Intelligent Vehicles

Client: Warwick Manufacturing Group
Project: Intelligent Vehicles

The story of intelligent vehicles has attracted great interest from government, industry, media and the general public, and with this in mind, Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) commissioned Slate and Mortar for the production of a series of promotional case study videos that would help position them as a world leading capability in the area of intelligent vehicles.

Presenting what a world with intelligent vehicles might look like, and what the benefits and challenges might be, these promotional videos were to be used on WMG’s website, on social media, and on exhibition stands as part of their wider marketing strategy plan to promote the work of WMG and to encourage industry, government and public engagement.

As the topic was largely about concepts and wider social impacts, we decided a primarily animated approach with a small number of live-action elements would be the best solution. Stylistically, the animation needed to have a futuristic and high-tech feel to it, whilst delivering complex ideas and concepts in an easy-to-understand format.

Primarily working within Adobe After Effects to create the animation, the production process made wide use of core After Effects features and tools, and incorporated 2D, 2.5D and 3D scenes to create one seamless final film. In addition to the 2D animation, we worked within Cinema 4D to create and adjust 3D models which were then brought into our editing software.

Filming took place over three days and involved location work in Coventry and Birmingham, which involved significant pre-planned scheduling to ensure that all of the required content was captured. Interviews were conducted with WMG staff and on-location at partner organisation’s premises, as well as the capturing of creative shots that demonstrated the current state of the UK West Midlands’ roads.

The entire production process from conceptualisation through to final delivery took approx. two months. The final output was three promotional videos, two of which were pure animation and another that was a combination of video and motion graphics. The suite of videos was launched on a staggered schedule to create and build momentum with its stakeholders and was later listed for The Best Animation Videos award by Design Rush.

Presently, Slate and Mortar continue to enjoy a fruitful partnership with WMG and have been commissioned to work on a number of projects involving the promotion and application of their leading vehicle-based technology.