On-Set Creative Direction
From the Studio to the Shoot
Client:
Disney · Mercedes F1 & G42
My Role:
On-set CGI creative lead
Locations:
McLaren Headquarters, Surrey · Green Screen Studio, London
Two high-profile productions
Where my role extended beyond the studio and onto set, bridging live action and CGI.
Disney
Fantastic Four Promotional Campaign
When Formidable approached us to work on the promotional campaign for Marvel's Fantastic Four, the brief centred on a single striking idea, the actual Fantastic Four movie car driving around the lake at McLaren's headquarters in Surrey, with the iconic logo emerging from the water below. My role spanned the entire production, from directing the drone crew on the day to building and compositing the CGI logo in post.
On location at McLaren's headquarters I directed the drone camera crew, making sure every pass gave us the coverage we needed in post. During pre-production I had suggested that the drone should open by sweeping across the lake towards the car, follow it as it drove and then arc upward to reveal the full building and lake in a single cinematic move. The suggestion was taken on board and shaped the final shot, giving the reveal genuine drama and scale.
Back in post I built and textured the Fantastic Four CGI logo from scratch, then undertook the 3D camera tracking required to lock it convincingly into the lake environment across the full movement of the drone shot. Getting the logo to feel as though it was genuinely emerging from the water required R&D, the interaction between the geometry, the water surface and the reflections needed to feel physically real rather than composited. I also graded the footage from evening light to night time and added details including headlights on the car to sell the atmosphere. The finished film landed 130,000 likes and 543 comments on the marvel_uk Instagram account, and 25,800 likes, 1,521 saves and 4,280 forwards on Disney UK TikTok.
Outcome
130,000 likes and 543 comments on the marvel_uk Instagram account.
25,800 likes, 132 comments, 1,521 saves, and 4,280 forwards on Disney UK TikTok.
A Marvel theatrical teaser, delivered to one of the world's most scrutinised entertainment audiences, and it landed.
George Russell Feature Film
On set as CGI creative lead for a feature film starring Mercedes F1 driver George Russell, commissioned by Abu Dhabi technology company G42. I was involved from the shoot itself, advising on filming techniques and configuring the green screen for motion tracking — ensuring the footage was set up correctly before a single frame of CGI was built. That early involvement made the compositing work significantly more precise in post.
Mercedes F1 & G42
Back in the studio I took on a substantial portion of the production myself, designing and building multiple CGI environments entirely in Cinema 4D, including a TV studio, go-kart garage, living room, gym and futuristic race track, compositing George into each scene and creating the studio-to-garage transition that became one of the most celebrated moments in the finished film. I simultaneously directed three freelancers across defined sections, with every workstream feeding back through me for review and integration into the master.
The stakeholder structure added its own layer of complexity, Mighty Fine Productions, Wasserman, Mercedes F1 and G42 each had their own approval process, with Mercedes holding final sign-off on anything involving their driver. The project ran for approximately a month of near-constant work. Every stakeholder signed off satisfied and the production was recognised with a 2024 Platinum Dotcomm Award.
Winner
of 2024 Platinum Dotcomm Award
The highest tier of recognition in the category. For a production of this complexity, delivered by a small team under sustained pressure across a month of intensive work, it was the validation that the output had not just met the brief but genuinely excelled.