Ntropic was commissioned to create the complex visual effects sequences in the :60 Chevy Volt spot "Disappear," which was created by ad agency Campbell-Ewald and shot and directed by Eric Saarinen of TWC. "Disappear" debuted during the 2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony in August.

Using time-lapse techniques, the spot showcases the evolution of a gas station over the years, culminating in the reveal of Chevy's electric Volt car in 2010, a symbol of the company's commitment to fight for the environment.

For Ntropic, the spot's visual effects involved an attention to detail typically reserved for feature films. Ntropic creative director/lead CG artist/set supervisor Andrew Sinagra worked closely with Saarinen in pre-production, using CG to determine the exact layout and design of each gas station, as well as the concepts and vignettes, prior to shooting. The Ntropic team also studied extensive reference material for fonts, wardrobe and signage from the different eras for accuracy in the final product.

"We wanted to balance the spot so the viewer felt a continuing progression of time with all of the activity that would take place but still be able to concentrate on our hero vignettes, which truly captured each iconic time period," explains Sinagra. "There is also the varying concept of time throughout the different elements. The background mountains, gas stations and vignettes are each moving at their own rate. Each one is designed to tell the story of progress while maintaining all the key moments in each section."

The piece was created through a single lock-off as if someone had actually planted a camera back in 1920. This static setup created some interesting challenges for design and layout regarding how to best showcase each gas station while still featuring the Chevy Aveo, Tahoe and Volt and without ever cutting or moving the camera. There was also the continuing discussion of how much was too much.

"This is a beautiful, high-concept spot, and one that we knew people were going to watch frame by frame," adds Nathan Robinson, Ntropic creative director. "You cannot possibly catch everything in one viewing. We reviewed the spot one frame per second to make sure the visual elements would stand up under close scrutiny. The most rewarding part has been the comments on YouTube—people really take notice of the smallest of details."

The five-day production involved a two-day time-lapse shoot in Wyoming for background plates, two days in Los Angeles against an exterior greenscreen for all of the foreground elements such as cars and people, and a one-day shoot in Detroit for the Volt prototype. Shooting the foreground elements posed a particular challenge because the lighting conditions needed to match as time progressed for each element. Saarinen wanted to use real sunlight to illuminate the foreground elements.

To meet this challenge, Ntropic determined during pre-vis that they would have a sun cycle of roughly two days, so each time period had to be shot linearly in its appropriate section of time. In addition to lighting challenges, elements were shot at different frame rates. Some of the background elements were shot between 1.5fps and 6fps, while hero foreground vignettes were shot at 24fps with the knowledge that many frames would be discarded.

"Every frame in the spot is handpicked," says Sinagra. "We knew there would only be a few frames devoted to each element. By shooting at 24fps, we could pick and choose the exact moments in time that will tell the story. Eric was so great on set. The CG for the gas stations was happening simultaneously as we were shooting, so he would provide elements for me as needed. The creatives at Campbell-Ewald were very involved and hands-on through the entire process. They were as passionate about the details as we were. We went through a lot of iterations to hit the fine points in the spot."

"We were really excited about this concept," concludes Robinson. "The complexity and condensed timeline of the VFX was an opportunity for us to show what we're capable of. We've worked with Eric Saarinen on several campaigns now. Creatively, we've gained his trust and he knows that we'll make the right decision. We look at the piece as a whole—how the film looks, how the sound is incorporated, and how they play together—rather than just from the VFX perspective. It was a nice validation to receive praise from the Campbell-Ewald creatives for the work that we had done."

Creative Directors:
 	Nathan Robinson
        Andrew Sinagra
Executive Producer:
 	Dana Townsend
Producers:
 	Kara Holmstrom
        Esther Gonzalez
Lead Inferno Artist:
 	Nathan Walker
Inferno Artists:
 	Dominik Bauch
        Maya Korenwasser-Bello
        Matt Tremaglio
        Jesse Boots
CG Supervisor:
 	Peter Hamilton
CG Artists:
 	Deb Santosa
        James McCarthy
        Dustin Zachary
        Javier Bello
        Thomas Briggs
        Robert Hubbard
Compositors:
 	Marie Denoga
        Ed Anderson