Technology Leadership
Solvay
A Series on the Essentials of Chemistry
The Briefing
Our mission? To craft a series of six films that bring to life Solvay’s groundbreaking technologies in the production of essential chemical elements. The challenge: how do you tell a compelling visual story about products and processes that are almost impossible to film? Our answer was to combine creativity and precision, developing a strong, cohesive visual language that made the invisible both tangible and engaging.
The story we wanted to tell
We wanted to humanize Solvay’s work. But filming on production sites was out of the question—and traditional interviews would have felt too corporate. Instead, we chose to create films that blend 2D and 3D design with carefully crafted human gestures, captured in studio.
Athéna de Callataÿ, Head of Motion Design.Coming up with ideas that allowed my graphic work to interact with gestures filmed in the studio was particularly fun! Especially when you get to see the magic happen during the assembly.
The creative process
The first step in a project like this is writing the copy. Our strength lies in making any type of content accessible, starting from the client’s brief. Once the copy is approved, we move on to a highly detailed storyboard that maps out every scene—deciding which ones will be in 2D, in 3D, or filmed in studio. After the storyboard is validated, we design style frames for the graphic environments. At the same time, we prepare the live-action scenes: a meticulous process that involves sourcing props, building some from scratch, and casting actors.
Julia Gaik, Creative Producer.Shooting these tiny gestures was such fun—it’s all about imagining how a simple movement in front of the camera will transform once it’s brought to life with graphic elements in post-production.
Shooting
The shoot took place in a studio, against colored backdrops. We selected four backgrounds matching Solvay’s brand palette. Part of the set was built with real objects, then we added a small gesture performed by an actor. The challenge was to anticipate how these gestures would interact with the graphic elements added later. It required true teamwork on set—between the director, the production lead, and the motion design team.
Post-Production
Post-production happens entirely in-house—that’s where the magic truly begins. We bring together different tools to merge all the elements: 2D animation in After Effects, editing in Premiere, 3D in Blender—and of course, a touch of magic.
Broadcast
The films were produced in multiple formats and languages, ready to be shared across Solvay’s business unit channels. They also serve as powerful tools for product presentations and at international trade fairs.