Audi : Synchronised Swim

Jul 17

1 min read

Updated: Sep 3

PRODUCTION

"Synchronised Swim," a commercial for Audi by BBH, directed by Johnny Hardstaff. Two models,

an Audi A1 and an A7, perform a synchronised swimming routine in a pool, gliding across the water

in precisely timed formations. The idea: to prove that Audi's compact range carries the same

precision and technology as its larger models, where size is never a compromise. A balletic

demonstration of the brand's "Vorsprung durch Technik" signature, set to a cover of Genesis'

"Follow You Follow Me."

I handled the rigging of the vehicles seen throughout the film. The goal: an efficient vehicle rig

allowing a wide range of movement to follow the choreography. I built in an automatic wheel-

rotation system driven by distance traveled, ensuring believable motion with no manual tweaking.

Above all, I made sure the car body could move independently of the wheels, a control essential to

convey the vehicle's weight: the shift of mass through turns, the way it leans, giving the movement

the physical credibility such tight choreography demands. Built in Maya. This vehicle rigging work ties into my character work for advertising, directly continuing what I developed on Nissan Leaf's "Freedom to Move.