Giant Cola - Blending Reality and CGI

Bringing It to Life

This project was created as a portfolio piece to demonstrate seamless CGI integration with live-action footage. The concept? A casual street scene where a hidden underground hatch suddenly opens, revealing a rising cola bottle surrounded by cinematic smoke effects.

To make the illusion convincing, we carefully directed the scene so that the actors reacted naturally—capturing their surprise and excitement as if the event were real. The final result showcases precise 3D tracking, realistic smoke simulations, and seamless compositing to integrate CGI into the real world.

  Process & Techniques:
  • Filming – Shot with a steady camera setup, ensuring proper lighting and actor reactions.
  • 3D Tracking – Tracked the camera motion to align CGI elements.
  • CGI & Animation – Modeled and animated the cola bottle, simulating realistic movement and reflections.
  • Smoke & Effects – Used Phoenix FD for dynamic smoke, giving the reveal a dramatic, eye-catching effect.
  • Compositing – Integrated CGI seamlessly into the scene using advanced color matching, shadows, and lighting adjustments.

Tools & Software:

3ds Max | PFTrack | TyFlow | Phoenix FD | After Effects | Premiere Pro