Written by Shona Smith on Dec 11, 2019. Posted in On Location

Pokemon VFX shoot takes place in the Cotswolds for Nintendo Switch

Agency Leo Burnett - Chicago, animation and VFX studio Framestore and service production company LS Productions descended upon the Cotswolds for Nintendo Switch Game Pokémon Sword and Shield launch film.

Scouting for the perfect 'English Village' spot took place around the UK, and the location also had to be compatible with the high amount of VFX needed for the final film.

The Cotswold village provided both this and alignment with the gameplay setting in Sword and Shield. During production, a green screen studio was also built from the ground up in a field just outside the village during the shoot.

A heavy lift drone, a Freefl Alta 8 captured aerial shots. DOP Fabian Wagner shot the spot on a Maxima, to give a bit of a handheld look to the shoot and make viewers feel they have entered into the world of the Pokémon. 

From their Manchester hub, LS Productions provided hands-on support by gathering a talented local crew - many from the north of England, casting young actors from Manchester and London and finding the locations for the VFX-heavy spot.

The Cotswolds are a popular destination for tourists and film companies, and LS had to jump through a lot of hoops to jump through in order to obtain the right permissions and access. Due to their local knowledge and relationships, all the location logistics to meet the time frame required. Abi Atkinson, Senior producer at LS Productions said "this is an excellent example of what the North has to offer the production world and it was really great to have so much creative involvement on our end. The crew all had raw individual talent and worked really well together”.

Credits
Client: Nintendo of America
Agency: Leo Burnett - Chicago
Director: Murray Butler
DOP: Fabian Wagner
Talent: Iman Marson, Celine Dass, Mattie Boys, Poppy Godsal
Production Company: Framestore Pictures
Executive Producer: Jennifer Siegel
Line Producer: David Hay
Service Production Company: LS Productions
Service Producer (LS): Abi Atkinson