Free This Weekend?
‘Free this weekend? Overwatch is.’ Framestore was a trusted partner to Blizzard Entertainment on a multi-spot campaign celebrating the two year anniversary of 'Overwatch', their highly acclaimed video game with over 40 million players worldwide. Framestore Pictures director Tom Routson reinforced his affinity for comedic direction in his second campaign for the brand, on which Framestore was pleased to lead on all aspects of production.
The BAFTA- and Game Award-winning video game is recognised for its continuous support of both its players and the game itself, and Blizzard Entertainment is keen to continue growing its dedicated audience. In this round of work, we watch weekend plans get destroyed, only to be saved by the opportunity to embrace days of Overwatch play.
Direct To Brand
Framestore was entrusted with seeing through the entire project from shoot to finish. The creative studio partnered directly with Blizzard Entertainment and managed all aspects of production, including live action, editorial, music, sound design, final audio, color, VFX, and finishing.
Framestore was pleased to steer the project, which was originally concepted by Liquid Advertising, joining with Cut & Run Editorial and Shindig Music and Sound. As the center point for communication, Framestore was relied on to manage all creative partners and ensure that all stages of the project went smoothly. The studio was prepared to tap into its multidisciplinary resources to guide their partner, Blizzard Entertainment, both creatively and logistically.
Live Action
Framestore Pictures Director Tom Routson had a great experience collaborating with Blizzard Entertainment, who were enthusiastic about working together. Routson felt the brand’s trust immensely in an on-set environment that was extremely flexible. Moving into the post-production process, Routson effortlessly worked with Framestore’s top level creative team to see all aspects of production through.
VFX
Framestore resources were utilised nationally, with the visual effects teams working together in both the New York and Los Angeles offices. The New York VFX team worked mostly in 2D, tackling projects such as rig removal, green screen comps, and creating weather elements. They also created the end cards using After Effects.
In Los Angeles, the work was graded by Framestore Colourist Beau Leon, who used his classic chroma print filter LUT, added vignettes to create more contrast, and increased saturation whilst keeping the colour separation intact. Their successful collaboration left all parties feeling great about the final product and looking forward to their next project.