Channel: Channel 4 / More4
Client: Whitworth Media
Date: September 2020
Filmed at one of the country’s greatest World War Two airbases ‘Biggin Hill’, and narrated by Al Murray, a team of dedicated engineers work around the clock to return Britain’s most iconic aircraft to the skies.
80 years ago, the Spitfire became the symbol of British resistance to the Nazi threat, and today it’s more popular than ever. In this six part series, we follow Spitfire Factory owner Peter Monk and his team of restoration experts as they bolt, rivet and hammer a 70-year-old Spitfire back to flying condition. With £2 million pounds on the line, and a looming deadline on the horizon, there’s no room for error.
Holey & Moley were commissioned to produce the graphics, branding and visual effects for this high flying series.
This included tailoring, building and modelling a “Supamarine Spitfire Mk IX” in 3D; rigged, lit and animated for graphic visualisations – used to explain the unique and ingenious engineering of this epic aircraft.
Holey and Moley worked with the illustrator Robert Burke to take an initial isometric skeleton framework of a Supermarine Spitfire model and then expanded this projection to form a fully modelled, animated, isolatable 3-dimensional accurate build. This allowed for detailed analysis on key components, from tension systems, electrical wiring through hydraulics and even pneumatics. A new bespoke ‘skin’ for our featured Spitfire was created with fresh lighting, bump maps, displacement and a fully photorealistic HDR environment.
The series was so well received that a follow-up special “The Great British Spitfire Restoration” was made to show further insight into the series and expand on this wonderful feat of British engeneering.
