Dream It True

Directed by Murray Butler of Framestore Pictures, the ‘Dream it True’ campaign from HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams takes viewers on a home transformation journey of a different kind through the magic of VFX and meticulous production design.

Animation

Environments

Visual Effects Supervisor

Direction

aerial perspective of a house amidst a field in golden hour

Framestore and Framestore Pictures worked alongside creative agency MONO on the campaign’s two spots, ‘Journey’ and ‘Strokes of Genius'. With the live shoot elements wrapping safely just days before the COVID-19 lockdown, post-production for the VFX-heavy campaign was successfully completed entirely under the work from home order with added layers of logistical consideration.

a couple painting the walls of their new home

a couple standing in front of windows, above a paint pot preparing to dip their paint brushes

In ‘Journey,’ the story of a suburban house transported to a beautiful, remote location is told in two parts -- the first of which captures a single room within the home, slowly evolving thanks to a new coat of paint. Combining carefully considered lighting and a custom set design, inclusive of a “moving” living room, the home comes to life through shaking and dizzying spin effects (the actors were required to balance as the set shifted, adding even more authenticity to their performance).

“Not a single green screen was used while shooting this campaign,” said Karch Coon, Compositing Supervisor at Framestore. “Working with Director of Photography Wyatt Garfield we shot against 50% grey backgrounds for all of the interiors, requiring more matte work but ultimately allowing Murray to lock in beautiful exposures in camera. During post, we matched these levels for all of the plates, giving everything a naturalistic, photographically correct feel. Inspired!”

Shot in Cape Town, the second part of the story shows the home’s journey in an abstract way, switching locations through observational glimpses. Using design blueprints, the team hired a model builder to physically construct a scale model of the chosen house. The miniature was finished to a high degree of detail, complete with window boxes of flowers and HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams paint on the exterior. This was then surveyed and scanned by the VFX team, forming the basis of the CG house we see in the spot. The team wanted to base the CG model on a physical asset, complete with all the minor imperfections and inaccuracies that make an object feel real.

“It was important for us to show the home’s progress without seeming too literal,” said Framestore Pictures director and creative director, Murray Butler. “Creating animatics early in the process allowed for consistency in the vision, and working alongside MONO as a trusted partner throughout really helped us stay true to the goal of creating an aspirational, dreamy spot.”

close up of a hand holding a red umbrella. there are rain droplets

The second spot of the campaign ‘Strokes of Genius’ is a highly visual product film, showing off the water wicking properties of HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams exterior paint. The team used paint colors and everyday objects that repel water as the basis for inspiration. Using high-speed photography, each moment was captured in great detail within the guiding principle of keeping the camera moving from left to right in harmony with the paint brush. The camera continually switches perspective to provide a novel way of seeing the paint being applied and its correlation with other objects in everyday life.