Method Studios recently completed a VFX-heavy ad campaign for Halo 4, the next release in Microsoft‘s Xbox 360 flagship series. The commercial, titled, “The Commissioning” is packed with visual effects worthy of a sci-fi feature film. Method Studios’ previous work on the Halo spot “Deliver Hope” was honored with the VESAward for outstanding visual effects in 2011.
“Gamers today expect to enter realistic worlds with near-photorealistic imagery, wholly immersive environments and feature film-level storytelling and the spot needed to convey the experience Halo 4 provides,” Method’s EVP and senior VFX supervisor Dan Glass said. “It’s an exciting challenge to deliver a level of visual effects not commonly seen in television advertising.”
The biggest task for the Method team with this Halo spot was the fast turnaround required for such a VFX-heavy ad. Once the shoot wrapped there were only four weeks of postproduction allotted before the delivery date. Detailed planning was therefore essential and 3-D and matte painting teams prepped digital elements and sequences while VFX supervisor, Benjamin Walsh was on set. Method’s international network between artists in LA and Sydney helped insure that both a 95-second and 60-second spot were delivered on time.
Stefan Sonnenfeld founder and president of Method’s sister company, Company 3, performed the color grading at Company 3’s Santa Monica location through an efficient pipeline between the two facilities.
“Method’s talented team has, once again, worked tirelessly to produce a beautifully crafted commercial,” said Gabby Gourrier, Method’s VP of production and senior EP. “The tight deadline called for careful preparations and our dedication, and the skills refined during our previous Halo project have really paid off.”
