a powerful platform
to showcase the
cutting-edge new UI
CASE STUDY
Volvo 90/90 LAUNCH
Recently, Orchard was commissioned by AKQA and Volvo to create a full CG animation for the launch of the XC-90. This animation is not just a visual spectacle, but a vital tool for the company’s keynote presentation, to be shown to the world’s press and the broader public on a giant 6k screen. Our involvement in this project is crucial, as it will also serve as a powerful platform to showcase the impact of the company’s cutting-edge new UI, a design that will revolutionize the entire vehicle range.
Volvo’s internal studio had already developed a specific look and feel that we needed to replicate. They use Maya, so our first challenge was to ensure that our Cinema 4D renders matched their style. The second challenge involved animating and bringing to life the user interface (UI) created by the Volvo team. This was particularly difficult because the UI was still being finalized right up until the launch day.
WIP WIREFRAME ANIMATIC
The talented team at Orchard took on this extremely challenging project with our usual enthusiasm. Creating over 3 minutes of full CG at 6K resolution within a tight timeframe pushed us to new heights. We began by retexturing the car’s interior and rebuilding all the textures using Cinema 4D and Redshift. One team focused on matching the lighting and render output to meet Volvo’s exacting standards. Meanwhile, another team started receiving assets for the user interface and coordinating with AKQA and Volvo to finalize each screen animation.
During the initial meetings, there was a discussion about using AI to upscale the renders in order to save costs. After testing Topaz and its impressive set of tools, it became clear that it could not effectively upscale the detailed UI vector graphics without producing a strobe effect. As a result, it was determined that rendering natively at 6K was necessary to maintain the clarity and detail of the beautiful UI.
FINAL PRESENTATION
The team successfully completed what initially appeared to be an insurmountable challenge: creating three minutes of high-quality CG and UI animation. We are extremely pleased with the final film and recognize that the launch was a significant success.
We would like to express our gratitude to the teams at AKQA and Volvo for their contributions to the animation. Achieving such high standards is only possible through effective collaboration
