In these AI-dominated times, it sometimes seems the goal is to make creative work ever faster and cheaper, so it's refreshing to see a brand championing the long, painstaking process of creation.
The latest ad from British streaming service Britbox turns the art of the behind-the-scenes film into a epic live-action human animation.
The ad is a single take recorded over an incredible 14 hours and 45 minutes (sped up to 1 minute 30 to respect social media attention spans).
With a powerful combination of timelapse and forced perspective techniques, it follows one actor through four genres and 11 sets, highlighting the magic of the screen (see our pick of the best video editing software and the best animation software).
With the slogan 'See It Differently', the new ad shows Kristina Veroslavova transition through four characters. The actor undergoes hours of real-time costume and makeup changes as four highly detailed sets evolve around her.
The piece was created by Uncommon Creative Studio and directed by Nicos Livesey from the London animation studio Blinkink. The task was to promote Britbox's expansion into the US, and they decided to do that by highlighting the craftsmanship involved behind the scenes in traditional filmmaking while celebrating major genres of British television.
The ad also tells another story: the evolution of filmmaking itself. The production techniques used appear in chronological order, going from the earliest matte painting backdrops to the most modern LED screen CGI live in-camera.
There's even a behind-the-scenes of the behind-the-scenes, or a timelapse of the timelapse. The video below, posted on Instagram, shows how the 50-strong crew of makeup, costume, set design and prop design artists worked to make the ad happen.
Filming in a single take resulted in particular challenges. The team wore out three camera shutters due to the length of the shoot, and fans and ice packs were needed to stop equipment from overheating.
When Kristina stands up, she had to drag the movement out for 45 seconds so that it could be appreciated at 1 frame per second. The result is a mesmerising and inspiring love letter to television that somehow feels like a magic trick (or four) despite the fact that the ad shows how it was done.
For more television behind-the-scenes magic, see the making of the Severance title sequence. And if you're wondering what to watch next, don't miss Netflix's upcoming comic adaptation – our explainer what is the Eternaut?
