Controlling the melting process of ice cream under real-world filming conditions is nearly impossible. For the premium brand Kayak, we collaborated with Perfect Accident to find a solution that captures this process with visual perfection while remaining physically believable.
The goal was to develop an ice sculpture with a melting process that remains controllable down to the smallest detail. A key focus was the ability to implement specific client feedback without losing the organic texture and tactile feel of real ice cream.
We chose a hybrid pipeline combining analog craft and digital simulation. The original sculpture was first hand-sculpted in clay to establish a natural foundation. This physical model was digitized via photogrammetry (RealityCapture) and finalized in ZBrush. The melting animation was then created in Houdini through iterative fluid simulations. Custom-developed shaders ensured a realistic ice cream texture during rendering. The result is two spots that merge the precision of digital tools with the aesthetic of handmade models.
Production & Direction
Art Direction
Perfect Accident & Uber Eck
Sculpting, Design & Animation
Uber Eck
Technology & Software
3D
Houdini, Reality Capture, Zbrush
Post-Production
Post-Production
Adobe After Effects
Rendering
Rendering
Redshift Renderer
