Our Image Clip for Selters
Water Magic with Selters – our most ambitious project to date. As with nearly all of our films, almost everything seen on screen was filmed live. We avoid computer-generated content as much as possible to present real products in a high-quality and authentic manner. In the age of AI, this approach is becoming increasingly relevant, as potential customers feel deceived if they don’t see the real product, and AI-generated content is often perceived as lazy and cheap.
For one of the most renowned mineral water brands, we believe that 3D and AI are simply not an option. Our mission was to create an impressive and immersive film experience that bridges the modern era with the tradition-rich legacy of Selters mineral water.
To achieve this, we decided not only to incorporate nearly all of the most challenging classics of liquid product videos but also to develop entirely original creations that had never been seen before. This required us to build complex mechanical apparatuses, which we integrated into our motion control system.
The Film
Project Details:
- Client: Selters, Radeberger Gruppe
- Creative Director: Miriam Reith-Straßburg (Agentur Vorreither)
- Corporate Design: Julia Wehmeyer
Crew:
- Production Lead: Sören Weingarten
- Motion Control, Camera, and Editing: Sören Weingarten
- 3D Background (First Scene): Alex Sabau
- Practical Sound Effects: Maximilian Schuck
- Music and Additional Sounds: Niklas Kleber
- Set Assistance: Alina Kuzmicheva
- Gaffer (Twirl-Shot): Volker Thimm
Die Produktion und einzelne Clips erklärt
Was macht die einzelnen Clips so besonders und wie und warum haben wir es so realisiert?
The Underwater Spring and a Journey Through Time
There is more to the first shot of the film than meets the eye.
Like the other shots, this one was also filmed in our studio. The water and stones in the foreground are real, while the background was created on the computer. We used the 3D data from our Cinebot's camera movements to synchronize the real with the artificial.
The Rollercoaster Ride Begins – We Dive In
To symbolize transformation and create a meaningful transition, we filmed this "bubble shot." During the process, we discovered why there isn’t much stock footage of this kind. Filming water droplets flying toward the camera is not as simple as it seems. Since bubbles only rise upwards, they also need to be filmed from above. This requires a waterproof camera or, as in our case, a waterproof lens to immerse it into the water.
We generated the bubbles using air pressure. The associated cables had to be hidden in our large aquarium. Before each take, we ran air through the system for two seconds to clear the water of unnecessary elements like dust or debris. Then we filmed the actual shot, moving through the water as well.
In post-production, we added a color transition to the bright blue/turquoise of the next shot to ensure a seamless transition.
Power & Energy...
One of the most impressive shots is the "Twirl Shot." Here, too, everything is real. This shot was the most dangerous in the entire film due to the large volume of water we had to move at high speed.
To achieve this, we constructed a spiral from a large flexible acrylic sheet. We conducted extensive testing and planning to complete the shot with as few takes as possible. In total, we filmed five takes here, which is well below our average. We combined two perfect takes into one clip for the film.
This shot was only possible with our specialized rod lenses, which allowed us to move through the spiral.
We moved backward through the waves and guided the camera out of the bottle. This symbolizes the power and energy contained in this water, in every bottle.
The "Pour Shot"
The "Pour Shot," capturing the act of pouring, is a classic in beverage films. Following the transition from the previous scene, we track the first drops as they fly from the bottle into a Selters glass. This shot would have been nearly impossible without our high-speed Cinebot. It was filmed at 800 FPS.
The Impressions Begin
The film continues to gain momentum. At the end of the "Pour Shot," it feels as if we are zooming into the glass or moving inside it. This is a standalone shot and, for now, the last seamless transition.
From here, the intensity of the film and the music increases. The transitions and filmed material become significantly more dynamic and include more action. After the first cut, water is shot out of a glass. We achieved this using a pneumatic piston to which the water-filled glass was attached. Here, we deliberately overexposed the water and made it glow in the air to further emphasize its purity and brilliance.
Crystal-Clear Water
Simple, symbolic shots are often the most effective. One of our simplest shots is also one of the most popular. For this, we filmed a glass crystal in macro detail and captured water being poured over it in slow motion. In post-production, we rotated the shot by 180 degrees to create an upward movement instead of a downward one.
The Dancing Water – A Sparkling Sensation
Floating water droplets give this shot its unique beauty. They can be interpreted as carbonation and/or playful water.
We achieved this shot using a high-powered bass speaker. We covered the speaker and placed the water directly above the subwoofer. All that was needed to complete this effect were camera movements and very loud music.
In this and the next shot, we subtly enhance the visuals with practical recordings of carbonation fizzing sounds.
The Fizz from the Bottle
Here, we wanted to further emphasize the message of the previous shot. Once again, the focus is on the delicate carbonation of the mineral water.
To showcase as many carbonation bubbles as possible at exactly the right moment, we used pneumatic technology once more. The bottle was attached to a pneumatic piston. Before the shot, it was driven forcefully downward and then quickly moved upward for the actual take. This allowed us to capture the maximum amount of bubbles, making this shot so captivating.
This shot concludes the rapid impressions, which were designed as relatively simple visuals to showcase the mineral water.
Diverse and Powerful
This shot was actually a spontaneous idea. Originally, no more complex shots were planned before the next sequence, but we felt a strong need to include this one.
Before the pack shot, we wanted to further emphasize the product's grandeur, diversity, and quality. At the same time, we aimed to evoke a desire to drink the mineral water.
We combined all of this in this shot. To convey the product's size, we used a specialized lens that allowed us to showcase the bottles from an ant’s-eye view. To highlight diversity, we showed the Medium and Naturell variants for the first time. For quality, we focused on the premium glass bottles, and to evoke desire, we featured flowing water. The latter is subtly enhanced with sound effects.
For the tipping of the bottle, we used a pneumatic swivel mechanism that moved the bottle with perfect timing.
The Diamond Among Mineral Waters
We are often asked how we film certain scenes. This shot leaves even experts in our field amazed.
Before filming this shot, the big question was: How do we do it? That question is now behind us, and we can explain one of the most challenging shots in our film.
To decode this, we should first describe everything happening in this scene and clarify that it was not filmed underwater. It is also important to note that we digitally rotated the shot by 180 degrees. This means we didn’t submerge the diamond but rather rotated it, shot it into the air, and sprayed it with water mid-air. All of this was combined with a camera movement and filmed in slow motion.
Digitally, we added subtle wave motions to create the impression of being underwater. Additionally, we used AI technology to slow the footage from 800 frames per second to 1,600 frames per second.
As mentioned earlier, prisms and crystals are integral to Selters' corporate design and key visuals. Therefore, the diamond, as the king of crystals, is a fitting choice for the final shot before the pack shot.
A Very Wet Pack Shot
Whether the pack shot is the most important part of a product commercial is up for debate. Either way, it holds significant relevance. However, pack shots often don’t receive the attention they need to properly round off the film.
Our pack shot for this film is one of the most elaborate shots we’ve ever filmed—and the most intricate one in the entire project.
For this, we wanted to make the bottles emerge from the water. This required a massive aquarium, a custom-designed mounting system for the bottles, and a pneumatic system to pull the bottles out of the water—first Classic, then Naturell and Medium in sync. Developing and building this system took us several days. One of the biggest challenges for this shot was securing the bottles. They needed to withstand water, harsh movements, cold and heat (from the studio lights), all while being as inconspicuous as possible. The mounts could not be visible through the bottle or underwater, as they would otherwise have been seen. The only solution was to attach them behind the bottle caps.
Approximately 300 takes later, we finally had the perfect shot.
The planning, preparation, and filming weren’t the only steps. Due to the complexity of the shots, the detailed retouching of the bottles, and the intricacy of the digital elements, several days of work in After Effects were required to make the bottles shine as they do.
The background animation was not created by us but provided to us.
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(!) Herstellervideo unseres Cinebots im Hintergrund (Mark Roberts Motion Control)
