Billboards are huge, and visible from distance, so I tried to push the size of the bottle with a simple top to bottom read of the label.

Liquid simulation is a difficult task when you have time, previs you have to improvise. I quickly modeled a glass and used a ramp shader with a little random noise to slowly reveal the full pint texture, it was pretty effective and most importantly - fast.

I blocked in a crude pour, I wanted something functional that represented the generalised shape of beer coming out, I was planning to go back and run a particle simulation, but it served its purpose - you don’t always need flashy visuals to get the client on board.

An unused variant. I felt it made the glass of beer giant, but sadly it never made the approved shot list. That’s the nature of the beast, some shots make it and others fall on the cutting room floor.

The editing process in previs can really help to craft a story, even with just three shots. In essence, I had the start, middle and end.

I experimented with using jump cuts in an effort to add some punch to the action. Altering the aspect ratio gave this edit a real filmic quality, and felt big and eye catching.

I was able to provide close vfx supervision during the shoot, having produced the previs just made everything easier. After we wrapped the small crew had a little toast with the remaining product that was left.

My last small task was to mock up how the final piece might look, I grabbed a plate and produced a simple comp, it was really just an internal reference and for discussion further with the clients.

Several of the final billboards that were out in the wild in Minnesota.