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As the setting sun casts shadows across a dusk desert-scape, a woman stands alone atop a sand dune. Scanning her surroundings, she surmises that this is a new land - somewhere unexplored and inviting, waiting to be discovered. Over the next two minutes, we see a filmic montage of snow-strewn mountains, ancient monuments, bustling cities, modern architecture, crystal waters, and scattered stars. The dream-like sequence builds to a crescendo that opens the doors of Saudi Arabia to viewers like never before. 

The ambitious ad, released last month, came from the vision of director Antoine Bardou-Jacquet from production house Partizan and creative agency BETC. And bringing those creative ideas to life was the recently-formed team at Rodeo FX Paris, for whom this spot (for the Saudi Tourism Authority) represents their first commercial work as a studio. 

To find out more about how the beautifully-made ad came together, ��������’s Adam Bennett caught up with Rodeo FX Paris’ VFX supervisor Franck Lambertz, and producer Nicolas Huguet.

Above: “Saudi Odyssey” takes inspiration from blockbuster cinema to weave a dreamlike vision of the country together. 

“For us, this project was an exciting opportunity to lean on our expertise in film and TV in the much more short-form advertising world”, begins Franck. As well as being able to draw on the experience of the entire Rodeo creative company (whose work includes the likes of Dune, House of the Dragon, and The Rings of Power), Franck and Nicolas both bring their own extensive VFX experience to the Paris office, ensuring a deep well of top-tier expertise. And, with “Saudi Odyssey”, it was put to good use. 

“One of the key goals we had going into this project, direct from Antoine, was this sense of being somewhere between dreams and reality, like you were truly touching down on a new world for the first time”, adds Nicolas. “In this way, we wanted to step away from the cliches and norms of advertising in the travel category, towards something more sci-fi influenced”. 

“The ambition for this film was high, and the footage shot in Saudi Arabia was stunning”, says Franck. “Rodeo has specialised for many years in creating environments. Under Antoine’s precise and inspiring vision, our matte painting and compositing teams eagerly rose to the challenge. The work was diverse: matte painting, FX, CGI creatures, and extensive compositing. This film is a prime example of what Rodeo FX aims to offer the Parisian advertising market”.

Those cinematic influences are evident from the moment the ad begins, as viewers immediately are faced with a world infused with influences such as Dune and Star Wars. However, that line between sci-fi inspiration and something more tangible was one that the Rodeo team were highly focused on walking. 

“Antoine is a director who has a really specific vision in mind, and he likes to work with people he can trust”, notes Franck. “Within that context, you have freedom in the way you deliver that vision. For us in this case, it was about creating a world which felt epic and approachable. An example would be in the desert sequences, we had to ensure that the environment felt warm but not oppressively hot”. 

Finding a balance between realism and sci-fi - whilst remaining true to the beautiful footage directed by Antoine - was the key to enhancing the cinematic feeling of the ad. Here, Rodeo could draw on its experience working on the likes of Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, and John Wick: Chapter 4. 

Another key aspect of the brief was to ensure that the ad showcased a variety of locations and environments across the vast expanses of Saudi Arabia. Whilst the country may be more synonymous with deserts in the minds of western audiences, it also includes snow, mountains, and the ocean. The ad sweeps across all of these environments, maintaining a distinctly Saudi Arabian sense of place and culture. 

“The dreamlike, sci-fi concept behind the ad is something that lends itself well to Saudi Arabia’s position as a new destination for tourism”, posits Franck. “It’s different, and ‘otherworldly’ in that sense, but you combine exploration with a feeling of invitation and comfort”. 

There’s one particular shot, almost exactly halfway through the ad, where it’s deliberately unclear whether the protagonist is underwater or in space. “This was absolutely part of Antoine’s vision”, recalls Nicolas. “In fact, the film crew were very careful not to interfere with areas of outstanding natural beauty within Saudi Arabia, and it was therefore up to us to recreate certain places visually. I’m proud of the job we did - I feel that sense of exploration and discovery when I watch the ad back now”. 

“At the same time, we had plenty of material to work with from the team on the ground”, says Franck. “For example, there’s a moment soon after where you see sunlight reflecting off the character’s goggles - there is no CGI in that shot! That was too real for us to try and change”. 

From kaleidoscopic underwater sequences to a breathtaking mirage effect - not to mention transporting Saudi landmarks into the desert - the Rodeo FX Paris team stepped up to the plate. But the biggest challenge, both Nicolas and Franck jokingly agree, was "ensuring each shot we produced was up to Antoine's expectations, or exceeding them!".

“We know from our previous work that Antoine is a director with extremely high standards - which is the best way to be, of course!”, says Franck. “So it was a moment of pride for us as a studio to hear that he was so happy with the finished film”. 

For Rodeo FX in Paris, it’s been a busy start to life with commercial, episodic, and film content already released with more underway. So, fresh from mixing sci-fi with reality in a gorgeously ambitious commercial tourism film, the team is as confident as ever  in its ability to produce impactful work. To see what’s next, simply watch this space.