Open Swim Brings Latest PEDRO x Buzz Lightyear Collaboration to Life

Open Swim teams up with footwear company PEDRO in Singapore for their latest collection featuring Disney’s beloved Toy Story characters. With VFX by the Open Swim team, direction by Bradley J. Ross, creative direction by Ariana Nehmad Ross, and Unreal Engine Consulting by Romeo615videos, Open Swim contributed the creation of environments, human models and product animation, bringing the nostalgic campaign to life.

“Their team was professional, responsive, and incredibly knowledgeable. They truly understood our needs and provided creative solutions that exceeded our expectations. We look forward to working with them again in the future,” said a representative from PEDRO.

The project highlights a connection of friendship through the lens of toys featuring the well-known and beloved Buzz Lightyear characters. With PIXAR known for bringing joy to their audience and existing in the digital world, the PEDRO campaign combines the digital world with the real while focusing on the connection between humans and objects. The Buzz Lightyear collection of shoes and accessories is designed to reflect that connection, where magic meets effortless urban style sophistication. Behind the scenes of the campaign, the Open Swim team was tasked with modelling PEDRO’s Buzz Lightyear collection to create a teaser video and AR filter along with using MetaHuman & Unreal Engine to show them being worn in editorial videos and stills. 

“We take a bespoke approach to every project we do, and this project showcases the breadth and depth of the talent at Open Swim,” shares executive producer, Amyliz Pera. “Creating humans and stitching clothing for them certainly requires a unique touch. Everyone came together to push the software to its limits to both find the fashion we needed and remain streamlined without body scans or a more complex VFX approach.”

“Stepping out of the live action world and utilising gaming technology for commercial storytelling, opened our creative universe. We had to keep the teaser short, but we had so many cool ideas, it could've been a feature,” adds owner and creative director, Bradley J. Ross, “What’s crazy about this medium is that it requires us to be one part artist, one part tech nerd, one part storyteller, and even one part osteologist!”