Again
NBA legend LeBron James is back to join forces with a thrill-seeking CG crab for GMC Hummer during the 2023 All-Star game. Created by Leo Burnett Detroit, ‘Again’ takes us on a high octane ride through the desert to showcase the car’s Crabwalk feature that allows all four wheels to turn at an angle for diagonal movement.
Strapping its seat belt for one electrifying experience, our hero crab makes its return thanks to Framestore’s VFX team. When it came to shooting the plates, the team worked with the art department to provide a CG model of the crab that was then 3D printed, painted and rigged with wires. This allowed director Jacob Rosenberg to pose, light, and frame an actual crab at the correct scale and position to the one that the VFX team would generate in post. The stand-in model was so accurate to post assets that it gave the team the perfect reference to look at throughout the post production process.
“The fidelity and detail brought to the CG crabs roots them in reality, while allowing us to convey emotion and communication during the interaction with LeBron throughout the spot,” said Framestore Creative Director, Jordan Carroll. “This was one of the shared goals we discussed at length with director Jacob Rosenberg and Leo Burnett at the beginning of the project, and I believe we were very successful.”