In their latest for The Woolmark Company, Studio Birthplace directors Sil van der Woerd and Jorik Dozy stage a clothing-zombie apocalypse in the style of World War Z with Amsterdam’s Dead Pixel handling VFX.

Sil van der Woerd & Jorik Dozy: “Every single synthetic clothing item ever produced still exists in some form, haunting our planet. ‘Wear Wool, Not Waste’ aims to educate consumers on the lifespan of their synthetic clothes. Whether in landfills or manifesting as microplastics, synthetics are omnipresent globally.

“In this film, we visualize this unnaturally long lifespan as a zombie horror and showcase pure wool products as a more sustainable alternative.
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‍”To get the effects spot on, the SFX team used massive air-pressure cannons loaded with synthetic garments and shot directly onto the set, creating a physical, interactive experience for the actors and everything around them.

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“Each empty shell of clothing is designed to resemble human figures, creating a haunting visual as they race through the streets, embodying the idea that discarded garments continue to affect our world long after they’ve been thrown away.

‍”To get the effects spot on, the SFX team used massive air-pressure cannons loaded with synthetic garments and shot directly onto the set, creating a physical, interactive experience for the actors and everything around them. Clothes hit props like a bus and a car, allowing for a more realistic integration with the CGI added later.”

Watch the behind-the-scenes video:
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Client: The Woolmark Company

Agency: 20something
Creative Director: Will Thacker
Executive Producer: Adam Booth
Creative / Copywriter: Cathryn Carey
Film & Stills Producer: Alice Windeler

Production: Park Village, Studio Birthplace
Director: Jorik Dozy, Sil van der Woerd
Producer: Alice Windeler
VFX Supervisor: Tim Smit
Director Of Photography: Lennert Hillege
Studio Birthplace Producer: Alea Rahim
Assistant Editor: Rory Murphy

Service Company: Silver Lining Pictures SA

VFX: Dead Pixel
Lead 3D Artist/FX TD: Dieuwer Feldbrugge
Lead 3D Lighting/Shading: Jeroen Aerts
Senior Compositor: Marti Pujol
Compositor, Lighting and Rendering Artist: Matthijs Joor
3D Matte Painter: Vincent van der Klaauw
VFX Production Assistant: Jeoffrey van Overveld
VFX LiDAR and Textures: CGSfx
VFX Scanning Lead: Pieter Louw

Roto/Paint/Match Move: SupernovaFX Studio

Grade: No 8 London
Colorist: Alex Gregory

Audio/Music Production: Ambit Sound

Special Thanks: Tyson Ibele, SideFX