Stampede

In the first spot of the series, titled Stampede, a hero character saves the day for a downtrodden man stranded with his broken down truck in the desert and a sign reading “credit denied.” The hero proudly leads a herd of purple cows that come hurtling towards the man, repeatedly calling out the word “Experian” as the cows respond with a low, rumbling “Booooost.” 

“Framestore has been a key partner in this campaign, and it quite simply would not have been possible without their commitment, passion and tremendous capabilities” said Experian Marketing VP, Kevin Everhart.

The project presented a number of exciting challenges for the largely LA-based Framestore team, which has deep experience when it came to creating photorealistic animals. From building a CGI creature that move seamlessly regardless of the motion being captured, to finding the perfect purple hue of the cow’s fur, every detail was painstakingly considered.

The team was overseen by Executive Creative Director Aron Hjartarson, while Animation Supervisor Andrew Daffy helped to lead creative and facilitate the overall vision. Daffy also worked hands-on with a body double and puppeteers from Creature FX to ensure they performed the right movements for the animation cycles of the cow performances required as John Cena rode a mechanical stand-in during the shoot.

The compositing, led by Martin Lazaro, relied on Nuke for the intricate work involved in layering hundreds of furry animals embedded in thick clouds of dust and dirt into the live action plates.

The CG team supervised by Framestore veteran James Healy used Houdini for grooming, lighting, FX and crowd systems, which also relied on animation cycles created in Maya.

“The artists on this project did a truly stellar job, which was the key to its success. Working with such dedicated people is an endless source of inspiration, and having access to the worldwide Framestore talent pool opens up tremendous creative possibilities,” said Hjartarson.

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