Digital Magic in the Music Video: How They Created Witchy's Holographic Heads
The latest music video by Kaytranada and Childish Gambino hides a fascinating technical process: the floating heads in the crystal ball are hyperrealistic 3D models created with a combination of photogrammetry and facial tracking. North of Now, the studio behind the project, reveals how they achieved this effect that blends digital with analog ✨.
"We wanted it to look like real magic, not obvious CGI," explains the director about the final hologram look.
From Casual Photos to 3D Models
The creative process:
- Base Photography: Taken with Sony ZV-E10 without stabilization
- Modeling: FaceBuilder for Nuke created the meshes
- Texturing: Combination of projection and TextureBuilder
- Animation: FaceTracker applied real movements
Key Technology in the Pipeline
Tools used:
- KeenTools (FaceBuilder, FaceTracker)
- Cinema 4D for holographic effects
- RealityCapture for photogrammetry
- 3DEqualizer for precise tracking
The Art of Making It Look Simple
Details that make the difference:
- Multiple render passes for the hologram effect
- Intentional "analog" look
- Hair and accessories as static geometry
- Only 4 manual adjustments in the entire tracking
A Small Team with Big Results
With just 13 artists:
- Created all the VFX for the music video
- Worked on subtle effects that don't distract
- Achieved 3D heads in just ~1 hour per artist
Moral: sometimes the most impressive effects are the ones that go unnoticed... until you realize you're seeing Gambino's head turned into a hologram inside a crystal ball. Now that's digital magic 🎩.