Rising stars Wolf & Crow visualize the power of sound for Skullcandy’s new “Crusher” headphones.  The spot for the bass-heavy headphones stars Oklaholma City superstar Kevin Durant and Grammy-nominated rapper Wale, set to a French Montana remix of Wale’s “We Back 2 Ballin.” The team at Wolf & Crow handled the full scope of the project, from concept to storyboard, live action shoot to VFX and final Flame finish at their Los Angeles studio.

Skullcandy approached Wolf & Crow with the challenge not only of visualizing sound, but doing it in a way that hasn’t ever been tried before. The Wolf & Crow crew came up with a synesthetic approach, manifesting the sense of vibration from the bass-driven headphones to the viewer. When Kevin Durant puts on his Crushers, the big bass beat is so strong that it ripples through his skin. Wolf & Crow created this effect by modeling Durant’s head, texturing the skin on it and matching the lighting, then layering in some compositing magic to finish.

The second interpretation of sound is the most prevalent through the spot. Once Wale’s track really kicks in, the physicality of the audio explodes out of the headphones into the environment. The VFX elements are glossy and clean, representing the sleek aesthetic of the Crusher headphones, but still aggressive enough to highlight the audio power that the user experiences when wearing them. Wolf & Crow perfectly capture the technology and power of the Skullcandy’s Crushers in the ad, creating the sensory effect of sound that you can actually feel.