It Was Practical Effects, Not CGI, Behind Apple's 'Welcome Home' Ad

Earlier this month, Apple released a new Spike Jonze-directed ad titled “Welcome Home” that featured FKA Twigs dancing through shapeshifting apartment. Today, AdWeek shared a revealing behind-the-scenes video where we learn that almost all of it was practical effects. It’s almost unbelievable.

The collaboration needed by Jonze and the entire team was key for a production with this many moving parts. It’s amazing to watch every department on set work together in such high energy to do their own jobs at an even higher level. From the art director and choreography working in tandem, to the lighting and the music, most sets strive for this kind of cooperation and seeing it in action so fluidly is inspiring.

After watching the original ad above, there did appear to be some practical effects involved, but when things started to get extremely expansive I began thinking that was too much to be real. I think it was an interesting touch to throw in just a little bit of VFX with the Twigs duplicate so that the perception of what was real and what was fake about the ad spot could be fuzzed.

Check out the seven-minute behind-the-scenes video on AdWeek’s website.