Miller Lite: “Liquid: Storm”
Miller Lite: “Liquid: Snowflake”
COMMERCIAL
ROLE: Senior Flame Artist / VFX Compositor
VENDER: The Mill
AGENCY: TBWA\Chiat\Day
DIRECTOR: Ivan Bird
These Miller Lite “Liquid” spots are an experiment in physical beer manipulation. Shot in-camera in plexiglass cloud tanks, these tempestuous whirls of hops and ale are intended to mimic natural liquid forms, like watery rolls and curling waves. These two spots are part of a larger collection, each with its own theme and narration.
Workwise, it’s all fairly straightforward, but also in need of some 2D comp help. Much of the footage was shot on greenscreen, which keyed adequately enough. However, some of the grander shots, like the curling wave did require roto, making for a challenging experience all its own.
There’s also a fair bit of clean-up, removing residue and dust from the tanks, as well as imperfections in the beer itself. On that latter point, it’s safe to say that most of the clean-up was subjective, based primarily on taste (no pun intended). So sometimes, I wasn’t entirely sure if I was cleaning dust, unwanted bubbles, or some foam-froth-based thing.
There’s also some endcard product beauty. I handled that, as well as most of the beer clean-up and one of the curling wave shots, represented in the “Storm” spot.
