Sphere Animation Studio and Director, Craig Blyth of Fresh Eye films collaborate on CGI effects to drive home the crucial message of the South African National Blood Service.

“It was the great way to end off 2006!” said Ettiene Bosch, partner of Sphere Animation Studio “A project like SANBS, with such an important message, is a pleasure to be a part of and we were equally honored to be working with Fresh Eye film’s Craig Blyth who is an incredibly talented director with an advanced knowledge of CGI and its capabilities!”

The commercial, which is presently flighting across South African stations, has been directed with great care to drive the message home that you can never be too sure what life has in store for you and the importance of donating blood to circumvent those unfortunate incidence that, as fate would have it, are bound to arise unexpectedly.

Craig Blyth’s split screen direction of the commercial depicts the two different life scenarios of ‘Mark’ and ‘Carol’ until one of them crashes their car; rendering one a blood donor and one a recipient.
The female occupants of the one car are thrown forward into the windscreen, the windscreen cracks and debris flies into and passed the car, the bonnet crumples and steam from the radiator escapes from the impact of the crash.
It was this crash scene that Sphere were commissioned to enhance using 3D animation and CGI techniques, taking the shot and graded footage of the actresses and creating the appearance that they were in a vehicle going through a major car crash.

Asked to comment on the finished commercial a satisfied Blyth said, “With a combination of 3D effects, in-camera effects and stunt work, we managed to achieve exactly what we had hoped for!”

Sphere Animation would like to take this opportunity to encourage all personnel of the South African Television Industry to donate blood on a regular basis!

back