GE is a forward-thinking industrial company that is also a cutting-edge digital company. As such, GE prides itself on being ready for whatever challenges the world can throw at it. In the film “Raining Octopuses,” we had fun with this notion by setting up a hypothetical worldwide octopus storm and showing how GE’s innovative technology helps the world’s planes, trains, power grids and hospitals seamlessly adjust. Just as it seems that the world has adapted to a reality of octopus storms, we tossed in a surprise to further emphasize the point: GE is truly ready for whatever you’ve got, world.

Our challenge was to show the evolution of the octopus storm from quiet beginning to worldwide havoc. We used a combination of practical effects combined with CGI. We created practical octopus models of different sizes and color, launching them into the sky or positioning them strategically in various set-ups. In post-production, we rigged the tentacles to give them lifelike undulating movement. To convey the grandiose scale of the storm, we filled in scenes with CGI, showing blurred octopuses falling rapidly from the sky. We attached CGI octopuses to lampposts, windshields, airplane wings, and people. We also created a range of rain effects, from light drizzle to heavy deluge. In the last scene, we raised the stakes, building an entire CGI crocodile that crashes through a window.