‘Major’ is the latest installment in Hennessy’s award-winning ‘Wild Rabbit’ campaign, centered on the theme of pushing the limits of potential. The spot, directed by Derek Cianfrance out of Radical Media, perfectly encompasses the spirit of Hennessy’s “Never stop. Never settle.” mantra through the remarkable, yet widely unknown story of Marshall “Major” Taylor.
In the late 1890s Marshall “Major” Taylor became the best cyclist of his time, and throughout his career dominated his competition in the U.S and abroad. He held seven world records by 1898, and in 1899, became the first African American to win a world championship. As one of the world’s first international sports stars, Marshall “Major” Taylor became an unrivaled champion whose “Wild Rabbit” fueled his search for a worthy adversary, which he never found, and his drive, determination, and ongoing quest to pursue his dreams and break barriers is reflected across an impressive career.
The Mill’s VFX team, led by David Fleet and Gavin Wellsman worked closely with Cianfrance and the creative team from Droga5 to bring the powerful story to life through a multitude of digital effects, including some scenes crafted almost entirely in CGI.
VFX Creative: The Mill
Creative Director / Art Director: Gavin Wellsman, David Fleet
2D Lead Artist: Christoph Schroeer
3D Lead Artist: Jasper Kidd
2D Artists: Ari Garber, Heather Kennedy Eck, Jade Kim, Jeff Robins, Molly Intersimone, Rachel Moon, Yongjae Lee, Dae Yoon Kang
3D Artists: Adam Dewhirst, Alek Vacura, Arman Matin, Billy Dangyoon Jang, Brice Linane, Constance Bensen, Dave Barosin, Jeff Lopez, Jonathan McCoy, Lauren Shields, Navdeep Singh, Pablo Estrella You, Paul Liaw, Scott Denton, Sean Dooley, Seon Crawford, Weichieh Yu, Murali Krishna Reddy, Sendil Kumar J, Karthik K, Karthik V, Gokul N, Giri Prasath S, Raj Kumar, Ayush Bajoria, Manoj Ravi, Fazal Khan, Ganesh Lamkhade, Sathyaraj A, Sunil MM, Tarun Kumar, Spandana Battula, Leela Shanker, Abhishek Kumar
Tracking Supervisor: Senthil Murugan Balasundaram
Creative Director / Art Director: Gavin Wellsman, David Fleet
2D Lead Artist: Christoph Schroeer
3D Lead Artist: Jasper Kidd
2D Artists: Ari Garber, Heather Kennedy Eck, Jade Kim, Jeff Robins, Molly Intersimone, Rachel Moon, Yongjae Lee, Dae Yoon Kang
3D Artists: Adam Dewhirst, Alek Vacura, Arman Matin, Billy Dangyoon Jang, Brice Linane, Constance Bensen, Dave Barosin, Jeff Lopez, Jonathan McCoy, Lauren Shields, Navdeep Singh, Pablo Estrella You, Paul Liaw, Scott Denton, Sean Dooley, Seon Crawford, Weichieh Yu, Murali Krishna Reddy, Sendil Kumar J, Karthik K, Karthik V, Gokul N, Giri Prasath S, Raj Kumar, Ayush Bajoria, Manoj Ravi, Fazal Khan, Ganesh Lamkhade, Sathyaraj A, Sunil MM, Tarun Kumar, Spandana Battula, Leela Shanker, Abhishek Kumar
Tracking Supervisor: Senthil Murugan Balasundaram
Editorial: The Quarry
Editor: Paul Watts
Editor: Paul Watts
Colour: Company 3
Colourist: Tom Poole
Colour Producer: Alexandra Lubrano
Colour Assist: Jenny Montgomery
Colourist: Tom Poole
Colour Producer: Alexandra Lubrano
Colour Assist: Jenny Montgomery
VFX Production: The Mill
Executive Producer: Melanie Wickham
Senior Producer: Freya Hewett
Production Coordinator: Mia Lalanne
Production Assistant: Supreetha Murthy
Shoot Supervisors: Gavin Wellsman, David Fleet
Executive Producer: Melanie Wickham
Senior Producer: Freya Hewett
Production Coordinator: Mia Lalanne
Production Assistant: Supreetha Murthy
Shoot Supervisors: Gavin Wellsman, David Fleet