Agency:
Method1
Client
Heaven Hill
Team Members
We partnered with The Artery to generate both CGI images and a campaign video. My primary role was to take the outputted CGI stills and execute extensive, brand-accurate retouching to achieve final, production-ready assets. I successfully finalized three main images that were utilized across high-visibility materials, including case cards, social media posts, and van wrappers.
he primary challenge involved cross-functional collaboration across multiple stakeholders and brands to finalize and deliver the complex assets to the client. Technically, the process demanded extensive digital painting, requiring significant time and precision to achieve the photorealistic look, texture, and natural fluid dynamics necessary to make the liquid feel completely correct and authentic.
Case card Example
This visual demonstrates the final case card application, which was designed by Art Director Pat. Pat selected the hero images for the front of the boxes to ensure they visually aligned with the campaign video. I collaborated directly with him on the creative execution, specifically focusing on blending the images to achieve a convincing projection effect on the surface.
As the main hero image for the campaign, this file required immediate and significant technical intervention upon first review. Our initial fixes focused on correcting the bottle's geometry (specifically the neck), dialing in the accurate liquid color, and ensuring consistency across all brand colors. We then made a critical compositional change by removing the bottom right box for visual clarity. A complete overhaul through comprehensive retouching followed, the details of which are outlined below.
shape
We identified subtle inaccuracies in the bottle's geometry, necessitating reshaping to achieve a more bulbous profile. Additionally, we performed detailed retouching to correct a minor liquid volume deficiency in the bottle neck.
2. Gold Foil
The existing gold foil throughout the image did not meet the brand team's specifications for color and gradient. To resolve this, we comprehensively rebuilt the foil texture.
3. highlight
A prominent issue was a distracting, overly bright highlight on the left side of the bottle that was mistakenly rendering as bright red. I corrected this flaw using digital painting techniques applied to the bottle's interior.
4. label strip
I completely rebuilt the bottle label, ensuring all elements adhered to strict brand guidelines. This involved precisely calibrating the color palette to match the correct brand specifications and seamlessly updating the existing Heaven Hill icon to the client's new, approved version.
5. Liquid
The liquid inside the bottle lacked the required brand color accuracy and visual richness. I executed a comprehensive digital repaint of the liquid, meticulously introducing the desired color variations and realistic texture to meet strict brand specifications.
6. Glass
I refined the glass and glass lip by removing the visible tip circle to ensure a more seamless blend within the environment. I then enhanced realism by digitally painting accurate reflections of the background boxes onto the bottle and introducing subtle transparency effects.
7. boxes
We made the strategic decision to remove the box to simplify the overall composition. This was particularly crucial for smaller placements (like social or digital ads), ensuring the composition remained clear and provided adequate space for overlaying essential campaign content.
8. images
We aimed to showcase Heaven Hill's legacy by incorporating archived brand imagery. We utilized these vintage images to create a unique projection-like visual effect, ensuring the final stills visually mirrored the creative treatment simultaneously being developed for the campaign video.
This project presented a significant technical hurdle due to the difficulty in accurately rendering caustics (light patterns refracting through glass) during the CGI phase. To ensure realism, we made the strategic decision to move the complex caustics generation and placement into the retouching production pipeline. Following this, we executed a comprehensive full retouch on the bottle and the scene to meet the precise final quality requirements of the brand.
Box shape
Rather than incurring extra time and cost with another CGI revision, we gained creative control by reconstructing the box geometry directly within Photoshop. This approach efficiently allowed us to manipulate the shape and dimensionality to achieve the precise look the brand required.
2. brand name
The colors used for the brand name on the label were inaccurate, requiring precise masking and color correction to ensure strict brand consistency across the final asset.
3. Glass caustics
To develop a solution that integrated seamlessly with the scene, I meticulously analyzed natural light physics. My technique involved generating the light rays by utilizing lens flares over a water displacement map, which I then carefully digitally painted to create a believable and integrated caustics effect.
4. bottle clean up
I performed a final polish on the bottle, correcting distracting reflections and resolving inconsistencies in the liquid texture. This meticulous cleanup was executed entirely through digital painting.
5. More Caustics
Achieving natural realism required precise control over the caustics. We deliberately reduced the intensity of the caustics on the bottle (relative to the primary glass element) to simulate natural light attenuation. This effect was executed by adapting the established caustics technique and integrating more detailed digital painting over enhanced water texture for a smooth, natural light blend.
6. Tax label
Similar to Image One, this asset required a full label reconstruction. We precisely masked in the correct brand colors and seamlessly replaced the old Heaven Hill icon with the client's current, updated version, ensuring complete brand consistency across all elements.
7. bottle label
The bottle label on the top was blown out (overexposed) directly in post-production, avoiding an extra CGI round. We corrected the exposure, added missing texture to the label, and simultaneously replaced the gold foil to meet brand specifications.
As the final image in the set, this asset was critical for maintaining visual consistency. My work focused on matching the blue color tones and detailed bottle retouching established in the previous hero images. An early curveball required adapting the shot: the Brand Team requested an immediate change to the light direction, necessitating a significant rework to integrate the new lighting setup seamlessly.
New light direction
As a critical, late-stage request, the Brand Team necessitated a change in the direction of the light source. This required a significant post-production rework to digitally recreate the illumination as if it originated from the opposite side, while simultaneously ensuring the light rays were smoothed and softened to achieve the desired aesthetic.
2. Shape of the bottle
We identified that the bottle required a more bulbous profile at the top. This was corrected through meticulous cloning and reshaping techniques until the geometry achieved the precise, desired specification.
3. Bottle label colour
The colors used for the brand name on the label were inaccurate, requiring precise masking and color correction to ensure strict brand consistency across the final asset.
4. Left edge Highlights
A prominent issue was a distracting, overly bright highlight on the left side of the bottle that was mistakenly rendering as bright red. I corrected this flaw using digital painting techniques applied to the bottle's interior.
5. texture
We identified inconsistencies in the label's texture and image imprint, which detracted from the final quality. To ensure visual perfection, we rebuilt the label texture using existing library assets and seamlessly blended it into the CGI element for a cohesive and accurate final presentation.
6. right edge Highlights
A significant challenge involved a harsh highlight on the right side of the bottle that required toning down. This was solved by comprehensively painting out the original highlight and then digitally rebuilding the light effect to ensure a controlled and visually accurate reflection.
7. foils
The existing gold foil throughout the image did not meet the brand team's specifications for color and gradient. To resolve this, we comprehensively rebuilt the foil texture.
8. movement and tones
The Brand Team requested that the liquid color match the first bottle in the series, which required significant digital painting to integrate the correct tonality and texture under the new lighting direction. This process involved carefully introducing tonal variations to enhance realism and achieve consistency across the set.