An Inside Look: F1 Miami Visualizations

X-identity took on an immense task when we started work on visualizations for the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix in June of 2021. We knew more eyes would be on this work than on anything we’ve ever done in the past, and the pressure was real. Still, despite the project’s ever-expanding scope alongside stagnant deadlines, we delivered. And, man, do we feel good about what we were able to accomplish.?

We spoke to our Senior Designer, Albi Bani, and Design Director of Visuals, Gjergji Prendi to find out what it was like working on a project of this magnitude, how the team was feeling throughout, and what it’s like now, seeing our own work pop up in the massively popular F1 realm.

How did you feel when you learned we would be taking on the F1 Miami project?

G: I felt honored to be selected to assist on this project. Not only because the project was F1 Miami, but because it was for a client that we had worked with before on the Miami Open Tennis Tournament and the Miami Dolphins and we knew how much this project meant to them.

A: At the beginning we felt a bit emotional and scared wondering if we would be able to meet all of the deadlines while delivering the quality that we have in mind to produce. This project was special because it’s not everyday you have a chance to work on a Formula 1 race project. It was a challenge to work on a project that we knew would be seen by millions of people.

How did you overcome the trepidation you felt at the start?

A: Step by step the fear went away and the work started to take its shape, much like creating a sculpture. At the beginning it’s just a mass of earth but, step by step, it takes form. Just the idea that you are working with something unusual transforms automatically into self motivation and gives you strength to not stop or not be self-satisfied at different moments of work. The feeling was great. It’s that feeling that makes you express the best from yourself.

How did you utilize the technology available to you for this work?

A: Just for the scope of producing the animation video we had to render about 11,000 frames/images. Our office computers did their job well, and we have some updated computers that handled our big 3D models and the rendering.

G: We would have not been able to successfully close this project if it was not for our advanced technology. Having invested in the latest technology allowed us to handle the project with confidence and assurance. Our goal is always to have the greatest tech out there; as technology continues to advance, we will continue to grow and invest in it. Technology does not only assist in finishing a project successfully but also helps our team to utilize their talent to its fullest potential.

How did the project grow from its original scope?

A: The project/scope has been continually updated and changed. The main scope was to produce some (1-5 minutes) animation videos, 360 VR images and a lot of high quality renderings. To arrive at this point, we used our knowledge of 3d modeling, texturing, and animation.

G: During this project we were able to go above and beyond even our own expectations. We produced high quality renderings of the track and spaces but, in the end, we were also able to provide various animations which would really capture the fan experience. Part of our services were also 360 VR visualizations, which emerged viewers within the, then, unbuilt space.

What was your biggest challenge during the project?

A: Time is always our biggest enemy, but especially during this project, time management was a huge challenge. When we first saw the project and its scope, it looked like the work would never end.

G: Scale of the project and short timeline. Logistics were challenging due to the nature of the project as we were not only involved with F1; our work would also represent spaces for Red Bull, Crypto.com, Ferrari, and Mercedes just to name a few. Each space had to represent the best of each brand.?

G: Due to the short timeline and many moving parts, devoting some team talent to time management and resource management was crucial to the success of this project. We also had to be strategic at file management due to the scale of the project and we had to structure our daily routine so that we would be making progress 24/7 through the weekend, whether we were in the studio or not. Being an international office operating on two different time zones was definitely part of the success of this project.

How did you yourself and your team motivated for the length of the project?

A: We got things done one by one without overthinking, just focusing and working day by day. When you take things one by one it is like you are playing with puzzles and when the components start to come together you start to get a picture of the final result, and that’s motivating, to see that progress.

A: Sometimes it gets hard, issues come, your body works on half the energy, but quitting was not an option. We were careful to both support and push ourselves and our team.?

A: In moments of hard and intensive work you discover another part of you that you either didn't know that you have inside. All we need is pushing and pushing. We don't have limits. We make our limits.

You guys always say you want to "tell a story" with your work; what does this mean in the world of visualizations?

G: Storytelling has many components within itself. It includes the telling, but also the perception.???

G: A good storyteller is as important as the one that is listening/receiving.? We do assist our clients to be great storytellers by elevating their thoughts through great visualizations. This does not only help them to tell a story but also share the mutual excitement /experience and achieve a visual agreement between all the participants.

G: If they are done right, visualizations can carry a conversation further than we can imagine.

What did you enjoy the most about the F1 Miami project?

A: I enjoyed everything; it was fun. Big projects are always fun to take on because they get you out of your comfort zone.?

A: I’m still enjoying it now that the project has finished. It feels nice reading about F1 Miami and seeing our images attached to the articles. Similarly, it’s exciting when we see photos of the event that look so close to the images we created beforehand.?

A: It was also a lot of fun when F1 pilots posted videos of themselves pointing to posters of our renderings and saying, “Look, here’s my car!”

G: I was very fortunate to be able to participate in the event and see the real speed of these amazingly engineered cars—something you can’t get when watching on TV. I also feel immensely proud of our team; we overcame every challenge with the most positive attitude and contributed their expertise throughout this project.