Syndicate creates Mr Moppelchen for RWE

Agency : Shultz & Friends Hamburg
Prod Co: Markenfilm Hamburg
Dir: Philip Hauke
Client: RWE

This was the third film in the Campaign with talking household pets for RWE. This time it involved a hamster character named mr Moppelschen. To get a good reference for the characters movements Syndicate strive was to use the best tech possible, so they invested in a Moven mocap system. A human actor acted out the part for Mr moppelschen wearing the MOVEN gear. The mocap data was later used as a base for the final animation of the rodent.

To achive a realistic look for the hamster syndicate was provided with a real hamster that spent about 4 weeks at the office together with the syndicate 3D team. The team made a life like 3D "body double" for the real hamster and furred it with proprietary hair shaders.

To get a better understanding for Mr Moppelschen's body shape the real life roden had to take a bath to show his figures minus fur. From the reference pictures of the wet hamster syndicate created a virtual version of the body.

The 3D body model was rigged with virtual bones and muscles and covered with the CG fur.

For the facial expressions Syndicate used their proprietary soft body 3D tracker. A software that can analyse two streams of video and from there calculate the movement of for example a human face.

The final composite of clean back plates and 3D renders of the hamster was later printed back to a 35mm film. A film positive was struck from the negative print, this process provided the adverts true cinematic look.
The total post production session lasted for about 7 weeks and the film was broadcasted in Germany in the end of 2007.