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[Case 04]

Christmas campaign for Tele2

Tele2

Tele2 — #ScreenFreeHolidays

Emoji‑eyes and a sky‑drop Christmas tree: a hybrid practical/CG workflow delivered fast on a lean budget.

[Project Overview]

Client: Tele2
Campaign: #ScreenFreeHolidays — “Say goodbye to screens and spend time with your loved ones.”
Brief: Create a holiday film with a two‑part arc: (1) everyone infatuated with screens (heart‑emoji eyes, VFX), then (2) Christmas “breaks the bond” and brings people back together.
Constraints: Quick timeline and limited budget; ambitious VFX moments (emoji eye replacements; a Christmas tree falling from the sky to separate a guy from his phone).
My role: Post‑Production Producer — scope negotiation, budget & offer, pipeline design, VFX planning, on‑set/post coordination, finishing, QC & delivery.

[Problem Statement]

Deliver a visually playful, VFX‑heavy holiday spot under tight time and budget, balancing what the director and agency wanted with what could be produced convincingly and on schedule. Key hurdles:

  • Ambitious gags (emoji eyes, sky‑drop tree) demanded careful planning to look seamless.

  • Limited resources required a smart split between practical builds and CG work.

  • Schedule pressure meant decisions had to be locked early to avoid costly post pivots.

[Client]

Tele2

[My Role]

Post-Production Producer

[Timeline]

November 2024- December 2024

View Live Project

View Live Project

View Live Project

[Process]

Define scope & align expectations

Must‑haves vs nice‑to‑haves: We mapped the non‑negotiables (emoji eyes, tree drop) and identified fallback options for any “nice to have.”

Schedule & budget guardrails: Locked review cadence and milestones so creative choices stayed inside constraints.

Practical/CG split: Coordinated with art to use the 1.5 m phone prop for physical interaction, reserving CG for what mattered.

Define scope & align expectations

Must‑haves vs nice‑to‑haves: We mapped the non‑negotiables (emoji eyes, tree drop) and identified fallback options for any “nice to have.”

Schedule & budget guardrails: Locked review cadence and milestones so creative choices stayed inside constraints.

Practical/CG split: Coordinated with art to use the 1.5 m phone prop for physical interaction, reserving CG for what mattered.

Define scope & align expectations

Must‑haves vs nice‑to‑haves: We mapped the non‑negotiables (emoji eyes, tree drop) and identified fallback options for any “nice to have.”

Schedule & budget guardrails: Locked review cadence and milestones so creative choices stayed inside constraints.

Practical/CG split: Coordinated with art to use the 1.5 m phone prop for physical interaction, reserving CG for what mattered.

Pre‑build & look development (before the shoot)

Hero asset locked early: We modeled the Christmas tree pre‑shoot as a key visual so look/scale were agreed before cameras rolled.

Emoji‑eyes approach tests: Explored treatment (tracking + comp) to keep it readable and fun without heavy simulation.

Practical/CG split: Coordinated with art to use the 1.5 m phone prop for physical interaction, reserving CG for what mattered.

Pre‑build & look development (before the shoot)

Hero asset locked early: We modeled the Christmas tree pre‑shoot as a key visual so look/scale were agreed before cameras rolled.

Emoji‑eyes approach tests: Explored treatment (tracking + comp) to keep it readable and fun without heavy simulation.

Practical/CG split: Coordinated with art to use the 1.5 m phone prop for physical interaction, reserving CG for what mattered.

Pre‑build & look development (before the shoot)

Hero asset locked early: We modeled the Christmas tree pre‑shoot as a key visual so look/scale were agreed before cameras rolled.

Emoji‑eyes approach tests: Explored treatment (tracking + comp) to keep it readable and fun without heavy simulation.

Practical/CG split: Coordinated with art to use the 1.5 m phone prop for physical interaction, reserving CG for what mattered.

On‑set VFX supervision

HDRIs & references: The VFX supervisor captured HDRIs and texture/light references at each location for realistic integration.

Plates & clean passes: Ensured proper plates, eyelines, and clean backgrounds for efficient comps later.

Expectation management: The VFX sup aligned director/agency on what would be invisible vs. visible in final frames—no surprises.

On‑set VFX supervision

HDRIs & references: The VFX supervisor captured HDRIs and texture/light references at each location for realistic integration.

Plates & clean passes: Ensured proper plates, eyelines, and clean backgrounds for efficient comps later.

Expectation management: The VFX sup aligned director/agency on what would be invisible vs. visible in final frames—no surprises.

On‑set VFX supervision

HDRIs & references: The VFX supervisor captured HDRIs and texture/light references at each location for realistic integration.

Plates & clean passes: Ensured proper plates, eyelines, and clean backgrounds for efficient comps later.

Expectation management: The VFX sup aligned director/agency on what would be invisible vs. visible in final frames—no surprises.

Post (edit, VFX, finishing)

Parallel timeline: Editorial kicked off immediately while VFX shots progressed in waves to meet the deadline.

Key shots executed first: Emoji‑eye replacements and the tree‑from‑the‑sky breakup were tackled early to derisk the schedule.

Finish & deliver: Color and sound unified the world; masters packaged and QC’d for distribution.

Post (edit, VFX, finishing)

Parallel timeline: Editorial kicked off immediately while VFX shots progressed in waves to meet the deadline.

Key shots executed first: Emoji‑eye replacements and the tree‑from‑the‑sky breakup were tackled early to derisk the schedule.

Finish & deliver: Color and sound unified the world; masters packaged and QC’d for distribution.

Post (edit, VFX, finishing)

Parallel timeline: Editorial kicked off immediately while VFX shots progressed in waves to meet the deadline.

Key shots executed first: Emoji‑eye replacements and the tree‑from‑the‑sky breakup were tackled early to derisk the schedule.

Finish & deliver: Color and sound unified the world; masters packaged and QC’d for distribution.

[Outcome]

Creative ambition within limits: The hero gags landed cleanly on time and on budget, thanks to early locking and a hybrid practical/CG plan.
Seamless integration: On‑set HDRIs and consistent supervision meant the VFX sat naturally in every environment.
Fewer revisions: Clear must‑haves, prebuilt assets, and live expectation‑setting cut down iteration time.

[Key Learnings]

Prebuild your hero CG

Locking the tree before the shoot aligned taste and saved days in post.

Prebuild your hero CG

Locking the tree before the shoot aligned taste and saved days in post.

Prebuild your hero CG

Locking the tree before the shoot aligned taste and saved days in post.

On‑set VFX is cheap insurance

A supervisor with HDRIs and plate discipline prevents expensive rework.

On‑set VFX is cheap insurance

A supervisor with HDRIs and plate discipline prevents expensive rework.

On‑set VFX is cheap insurance

A supervisor with HDRIs and plate discipline prevents expensive rework.

Hybrid solves the brief

Practical interaction (giant phone) + targeted CG delivers high impact without blowing the budget.

Hybrid solves the brief

Practical interaction (giant phone) + targeted CG delivers high impact without blowing the budget.

Hybrid solves the brief

Practical interaction (giant phone) + targeted CG delivers high impact without blowing the budget.

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