How OkayStudio's VFX Team Shaped Tanqueray, Wesley Joseph and Somersby

​In commercial post-production, the best visual effects are often the ones you don't notice. Not because they're simple, but because they've been designed with such precision and creative intent that they feel inevitable – like they were always part of the story. At OkayStudio, the London and Berlin-based post house, VFX isn't just a final touch - it's a collaborative craft that starts long before cameras roll and shapes how directors, agencies, and brands bring their stories to life.

"We see VFX as a problem-solving tool that can influence the creative from the very beginning, not just as something you add in post," says Sydney Levy, senior VFX producer at OkayStudio, who joined the studio in September from ETC. "Our VFX team is boutique, adaptable, and built around each brief. We're nimble and curious - every project gets approached with fresh eyes, exploring the best way to hit the creative goal rather than following a standard playbook."

That philosophy is evident across OkayStudio's recent work: from seamless 2D compositing on Tanqueray's global campaign by Paul McLean with Sarah Jessica Parker, to grain-matched 35mm VFX on Wesley Joseph's self-directed music video If Time Could Talk, to invisible clean-up and set extensions on the spot by Ehsan Bhatti for Somersby's That's Refreshing. Three very different briefs, three distinct creative challenges – but all united by a hands-on, director-led approach to visual effects.

Tanqueray: Precision and Restraint

For Tanqueray's 300 No's campaign featuring Sarah Jessica Parker, OkayStudio's challenge was to enhance the brand's premium world without ever overpowering it. The work demanded visual effects that felt confident, refined, and modern - effects that supported Tanqueray's sense of ritual and rhythm rather than drawing attention to themselves.

The project required seamless spatial extensions, elegant transitions, and meticulous clean-up across more than 100 deliverables, all within a six-week turnaround from shoot to delivery. OkayStudio's VFX team, led by Mark Purser, worked closely with the director and art department well ahead of the shoot, carefully planning plates, camera angles, and transitions together. “By choreographing exactly what needed to be captured on set, the team allowed the shoot to run smoothly without relying on heavy CG. Instead, the focus was on precise 2D solutions, using Flame to add doors and spatial elements within a perceived 3D space.”

Sydney and Mark attended the shoot alongside OkayStudio editor Michelle Koops, who assembled a rough edit with placeholder takes in real time. This allowed the agency, director, clients, and talent to review sequences on the day, streamline take approvals, and confirm that motion-control moves aligned correctly within the 60-second duration.

"Because we're a tight-knit team, our VFX lead is involved in every brief," Sydney says. "Clients get hands-on guidance from the start, which means the creative intent is preserved from concept to final frame." The scale of post-production meant expanding the team to include four freelance 2D artists alongside a dedicated roto and clean-up team, ensuring the workload could grow without compromising craft, consistency, or creative oversight.

Having edit (Sam Hardy), grade (Alex O'Brien), and VFX handled entirely in-house made the process seamless. With VFX running in parallel with the edit, the team stayed ahead of schedule and shared information easily across departments. This integration means better creative decisions: VFX artists understand the story they're serving, colourists can enhance composites in real time, and the work feels cohesive rather than assembled.

Wesley Joseph: Grain, Fire, and 35mm Craft

If Tanqueray showcased invisible precision, Wesley Joseph's music video If Time Could Talk demonstrated OkayStudio's ability to deliver bold, stylised VFX while respecting the integrity of the medium. Directed by Wesley Joseph himself and shot entirely on 35mm, the project involved shot extensions, rotoscoping, and layering dancers on top of each other. The standout moment: creating a 'melting girl' on fire at the piano, a striking visual that required both technical precision and creative flair.

"As this project was all filmed on 35mm, it was a challenge to comp certain scenes while still maintaining the colour and grain, without it looking or feeling like it was altered digitally," the team explains. The solution required using all in-camera assets to build the light rig scenes, ensuring every composite felt organic to the film stock rather than digitally imposed.

Crucially, OkayStudio came on board pre-shoot to advise on how best to capture certain elements. "It was an open dialogue between us and the director," the team notes. "This open conversation helped the director – also the artist – have room to explain his vision." 

With VFX led by Mark Purser and colour by Alex O'Brien, the project showcased OkayStudio's ability to balance bold creative choices with invisible craft – making sure the spectacle never overwhelmed the story.

Somersby: Invisible Problem-Solving

For Somersby's That's Refreshing, That's Somersby, directed by Ehsan Bhatti, OkayStudio delivered the kind of VFX work that most audiences would never suspect existed – but which required significant creative and technical problem-solving behind the scenes.

Working hand in hand with OkayStudio's VFX Supervisor on the South Africa–based shoot, the team helped shape the shot design to enable the seamless, fluid transitions that define the film's distinctive look and feel. By advising on the capture of carefully planned plates, they ensured full creative control in post-production, allowing each scene to be crafted with precision.

The challenge lay in delivering a perfectly matched visual language across two separate films – one starring a Somersby bottle, the other a can – while maintaining absolute consistency in style and tone.

"The craft is in knowing when VFX should be felt and when it should disappear," Sydney says. "We're equally comfortable creating a girl melting at a piano or making a room feel twice its size without anyone noticing. It's about serving the story, not the spectacle."

Once again, Mark Purser led VFX while our colour team handled grade, with both disciplines working in constant communication to ensure every frame felt cohesive. This collaboration between departments kept us agile and consistent from start to finish.

Creative Authorship at Scale

What unites these three projects is OkayStudio's approach: treating VFX as creative authorship, not technical service. Like a DOP or production designer who shapes the look and feel of a film, OkayStudio's VFX team acts as visual partners who help directors and agencies tell the story best. In a landscape where 3D, live action, animation, and now generative AI often collide, they bring both creative vision and meticulous craft – solving complex visual problems and making ambitious ideas look effortlessly compelling.

"Our VFX artists, supervisors, and compositors are adaptable, precise, and fully committed to every project," Sydney concludes. "Whether it's invisible 2D work or complex CG elements, we bring expertise, care, and creative problem-solving to every frame. At OkayStudio, VFX isn't just an afterthought – it's part of the thinking that shapes the work itself."

With the launch of OkayLabs – integrating generative AI artists directly into traditional post-production workflows – OkayStudio is positioning itself as a creative partner for agencies and directors who understand that the best visual effects are the ones that serve the story, whether through meticulous craft or cutting-edge technology.