents the Swiss inventor’s feat in becoming the first man to reach the stratosphere, before his son continued this pioneering spirit 30 years later in reaching the deepest point in the ocean.

The Mill’s team of VFX artists carried out extensive research into the look and feel of the time in order to meticulously craft a series of visuals that detailed the duo’s journey to the ends of the earth, utilizing a range of digital techniques and artistry.

The spot was shot in Prague using four different cameras and scale models of the submarine and pod, with the aim of achieving as much realism as possible. The Mill’s VFX team then looked to enhance and entwine these visuals, retaining a sense of realism whilst adding in some magic. A host of elements were created in CG, as well as intricate digital matte paintings which were then all seamlessly combined to create an impactful and dynamic final spot.

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Director: Daniel Wolfe
Production Company: Somesuch
Agency: Droga5
VFX & Design: The Mill 
Executive Producer: Sean Costelloe
Producer: Bugs Russell
Production Coordinator: Jacqueline Sand
Shoot Supervisor: Jasper Kidd, Eric Pascarelli
Creative Directors: Gavin Wellsman, Jasper Kidd
2D Lead Artist: Gavin Wellsman
3D Lead Artist: Jasper Kidd
2D Artists: Andre Vidal, Ben Kwok, Heather Kennedy 
3D Artists: Jimmy Gass, Laurent Giaume, Katie Schiffer, Justin Diamond, Edward Hassan, Eshan Parizi, Paul Liaw, Joji Tsuruga, Greg Gangemi Concept
Artist: Luca Gabriele Rossetti
Matte Painting: Cedric Mernard  
Designer: Sally Reynolds