Legendary football players Philippe Coutinho, Kevin De Bruyne and Mal Pugh all make appearances as Nike’s mythical Phantom player, the film also featuring icons Ronaldinho, Neymar, Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo.

The film also features a cameo from Nigerian rap star WizKid and his posse Legendury Beatz, and Tiwa Savage. This film plays to a mashup between Genesis and Heavy Metal by Justice, adding perfect emphasis and intrigue to the story of Nike Phantom.

This project is an example of incredibly detailed and high-level CG animation. The team modelled every detail of the environment from the grass, seats, and bins to the light flares, flags and banners, ensuring that they were cohesive and in line with the client’s branding.

The incredibly detailed build and animation of the Phantom was a feat in itself, blending VFX and live action to balance the human form whilst creating a mysterious ghostly figure with its fluidity and mesmerising movement. Every frame was meticulously hand animated to match the movements of the live action person after which multiple simulations were used to create the inky feel.

The VFX encompasses creature animation, FX smoke simulation, large stadium builds and a vast amount of compositing. Almost every shot contains complex VFX work, using billions of particles for the Phantom, as well as grooming individual hairs on the crowd characters.