Piranha Bar Delves into the World of Game of Thrones for Tourism Northern Ireland
An incredibly excited Piranha Bar couldn't wait to sink their teeth into this thrilling spot for the Official Game of Thrones Studio in Banbridge, Northern Ireland with BBDO Dublin for Tourism Northern Ireland. Director Gavin Kelly, a self professed Westero stan, was hungry to dive in. Gavin said: "despite the impressive professionalism and composure we wielded on the ambitious VFX spot, deep down we were having geek meltdowns." Working together with Kirk and Dillion in BBDO Dublin, the Piranha Bar team crafted a magnificently atmospheric piece to bring A Song Of Fire and (mostly) Ice to Ireland.
In the 30 second spot, a sinister icy force subsumes northern landscapes cheered on by a malevolent raven who leads the frozen fun to the Studio Tour building in Banbridge. Gavin sourced spectacular landscapes and threaded them together with the iconic raven, while supervising the sophisticated ice effects applied to both close ups and broad vistas.
Gavin notes that the process was a challenging one but incredibly rewarding. Using some of Northern Ireland's famous landscapes, Kelly said that "each shot had to have 3D geometry meticulously tracked over the rocks, mountains and rivers so digital ice effects could be applied." Cave Hill over Belfast was filmed by drone before being thoroughly iced over, while drone footage of the Mourne Wall added a suitably medieval tone to the procession of majestic landscapes. The final reveal of the Game of Thrones Studio Tour entrance was created entirely in 3D while the real thing was being readied for opening.
The final spot sets the tone for the rich and slick experience which awaits in Banbridge. As an enthusiastic Gavin states "all that remains is for us to follow that raven and check it out for ourselves!"
You can read more about the spot here.
