In this drama-filled ad from Dentsu and directed by visionary director Kosai Sekine, Japanese footballer Genki Haraguchi – the star striker for Bundesliga side Hertha BSC – takes to the field against a horde of mythical beasts, each representing an individual player’s doubts and fears about his performance in front of a huge crowd of spectators.
A three-eyed, three-legged raven – the symbol of the Japanese Football Association – signals the start of the game, which also features the goddess of glory pointing the way towards goal. It ends with the player realizing his place in the team and the supporters behind him are the only thing that matters, as the camera pans out to see him standing in a packed stadium, the crowd cheering him towards success.
Alt.vfx were involved from the outset, working on extensive pre-vis for the shots so that director Sekine and production company Geek Pictures knew exactly what to capture in camera. They designed a whole host of the spots elements, including creature design on the raven, spectacular CG desert environments as well as the huge stadium with 180,000 fans, which was all created in their stadium crowd tool – CAZALY. Working with creature designs from talented costume designers, live action plates shot on location in Tokyo and a range of body doubles, the Alt team crafted the final look of the spot to memorable affect, including designing the effects of fire, smoke and environmental forces surrounding the player as he moves forward.
With the supporters behind him, Haraguchi overcomes his on-field demons and fires his shot towards goal, signifying the spirit of the game and the unifying nature of the internationally focused tournament.