Wex Benefits - Commercial Campaign
Project Highlight — In Color Studios: Wex Benefits Campaign
In Color Studios delivered a full-service commercial campaign for Wex, producing every element from creative concept through final delivery on a compressed two-month schedule. The brief: translate Wex’s benefits platform into a human, approachable narrative that communicates practical value to HR leaders and employees. We answered with end-to-end creative direction, a large-scale production build in our Las Vegas soundstage, a disciplined technical plan, and a coordinated post pipeline—executed by our in-house crew across all departments.
Creative Direction & Pre‑Production
Our creative director led concept development and script refinement in close collaboration with the client, shaping mood, tone, and narrative beats so the story would be clear across 30-, 15-, and social cut formats. The in-house producing team handled scheduling, budgeting, and vendor coordination while simultaneously running casting sessions and wardrobe/HMU planning. We prepared detailed storyboards, shot lists, and previs for complex VFX inserts and the “poof” disappearance beats so every department knew exact timing and coverage needs.
Location & Set Build
To create a realistic, controllable workplace environment, we built a 3,000 sq ft fully carpeted office on our state-of-the-art Las Vegas soundstage. The set included desks, chairs, office amenities, authentic props, and a full drop ceiling. Engineered as a three-wall set with an open side, the build allowed multi-directional camera coverage while keeping production access wide and unobstructed. Our art department designed and executed a full carpentry and scenic package, coordinating paint, millwork, flooring, and continuity details to read as a lived-in office on camera.
Crew, Direction & Camera Package
We staffed the project with a full production crew sourced and managed by our production department: line producer, production manager, ADs, camera crew, grips, electrics, sound, art services, set dressers, and tape runners. A dedicated director led on-set storytelling while our director of photography crafted a warm, modern palette using Red V-Raptor cameras paired with Canon Flex zoom lenses for speed and optical character. For rapid, repeatable moves we deployed a Fisher dolly, enabling coverage of over 50 shots in a single production day.
Casting, Wardrobe & HMU
Casting focused on authentic representation: principals and background actors reflecting diverse ages, ethnicities, and workplace roles. Our casting director conducted auditions and callbacks, with chemistry reads prioritized for relational beats. Wardrobe and HMU were managed in-house—wardrobe curated modern office-appropriate clothing that supported character and continuity; HMU created natural, camera-ready looks, with quick-change plans for fast turnaround between setups. A continuity supervisor tracked every outfit and makeup detail across takes and insert shots.
Practical Effects, Wet Elements & VFX Integration
The script required physical effects—actors “poofing” and disappearing while practical props responded (papers fluttering, a mug tipping). Our effects team engineered safe, repeatable practical rigs and timed releases for falling props. Because we used wet elements on several inserts, take counts were strictly limited; this forced precise blocking, rehearsals, and coordination between camera, grip, and effects teams. We captured comprehensive plate coverage and expert reference passes to support the VFX team. VFX artists then composited the disappear effects and cleaned up wire rigs, matching grain, motion blur, and lighting for seamless integration.
Lighting, Grip & Audio
Our lighting package balanced a cinematic look with production efficiency: soft key sources, motivated practicals, and subtle backlight to separate actors from set. Grip and electrics coordinated fast adjustments between angles to maintain the aggressive shot per day pace. Production sound recorded clean dialogue and practical FX; additional wild lines and room tone were captured to support editorial and VFX workflows.
Production Day Execution
Thanks to exhaustive pre-pro, detailed shot lists, and department ownership, we achieved over 50 unique shots in a single day, including master, coverage, insert, and VFX reference passes. The open three-wall set and Fisher dolly enabled rapid repositioning and lens swaps, minimizing lighting resets. Our production manager and AD kept call sheets, timing, and talent movement tight so every department could hit marks for limited-take sequences. A pickup day was scheduled immediately after rushes to address any coverage gaps found in dailies.
Post-Production & Finishing
Editorial began immediately, with our editor assembling selects into platform-specific cuts while VFX worked on disappearance sequences. We ran parallel workflows—editorial, VFX, and sound—so client review cycles were efficient. Color grading established a warm, inviting palette that reinforced brand tone and read consistently across broadcast and digital formats. Sound design and mixing added subtle ambiences and an uplifting music bed, while deliverables were versioned and encoded to spec for broadcast, streaming, and social distribution.
Client Collaboration & Quality Control
Throughout, we maintained frequent milestone reviews—concept signoff, rushes, rough cut, VFX pass, and final grade—so client feedback was incorporated without derailing schedule. Our post team conducted thorough QC on all masters and variants, verifying aspect ratios, codecs, and captioning requirements prior to delivery.
Outcomes
The final campaign delivered a cohesive set of high-quality assets on time and on brief. The practical/VFX moments landed seamlessly on-screen; the built set read authentically across all coverage; and the aggressive one-day shoot captured the necessary coverage without compromise. In Color Studios handled every department—creative direction, casting, wardrobe, HMU, full set build, lighting, camera, grip, VFX, editorial, color, sound, and final delivery—providing Wex with turnkey execution that translated complex benefits messaging into a clear, emotionally resonant commercial package.
That’s how we do it at In Color Studios: singular ownership of the production pipeline, meticulous planning, and a skilled crew to deliver large-scale, high-fidelity commercial work on tight timelines.
