BMW i5 – Spaces Have Energy

In executing the 2023 Campaign for BMW's i5 featuring Jay Shetty, Synapse approached the shoot with innovation at the forefront. Instead of relying on traditional car processes and location work to capture running footage, inserts, and feature highlights, the production team embraced the cutting-edge technology of Virtual Production (VP). VP utilizes a "Volume" composed of thousands of LED panels that display interactive 3D environments in real-time through the video game engine "Unreal Engine." Thanks to the efficiencies offered by this technology, Synapse efficiently captured extensive footage across various environments, including cityscapes, forests, and beach-lined roads, all within a single shoot day. The Synapse team, in collaboration with their VAD team, was also responsible for constructing these environments, granting complete control over appearance and customization throughout the production process. Factors such as time of day, travel speeds, and geographic designs were meticulously crafted by a small team utilizing assets and custom features within Unreal Engine. The digital art direction, typically associated with VFX, was achieved through live working sessions facilitated by the real-time rendering capabilities of this innovative technology. Storyboards, previs, driving plates, and environments were all generated within Unreal Engine, allowing for a seamless creative process. The entire spot was shot in-camera without the need for traditional VFX or green screen replacement during principal photography. Furthermore, through the capabilities of Virtual Production, drone shots were rendered directly from the engine, providing photorealistic results without the need for complex VFX pipelines or remote units. The experience for the talent, director, agency and client was overwhelmingly positive, resulting in an outstanding outcome.