Arthur C. Clarke’s Third Law states “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Very true. But here’s the rub — while it might feel like magic, the truth is, it takes smart people and technical know-how. And its what Dell Technologies does every day. This spot was meant to shine a light on that — on the effort, the hard work and the reality of it all. But we didn’t want to resort to digital “magic” to make out point. We wanted viewers to see behind-the-scenes. So, partnering with an agency, we used projection mapping, film scrims and in-camera techniques to create a spot that looks like magic — but is in fact very real. And we didn’t shy away from letting viewers in on the tricks. The result is a peek behind the curtain of filmmaking, and proof that Dell knows what it takes to make digital transformation happen.

To make the Dell Technology "Magic" spot, we concepted, designed and executed all the projected content before the shoot with the intention of capturing all the projections in camera. This required detailed measurements of the actual surfaces, then replicating them in CG with proxy-geometry. The projections themselves employed a range of artist disciplines that included traditional CG, motion graphics animation and matte paintings. Each projection was tailored to the surface it was being projected onto, whether it was a 1500 lbs. turbine engine shell, a real live dairy cow, or a 90ft canvas. We also used film scrims and moveable set pieces to keep the effects as in-camera as possible. And we didn't shy away from giving the audience a peek as to how we were pulling off our tricks. The result is a beautiful film that feels both magical -- and practical.