The enhanced beauty
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The (enhanced) beauty
Liu Yifei – the actress, model, and singer – between the moss-covered forest trees. The immaculate skin shines bright against the dark thicket, the sought-after eyelids wide open, arching over big oval eyes. It’s truly a sight to behold, it’s a real Mulan starring in… Shiseido.
This extraordinary beauty surrounds us at every turn, fairly speaking, on every screen. But is this flawlessness a full credit to genes and well, luck? Sometimes yes, but in the beauty industry, there is little room for imperfection. Sometimes all you need is just a good team that knows its craft, understands how to highlight the beauty that already exists, and doesn’t need drastic, surgical fixes to get the best out of the screen. Like here, in the Shiseido film, we had the pleasure to work on, or in fact, one of over a dozen beauty commercials we did at our Shanghai outpost since we opened early in 2021.
The year of the METAL OX
We understand the weight of the beauty market in China. The attention to CG-enhanced characters, scenery, backdrops, lighting, and particles often becomes a central part of the storytelling. The years we spent before officially opening in Shanghai, allowed us to soak in local sensibilities and figure out the visual trends to the point that it became second nature for our artists. And while we made our mark with a few iconic car commercials like the Buick featured a “girl-next-door” beauty, we gradually started landing commercials for premium cosmetic brands. We found the combination of unrealistic beauty standards and high-art fantasy scenery presented directors with exciting challenges and the results are always surprising.
Beauty Marks
For the first time, our fine CG skills and knack for spectacularly exploding stuff could be harnessed to sculpt and enhance the bodies of “wanghong” (essentially Chinese influencers) who play a key role for local consumers. And in case you’re wondering, stuff still explodes but it’s mostly butterflies, blossoms, snowflakes, and stardust.
The amazing brands we have partnered with here are meeting consumers online with imaginative ads, rich with subtle details that provide an almost endless canvas for leaving strong brand impressions. Those who know us from our work on game cinematics or elaborate car commercials shouldn’t be surprised to see those same skills being put to good use in the more artsy and nuanced beauty commercials. Art is art no matter where it’s used.
Check out our complete beauty reel to taste more of the Juice magic or ask us for specialised reels as you’re looking for your next CGI and VFX-enhanced beauty spot.
“The combination of Juice’s European sensibilities with the newly discovered beauty ideals of the Chinese customer present a unique moment in time for creatives who seek to break out of the familiar trends. Couple that with our vast experience in working with local celebrities and you get a potent mix that can benefit both brand and production company alike. The beauty industry is booming and demand for over-the-top beauty commercials and digital videos that push the limits of our imagination is only going to grow. In short, we’re ready for more!”
Simon Astbury, Managing Director of Juice Shanghai.
