MPC worked in close collaboration with director Doug Liman and Madwell to show gamers the benefits of 5G by building a world rife with ominous and unsettling lag-induced glitches before teasing a seamless 5G future ahead.
It’s morning in America. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and sprinklers are sputtering blocky artifacts arrested in mid-air. A paper route gets more interesting with the courier levitating a yard away from their bike. Vans sprout tree limbs, doors refuse to open and cats teleport into signposts as it becomes apparent that this is no ordinary suburb. The Mill/MPC brought to life the matrix-like world where nothing is dependable or static, one that changes like malevolent machines are in control—if the machines were easily distracted.
The two-minute spot highlights the potential benefits of Verizon’s 5G Ultra-Wideband for gamers. The campaign received 5* from David Reviews and was Ad Age’s Pick of the Day. Since it's debut, the commercial has been viewed almost 2 million times on YouTube and was recognised at this year's AEAF Awards and CICLOPE Awards for Best Visual Effects.
Verizon
Madwell
Independent Media
Doug Liman
“We knew from the start this was an ambitious project. We needed to run a safe shoot during a pandemic and complete post-production remotely, and despite those challenges we had to create something that felt extremely authentic to a varied and diverse audience of gamers. Once we partnered up with The Mill/MPC and Doug Liman, we knew we had the right team to bring our story to life. Together, they brought a wealth of cinematic storytelling expertise and exceptional VFX work to the table and were enthusiastic creative collaborators on- and off-set. I am extremely proud of what we were able to create together, especially considering we did it all remotely from different parts of the country.”
“Having the synergy of Doug and Hoyte (DP) on set was amazing, they dissected and directed the camera to move in exactly the same way as a videogame. The combination of an extensive survey of the principal photography with the previsualization created a natural way to jump into the 250 CG assets build. The project is a combination of passion for VFX and hard work from the amazing The Mill/MPC team who went the extra mile. It has been an incredibly enjoyable film to work on!”
“It was an absolute honour to be part of Madwell, Doug and Verizon’s ‘weird’ film built for gamers. The goal was always to achieve photo realism and make the VFX look as real as possible. This requires restraint, as a colourist, we are always seeking to push the footage to achieve a look. In this case, the VFX was the star.”
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