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Dancing With Myself: Okto the Octopus Oscillates for BMW

Posted on Tuesday, June 17, 2025

In one of the most technically impressive and fun CG creature performances you will see this year, the animation and VFX teams at Untold Studios and Parasol Island deliver a cephalopodic waltz for BMW thru agency Jung von Matt.

“Tom Raynor, VFX creative director at Untold: “This was, without a doubt, one of our most ambitious animation projects to date. The brief – make an octopus dance a waltz – immediately sparked excitement across the team. From the outset, we knew this would be a wild, creative ride.

“I find the best ideas are rarely the easy ones. This film demanded, and received, an unwavering A-game from everyone involved. Daunting, inspiring, exhausting, and energizing in equal measure.”

“We began with extensive animation R&D, exploring how to reinterpret human dance movements for a character with eight limbs. Initially, we aimed to preserve as much authentic octopus behavior as possible. However, we quickly realized this made the performance come across as creepy rather than fun and entertaining.

“To strike the right tone, we gradually dialed up the human qualities, retaining just a hint of cephalopod charm. That shift brought the performance to life with the comedic flair we were after. Midway through, the request came in for the octopus to moonwalk, pushing the absurdity – and the fun – even further.”

Diarmid Harrison-Murray, director at Untold: “I find the best ideas are rarely the easy ones. This film demanded, and received, an unwavering A-game from everyone involved. Daunting, inspiring, exhausting, and energizing in equal measure. Every day new creative challenges arose and every day we found a way forward.”

BMW Heart of Joy commercial by Untold and Parasol Island | STASH MAGAZINE