Architectural visualisations

We have been creating architectural walk throughs and visuals as test sequences for the property market. Some genuine building designs were interpreted into landscapes and interior views for the 3d WOWvx holographic screen display.

Mazda Viral

Designed and shot by Maverick this viral for the Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe. The sequences highlight the new cars electric sun roof in a funny way. All compositing, animation and special effects were done in house at SquareZero. A very complex Final Cut Pro offline from Maverik had to be unpicked and reassembled in Shake. 2007

3d PLASMA SCREEN AT CANNES LIONS

JUNE 2008
The team were in Cannes showing our latest work to the advertising world.   We had a specially prepared selection of movies made for the 3d WOWvx screen. SquareZero's stand drew in a lot of interest for our visuals and directors due to the unusual screening format.

KEVAN MORETTI JOINS SQUAREZERO

MAY 2008
SquareZero has appointed Kevan Moretti as commercial director.  Kevan was one of the founders of iKnowledge Ltd a pioneering TV sports graphics company which was acquired by the Press Association in June 2006. Kevan stood down from the board of iKnowledge earlier on May 25th. Kevan’s background is in the marketing, commercial development and deployment of IT and TV production services.

CONTENT PROVIDERS FOR 3d PLASMA SCREENS

APRIL 2008
The incredible WOWvx lenticular plasma screens provide a true 3d depth picture without the use of glasses. SquareZero mastered the art of creating the holographic depth images with the award winning Toyota Auris launch. Now Philips have recognised us as an official content designer and provision service. Our toyota sequence can be seen on their website along with more details about the technology.


Philips 3D Solutions 42” 3D WOW display has enhanced depth performance features an out-of-screen performance, whereby objects virtually fly in front of the screen, it immediately grabs the attention of the viewer. Philips 3D WOW display is intended for use in media rich environments such as stores and shopping malls to attract the visitors’ attention and leave them with an extraordinary and entertaining 3D experience. Now available from SquareZero - an official content provider of Philips' 3D screens in the UK.

Speedo LZR Racer launch using Musion technology

FEBUARY 2008
Speedo International Limited, commissioned SquareZero to create an enthralling presentation on the Musion Eyeliner System for the Launch of Speedo’s new swimsuit: The Fastskin LZR Racer. The launch, also celebrating Speedo’s 80th year, took place globally in New York, London, Sydney and Tokyo, on February 12th 2008. Pentland were the commissioning agency dealing with Speedo's account.

AWARDED AT IVCA LIVECOM 2007

OCTOBER 2007

We won the IVCA award for outstanding innovation in live event content. Using the Musion Eyeliner (TM) System in which images are holographically projected into a stage setting, Squarezero designed, shot, animated, directed and produced the content for the Toyota Auris promo ‘Created Around You’, under creative agency Brandwidth.

Digit article

12 ANIMATION SPOTS FOR DISNEY

AUGUST 2007

Each spot begins with a fly through into a notice board, which comes to life allowing the viewer to become submerged into different worlds. The 12 spots, a mixture of live action and animation, all vary in terms of style creating an exciting branded package that can sustain many repeat viewings.

ANIMATED ROBOT SPOTS FOR TV6

SEPTEMBER 2007
SquareZero animators used Maya to rig and animate the TV6 robot. Rendering was done in Mental Ray to create the dramatic basement lighting of the robot’s home. The VFX that are incorporated into each animation range from running water to sparks and explosions. The compositing and final grade was acheived using Shake.

SHAKESPEARE'S STORIES NOMINATED FOR BAFTA

The BBC's Shakespeare's Stories has been nominated for a BAFTA. SquareZero created the in programme graphics for Midsummer Night's Dream which involved tracking Live action with CGI. A wireframe model of a donkey's head was put over the head of the actor playing Bottom.

MAGIC WITH DAVID BLAINE FOR LG

JANUARY 2007

SquareZero teamed up with Musion (TM) once again for David Blaine's launch of the new LG Shine phone at Cirque in London. The team completed the post for the piece in which Blaine which was projected onto a stage at the venue in 2 locations and the two holograms interacted with each other. The second half of the promo was designed, directed and produced at SquareZero and involved a Musion 3D sequence showcasing the new Shine phone along with logos of the sponsors involved.

SQUAREZERO CREATE TRUE 3D FOR THE NEW TOYOTA AURIS

DECEMBER 2006
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SquareZero have created unique in-store audio-visual experiences for the launch of Toyota's new car, the Auris. Commisioned by creative agency Brandwidth, who have developed the retail theatre concept stores as a pivotal launch promotion for the Auris, the promos have been made for 3d stereoscopic plasma screens and for Musion holographic cinema projection systems. See the movie here.

Musion Systems, the projection technology behind the seminal video holograms of Sir Richard Branson, Madonna and virtual band Gorillaz, this week completed installation of the largest virtual 3D video hologram ever to appear in a single unit retail outlet - the projection of a full size Toyota Auris® family car spinning midair, complete with a life size human test driver. The groundbreaking projection, which dwarfs all previous in-store holograms, launches on January 18th for 4 weeks at the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent with Philips 3D plasma screens featuring at 7 other sites nationwide. The project was undertaken on behalf of Toyota GB in collaboration with creative agency Brandwidth Marketing and video production house Square Zero.

Musion® Eyeliner™ is a new and unique high definition video projection system allowing spectacular freeform 3-dimensional moving images to appear within a live stage setting. Eyeliner brings dramatic, previously unseen 21st century video film effects to the live set mediums of stage, AV - artistic performances, conference or trade show presentations, retail displays and large scale out of home digital signage.

The Musion installation is the main focal point of a unique series of in-store audio-visual experiences for the launch of Toyota's new car, the Auris. Creative agency Brandwidth Marketing together with leading retail design consultant John Whittle were commissioned by Toyota to design and build a unique retail theatre concept stores as a pivotal launch promotion for the Auris family hatchback car - a model seen by many as a serious challenger to the Ford Focus. The video presentations also include Philips WOWvx Intelligent 3D stereoscopic lenticular plasma screens provided by Musion Licensee partner Dimensional Studios. Both video mediums are able to present compelling virtual 3D images without the need for audiences to wear polarizing framed spectacles.

From the initial briefing to the delivery, the project took approximately 8 weeks to complete.

Bluewater Shopping Centre attracts over half a million visitors a week. The new Auris store is expected to create considerable exposure for the Toyota brand during its 5 week tenure.

Andrew Strange, Director at marketing agency Brandwidth said; 'Toyota believes in making it easy and enjoyable to experience their models. This activity for the new Auris is our most imaginative experiential marketing development yet. It's great to be able to take the ultimate retail challenge of designing a real concept store where they can do all this in comfort and style'. We hope shoppers will enjoy the unique retail theatre we have brought to them and will see for themselves why the new Auris from Toyota can lay claim to being 'created around you'.

Video Production and Technical Background

The main video sequence produced for the Toyota holographic projection is based on the Pepper's Ghost principle using an 'invisible' Eyeliner foil projection screen. This gives the impression of a life size car along with all the effects directly sitting on the stage within the showcase store (think of the effect created for the movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"). The development of HD video production coupled with high powered HD projectors and the use of a thin membrane "foil" (Eyeliner™) have created images of a scale and definition never before possible resulting in a much more realistic look than anything previously achieved using a more conventional Pepper's Ghost set up.

Video content for the in-store display technologies has been created in unison using two custom made techniques and produced entirely in high definition by Square Zero. Dynamic live action and CGI were combined to create images with depth which the viewer can reach out and almost touch.

Under the creative direction of Dean Johnson from Brandwidth, Square Zero designed a sequence which would enhance the brand based on the strapline 'Created Around You' and which would make the most of the depth effect of the screens.

The video sequence involves animated mercury tendrils wrapping around featured car parts as well as the car building plane by plane whilst revolving slowly around the driver. Using Autodesk's Maya, a dummy 3D car was matched to the real car in order to render the all important Z depth pass which is used to give the live action car its illusion of depth.

Vicky Godfrey, MD of Square Zero produced both the shoot and the post production with consultative input from Gareth Unwin at Bedlam. The two day shoot involved a combination of turntable and motion control photography at the Malcolm Ryan studios in Wandsworth. All post, animation and compositing were rendered and graded using Maya 8.0 and Shake to 1920 x 1080i resolution - undertaken in house by the Square Zero team headed up by Olly Tyler. The HD footage was keyed and cleaned up using Shake. Extensive rotoscoping was employed in parts to add further realism to the more spectacular animation effects. Atomic Arts provided final encoded output for in-store playback on the HD Mpeg2 Mediasonic 9200P video server.

The Mediasonic 9200P was configured with an Avolite lighting system and time code to run automatically on start up preprogrammed bespoke live lighting sequences designed by Mark Hannah Lighting. The light show interacts directly with Square Zero's video sequences to enhance the 3D effect using Pixel Par 90Ls, 1044 LED Batons, Mac 300s, 500 and 600s supplied by PRG and AC Lighting. High Definition digital video projection of the 5m wide x 3m high image is achieved using a single Barco R12+ Performer fitted with a special high brightness short throw lens and an HD digital interface card installed and configured by Barco UK. The image reflects from a high gain digital grey Harkness Hall front projection screen before bouncing through the Eyeliner Foil to complete the magical effect.

Due to the limitation and premium on space inherent of retail outlets the Musion Eyeliner projection set design featured one of the smallest footprints so far used to achieve such a large 3D video image. In all, projection path included, the stage performance area measured around 5m x 4m x 3m high. The installation was managed directly by 00004000 Musion Systems in collaboration with technical design partners C2R configuring the projection path and Concept to Reality taking responsibility for set design, construction and installation.

POKERZONE - TV PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR

JANUARY 2006.
After months of speculation and voting, Pokerzone (SKY channel 226) won TV programme of the year at The UK Gambling Awards for their flagship show, Poker Night Live.
Digital channel Pokerzone commissioned SquareZero to design and create the entire brand package for the programme.This included the title sequence plus all the graphics and animations for the in-play updates on the Poker Table.