It appears that Microsoft’s Surface Studio ad is cool for a certain reason, that reason being it’s shot with high tech gear, including a robotic arm and an Xbox Elite Controller. Sean Brown, president of Motorized Precision detailed the collaborative process, that even involved the Microsoft Studio Surface itself.
Microsoft relied on a mesh of CG renders and practical effects, as well as the Motorized Precision KIRA arm. It has a top height of 9 feet and can be extended to 5.63 feet, while weighing 570 lb. The baseplate actually weighs 7 times more, so this is a behemoth of a piece of gear. KIRA has a max camera payload of 40 lbs and it’s able to move 3.2 ft in 0.5 seconds, creating the nifty animations and motions shown in the clip.
The video itself was shot on a Red Epic Dragon with a Canon 15.5-47 mm lens, loaded in the Kira. A series of pre-viz shots were created in Cinema4D and Maya in order to get precise movement and tracking with Kira. An Xbox One Elite controller was used to manipulate this robot, in very intuitive fashion. Creatives involved in making the ad were happy with the Surface Studio, while also relying on the MP Studio/Touch Control features.
