My Cannes Lion pick: A$AP Rocky's Helicopter
I've always loved music videos. The clever visual work of Michel Gondry and Spike Jonze in the 90s and noughties really inspired me. So when I was looking through the Cannes Lions winners this week, one piece of work stood out.
Sometimes a music video comes along that doesn't just look great, it also shows us where video production is heading. For me, A$AP Rocky's Helicopter is one of those moments.
What is Gaussian Splatting?
At its simplest, Gaussian Splatting is a way of capturing real-world environments as fully navigable 3D scenes. Rather than painstakingly modelling everything in CGI, the technology reconstructs environments using millions of tiny points of colour and depth in 3D space, allowing virtual cameras to move through settings that retain the realism of live-action footage.
For producers, that's a fascinating proposition. It sits somewhere between traditional filmmaking, photogrammetry and visual effects. In Helicopter, the main action was captured in a bespoke room rigged with cameras, and the Gaussian Splat recordings were then composited and animated in Houdini.
Why the creative approach matters as much as the technology
Gaussian Splatting has its limitations. Fine details can shimmer, edges aren't always perfectly defined, and the overall image can feel soft or unstable compared to conventional cinematography. These artefacts can be distracting.
The creative team behind Helicopter embraced them instead.
The entire video is wrapped in a gritty, lo-fi collage aesthetic inspired by old VHS tapes. Grain, distortion, tracking errors, colour bleed and analogue imperfections are layered throughout, creating a world where softness and visual muddiness feel intentional rather than incidental.
It's a decision that works because the style and the technology complement each other perfectly. Rather than fighting the medium, they leaned into its strengths.
No AI was used in Helicopter. Every frame was animated by hand.
Production isn't about the newest kit
As a producer, that's often where the best work happens. Production isn't always about choosing the newest piece of kit; it's about finding the right creative application for the tools, budget, and time available.
Music videos have always been a playground for experimentation. Techniques that once seemed niche often find their way into mainstream advertising a few years later. We've seen it with drones, virtual production and LED volumes. Gaussian Splatting could be on a similar path.
What this means for brands commissioning video
The commercial possibilities are worth considering. Imagine capturing an entire retail environment, hospitality venue or branded space once, then revisiting it virtually with complete camera freedom. Or creating multiple campaign edits without returning to location.
Yes, the technology is still evolving. Resolution can be limiting and the workflows require specialist knowledge. But every major production innovation starts somewhere. LED stages haven't made location filming obsolete. AI hasn't replaced creative thinking. Each has become another tool that expands what's possible.
Gaussian Splatting will follow a similar path.
It's already happening: filmmakers are designing ideas around the technology rather than forcing the technology to imitate existing techniques. Helicopter is a marker for that shift. It shows what happens when a production team understands a medium well enough to make its constraints part of the creative.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is Gaussian Splatting in video production?
Gaussian Splatting is a technique for capturing real-world environments as navigable 3D scenes. Instead of building sets or environments in CGI, it reconstructs spaces using millions of data points in 3D space. Virtual cameras can then move freely through those environments while retaining the look of live-action footage.
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How was Gaussian Splatting used in A$AP Rocky's Helicopter video?
The main action was shot in a physical room rigged with cameras. The Gaussian Splat recordings were then composited and animated in Houdini. The production team layered a lo-fi, VHS-inspired aesthetic over the footage, turning the technology's visual artefacts into an intentional part of the creative direction.
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Did A$AP Rocky's Helicopter use AI?
No. Despite using an emerging visual technique, no AI was used in the production of Helicopter. The animation was done entirely by hand.
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How could brands use Gaussian Splatting?
The most immediate application is environmental capture: recording a retail space, hospitality venue or branded environment once, then using it as a virtual production asset across multiple edits and campaigns. It reduces the need to return to location and gives editors and directors more flexibility in post-production.
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When will Gaussian Splatting become mainstream in advertising?
The technology is still evolving, with current limitations around resolution and workflow complexity. But production techniques rarely arrive fully formed. Drones and LED volumes both went through a similar journey from specialist use to standard tool. The signs are that Gaussian Splatting is on the same trajectory.