The concept for these films was to create a surreal ice world setting for the Olympic athletes to train in. Metaphorical of their hard - and often solitary -  training routines, the environments had to look hostile and imposing.

Half imagined and half real, the idea was to use the environment as the opposing character in the story of each athlete. A big design challenge for the films was to find the right balance of reality and imagination and set the right tone.

Even though it was the middle of summer in Montreal, the spots were shot on location, giving it better framing reference for the final VFX backgrounds, and more realistic lighting for the talent and in camera elements. For the most part, the weather cooperated, with overcast clouds providing the flat lighting that was needed. When the sun did come out, silks we used to diffuse the light and create the same effect.

Shot by the future Oscar winning DP, Adam Carboni with practical effects by Intrigue-fx in Montreal, and matte paintings by Henrik of Somnio studios.

For a full list of credits, go here.