iPort by Sonance: Flexibility of the Future

The Project

For nearly forty years, Sonance has manufactured groundbreaking audio systems that can "disappear" within the architecture of any home or business. Since the company's beginning, Sonance has branched out into multiple industries beyond sound to bring all aspects of everyday life to the next technological level.

In 2004, Sonance took advantage of the universal presence of Apple products to create their iPort technology, a product made to specifically aid anyone from small businesses to large corporations in an ever-evolving world of commerce and business. What started as the first in-wall dock for an iPod eventually evolved into multiple products that help integrate tablets into all areas of business.

red point was approached by Sonance to partner with their in-house production team to film a video and use 3D animation to showcase the multiple capabilities of its technology.

What was unique about this partnership was that it stemmed from a long-standing professional relationship between red point's owner Eric Vaughan and Sonance's digital marketing manager Christian Serge. Sonance needed 3D graphics and animation done for the iPort project with a fast turnaround, and because of the work we have done with him in previous years, Serge called red point to assist their in-house production team with the project. Their relationship gave the partnership an edge because trust had been established to get the project to the finish line and out the door on time.

Sonance’s Christian Serge and red point’s Eric Vaughan

 Pre-Production

The initial idea for the project came from Sonance’s Director of Product Management, Josh Blanken, which was depicting a dystopian universe where technology was needed but unavailable. Business was nearly impossible. The heroine of the video would receive a message from the future that explained how there would be technology that would change the world for the better. Basically, the purpose of the ad was going to demonstrate how iPort revolutionizes technology and the world we live in. iPort creates an environment of flexibility for any business, so the video needed to prove the product could adapt to the needs of every business and its environment.

With any project, however, the idea will change and evolve as the creative process unfolds and new ideas and challenges develop. Sonance brought the initial idea to red point, and we were able to bring it to life with some minor narrative tweaking and ensuring that we pushed our creative boundaries while staying within budget and the six-week deadline. After story-boarding and collaborating with Sonance, we came up with the plan to shoot a bright and upbeat video within the Sonance store and use animation to emphasize how iPort technology supports organizations through every step of their business no matter what the situation requires.

Sonance needed red point to provide top quality animation for this project, so we made a 3D-animated pre-visualization of the video during pre-production to help plan the dynamic camera moves the team wanted. Doing this during pre-production makes production and post-production easier because we know ahead of time what we need to shoot and where everything would go.

Production

Once we had a game plan, it was time to shoot the video. We had the opportunity to partner with OhioHD, a Columbus-based video production service company, to use their studio space and the Bolt Cinebot—a high-speed robotic camera—for the first time, and this camera allowed us to capture dynamic camera movements throughout the shoot. What's unique about the Bolt Cinebot is the data can easily be exported as FBX data, which is a file format that is often used to import data into 3D software programs.

We had never used the Bolt before, so we did extensive research beforehand to make sure we understood the technology in order to get the team's desired results. Once we were on set, we worked closely with the camera operators to gain a better understanding of what we were dealing with to make post-production go as smoothly as possible. We value working with new technology that allows us to grow, so we wanted to make sure we learned the ins and outs of the Bolt for this and future projects!

Since iPort itself was still in development at the time of production, we were not able to have the physical product on set during the shoot. In its place, we used tracking dots to identify the product's position in-frame. The cameras recorded the tracking data, so we could later match the data with our 3D models to accurately place the product in the video. 

Post-Production

Once production wrapped, we needed to import the data to Cinema 4D—the 3D animation software program we use at red point—and get to work bringing this project to the finish line within the six-week timeframe. The data creates a virtual camera within the Cinema 4D that matches the movement of the Cinebot camera in the studio. Once this virtual camera was in place, we could easily composite our 3D models of the iPort product into the footage we shot in the studio.

Check out the VFX breakdown made by our amazing 3D artist, Lauren Moore!

Some of the other many animation techniques we used during post-production included green 3D printed prototypes, camera tracking, particle systems like Xparticles, and rotoscoping. Once all the 2D and 3D animation had come together, the video went into the finishing phase which includes color grading and audio mastering. Once those steps are complete, the video is exported for final delivery to the Sonance team!

Challenges

Like any project, there were a few challenges along the way to getting the final product out the door. One of the first and larger challenges was the entire production process for the video had to be completed within a six-week timeframe, and the video's quality had to match the standards set by larger corporations like Apple and Nike.

There was also the factor that the physical product was not on hand during production. The video called for the product to be seen and used by the actors, even if it wasn't present during filming. While it’s not impossible to film a video this way, it creates a challenging aspect when shooting and also during the post-production process later on. Like iPort, we had to be flexible and adapt to the situation and the challenges it brought.

We took on these challenges head on. The main strategy was to utilize the short amount of time available in the most efficient way possible. Within the first week of production, we were able to storyboard and put together pre-visualizations to get us going as soon as possible, and using the Bolt Cinebot allowed us to capture highly dynamic shots that showcase the versatility of the product.

We relied on animation to make the video come to life in a vibrant and engaging way. The script and pre-visualizations gave direction to what the animation needed to accomplish, so our team was able to break down the video into manageable parts. Without the physical product available during production, animating took some educated guesswork and a lot of communication with the iPort team.

Another major component to overcoming the limited timeframe was constant collaboration and communication with the Sonance team. Every moment counted so both red point and Sonance had to come up with solutions and workarounds as quickly as challenges came up. We were working from two different time zones—Sonance being in California and red point in Ohio—so the project  was being worked on around the clock, making clear and consistent communication that much more important. Since this project was done through an in-house partnership, we could rely on one another for support and creative solutions through every obstacle.

Results

After hours of planning, shooting, animating, and editing, the final video was complete. Sonance left the project with a high-quality and effective video that demonstrates iPort's flexibility, and when presented to top companies including Apple, the video impressed them to the point of purchasing iPort products the same day.

Looking back on the project, Sonance's Christian Serge said:

"The results were incredible. You often hear about how the teams pulled together, how hundreds of hands touched a project, and how close the camaraderie is among projects such as these. This was no exception. Within one week, soliciting the help of our good friends at red point, we had robotic cameras, storyboards, pre-visualizations, and were off and running. Between midnight phone calls and all-nighters, the ad turned out to be a huge success. It has already exceeded expectations and impressed the top companies of the world."

One of our favorite parts of what we do is learning and growing from other creatives in the industry, and this project was no exception of that. Because of our partnership with iPort, red point was able to enhance our own knowledge and skillset by using cutting-edge technology while overcoming difficult circumstances to produce high quality animation and video!

After countless hours of hard work and determination, we're extremely proud of how this project turned out. Check out the full video here!