Tell us about your organization. How big is your team? Where are you based? What is your organization’s specialty in the film and video space?
The Embassy is a boutique independent visual effects & production studio. Situated in the bustling heart of Vancouver’s digital district, we collaborate with global production companies, agencies and brands, in film, television and advertising.
Why do you do what you do? Was there a transformative moment that solidified your career choice, your org’s success, or your commitment to storytelling?
A major milestone was the Citroën “Alive With Technology” commercial in 2004. A breakout piece for The Embassy, this now iconic commercial led to feature film work such as Marvel’s Iron Man
https://theembassyvfx.com/portfolio/citroen-c4-alive-with-technology
Tell us about your Telly Award winning piece. What’s the story behind it?
The commercial is a continuation of a campaign we first worked on with TBWA Canada in 2016. The mischievous snowmen serve as a visual metaphor for the harsh winters Canadian drivers face every year.
Can you share a behind the scenes story or fun fact about the making of your piece?
Even though the commercial presents a stormy wintery day in a Canadian city, it was actually filmed in sunny and balmy conditions in Toronto in early October.
What was your biggest challenge during production and how did you solve it?
Obviously creating the horde of CGI snowmen was a big task but equally important was transforming the weather to feel like it was deep winter. This involved extensive digital matte painting, digital falling snow and atmospherics.
What are you most proud of about this piece? What is the most memorable response you got from this work?
The overall response to the project has been great and the project has picked up quite a few accolades along the way. We’re super proud to have continued work on this campaign a decade after we created the first snowmen!
You won a Telly Award for this piece. Why is recognition important for you, your team or your work?
At the core of what we do is people, the great artists that create the work. To be successful in visual effects means retaining a team of happy and talented artists. Happy artists create great work, the artists and studio get recognized for this great work and in turn this helps us to attract and retain talent, who again go on to create great work.
This positive feedback loop is a great competitive advantage, so getting recognized for the work we do is key to this.
