Impossible Objects Creates Expansive Virtual Medieval World in Promo for PIA

Impossible Objects has once again shown that storytelling has no bounds and creativity reigns supreme in the newly released music video “Follow the Toad” for up-and-coming musical artist PIA and EDM music producer Anymize, starring Indian actor Abhay Deol. Captured in a single day on a small stage outfitted with a 30 X 12 LED wall, this stunning video proves that virtual production is no longer restricted to big studio budgets, and in the hands of the right creative team can be leveraged into mesmerizing visuals. 

Joe Sill, co-founder of Impossible Objects not only directed the video, but also built the stunning environments featured throughout the epic journey. He found inspiration in a myriad of sources from the enchanting tales of “Indiana Jones”, otherworldly landscapes reminiscent of  “The Lord of the Rings”, and the captivating world of “Dune” for the production design and scenes in the video. Working entirely in the Unreal Engine, and utilizing everything that was captured in camera on the mini-LED wall during the live action shoot, was key to the realization of this unique vision. Sill also used assets from Quixel and Big/Medium/Small, together with the iPhone app RealityCapture from Epic Games to scan both actors and create digital doubles of them. All of the wide shots in the video feature a 50/50 split of actors and their digital double counterparts.

This creative journey began with musical artist PIA sharing her love of music, art, movies and video games with Joe, realizing they were kindred spirits embarking on a remarkable adventure. For her first musical endeavor, it wasn’t just about making a music video, but about exploring the depths of her imagination and pushing the boundaries of storytelling. The narrative of the video explores the battle between good and evil, reminiscent of iconic tales from the film and gaming realm. 

This project transcended the boundaries of traditional music video production, intentionally catering to the tech-savvy gaming community, which is a significant part of PIA’s identity as a visual artist, storyteller and world-builder herself. The male lead in the video, renowned Bollywood actor Abhay Deol, is an old friend of PIA’s, and was thrilled to star in the video and dip his toe into virtual production.