Find out how Chile-based studio DAf used Cinema 4D and After Effects to create this awesome spot to launch Victrelis – an inhibitor drug used to treat Hepatitus C. Watch the full commercial here too

Chilean production company DAf was recently invited to produce a campaign for global healthcare company Merck to launch Victrelis – a protease inhibitor used to treat Hepatitus C.

“The drug’s key factor is its accuracy in locating and fighting virus replication,” explains founder and director of DAf Felipe Dacaret. “With this in mind, we helped focus the campaign on one decisive representation: the precise attack of a fencer.”

Daf first heard about the project after being approached by executive creative director Enrique Heredia of global marketing communications company Corbett Accel Healthcare Group (CAHG), New York.

“We were sent an initial request to create the visual treatment for the Victrelis campaign, in particular video and still photography,” says Dacaret. “The concept focused on the precision of a fencer fighting against a creature made of the Hep C viruses. For the treatment we worked on a short animation made completely in 3D and fortunately we won the pitch.”

There was one decisive representation used in the campaign: the precise attack of a fencer

DAf quickly got started on the spot’s production. The team was responsible for the art proposal, live action and stills in New York, and finally the 3D animation and image post-production carried out at their offices in Chile.

Cinema 4D shows its power

Cinema 4D was used for all of the 3D elements, with its MoGraph module proving to be particularly useful. “MoGraph and its cloner application were instrumental to us creating a lot of particles with the same behavior,” says Dacaret. “Dynamics using cloner is an easier effect to handle and really helps achieve the animation you need.”

Cinema 4D’s tools also enabled the team to overcome the projects most tecnical challenge – creating a rigged character made of moving particles and getting it to react to a hit from the hero fencer.

“We used Cinema 4D and After Effects to overcome this,” says Dacaret. “Firstly, we used the morph effect in Cinema 4D to form the virus and make it disappear.

Secondly, we composited the shots in two layers: the first with the character and his rigged particles; then as a second layer we made lots of particles with dynamics to be used in compositing to enhance the reaction effects after the attack of our hero fencer. The two layers in compositing really created the magic and flow effect in the scenes.”

Like this spot? Check out the selection of other awesome ads on the showcase page