Rydapt: the CGI unicorn reading a newspaper on a subway train

Healthcare · Pharma campaign

Unicorn – Rydapt.

A CGI unicorn, commuting like the rest of us. For Novartis’ Rydapt campaign we modelled the horse in CGI and crafted its hair system by hand, combing it into shape before simulating it in Maya. We worked closely with photographer Vincent Dixon, one of the world-class photographers our artists have collaborated with. A super fun project.

Client: Novartis
Photography: Vincent Dixon
Craft: CGI creature
Hand-combed hair system
Maya hair simulation
CGI train interior
Services: Pharma & healthcare
Animation & cinemagraphs
Retouching

Behind the scenes

Horse anatomy, human pose.

The tricky challenge was getting a horse’s anatomy to sit, cross its legs and read the paper like a commuter, and still feel believable. The hair system was crafted and hand-combed, then simulated in Maya, and the train interior around it is fully CGI. The cast were shot on greenscreen, with a mock-up horse comped in to lock the timing.

Rydapt: the CGI unicorn posed sitting cross-legged, before the train comp — Horse anatomy, human pose

Rydapt: close-up of the CGI unicorn head and hand-combed mane — Hand-combed hair

Hair sim

Mane simulation in Maya

Rydapt: the rigged CGI unicorn posed in the CGI train interior, Maya viewport — Rig and CGI train in the viewport

Timing comp

Greenscreen plate, mock-up horse for timing

The film

Watch the film · 0:45Unicorn – Rydapt.

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Contact / Healthcare

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