DCPTV: The Fuel in BMW’s Hydrogen 7

When the Visual Effects Society recently chose the year’s outstanding visual effects commercials, the work of Sydney, Australia-based Fuel VFX was among them. The 30 second spot that Fuel created for the BMW Hydrogen 7 automobile features 25 seconds of CG animation—and not easy-to-do CG, but fluid simulation. The commercial was designed to visualize the green technology that produces emissions of pure water vapor instead of CO2, so Fuel’s assignment was to literally build a car out of water. The sedan takes shape as stylized blue water fills the chassis, the engine, the wheels, and the headlights. Then, in a dramatic finale, the fully assembled water-car collapses into a puddle and evaporates.