TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read): QCELLS needed a 15-second, no-narration teaser showing how their solar panels and battery storage keep homes powered during blackouts. We used cinematic, photorealistic animation to create a dramatic neighborhood power outage, emphasizing energy self-sufficiency and peace of mind.

Background

QCELLS is one of the largest manufacturers of solar panels in the world, though it often flies under the radar compared to other brands. Our familiarity with QCELLS came from previous work with one of their parent or sister companies, so we already had a solid understanding of their products and the benefits they offer.

Since HBB is based in Houston, Texas, we have firsthand experience with large-scale power outages—something that has made headlines in recent years. While the grid has seen improvements, the value of energy self-sufficiency remains clear. More than anything, peace of mind is what makes residential solar and battery storage solutions so compelling. When a major storm is approaching, knowing your home can continue running smoothly—regardless of grid failures—is a powerful message. And when there's a major outage and you walk around a neighborhood at night, it becomes very apparent of who has power at their home and who doesn't! 

That was the essence of what QCELLS wanted to communicate with this project: a short teaser video demonstrating how their solar panels and battery energy storage system keep homes powered, even during an outage.

What made this project unique was its brevity and lack of narration—something we rarely do. The entire video was only 15 seconds long, structured around YouTube’s pre-roll ad time constraint. But constraints often fuel creativity, and in this case, they shaped both the storytelling and production approach in interesting ways.

Pre-Production

Storytelling & Structure

Even though the video was short, the entire scene had to be fully built out to make it feel real. Our approach started with a clear end goal:

• Show a dramatic moment where an entire neighborhood experiences a blackout—except for the featured home, which remains powered by QCELLS' technology -- panels and the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).

That final visual dictated how we structured the rest of the story. We decided to start with a close-up shot of the home, then pull back for a wider perspective. This raised key questions:

• What kind of home should we model?

• Where should the solar panels and battery storage system be positioned so the audience and camera can see them?

• How do we ensure that, as we zoom out, the layout remains logical and visually compelling?

We worked through these questions in the storyboarding phase, starting with rough pencil sketches to map out camera angles and transitions.

Visual Approach & Style

From the beginning, we knew this needed to feel as photorealistic as possible—not a stylized or conceptual animation. We wanted the audience to see the video and immediately believe, “This could be a real home, captured by a drone or a high-end camera.” Of course, the animation would make it clear that it wasn’t actual footage, but the goal was realism with just enough polish to maintain that fine line.

Extra Time, Extra Effort

This project took place during the height of COVID lockdowns, and, frankly, we had more time available to refine the details than usual. Instead of just meeting the baseline requirements, we pushed the production quality further, treating it as a showcase piece for what we could achieve—even in a short format.

Every element, from lighting to texturing to camera movement, was fine-tuned to maximize impact within the 15-second constraint. The result? A teaser video that delivers its message instantly while standing out as a premium piece of work.

Pre-Production

Concept & Scripting

For Hanwha QCELLS, we created a visually compelling teaser video showcasing the reliability of QCELLS battery storage during blackouts. The animation took viewers inside a suburban home powered by QCELLS solar panels and battery storage, transitioning from a normal evening to a neighborhood-wide blackout—where only the QCELLS-powered house remained lit. The goal was simple but powerful: visually communicate self-sufficiency and energy security in a real-world setting.

During early concept development, we conducted research on the optimal placement of solar panels and battery storage. In real-world applications, U.S. homeowners often install panels on the rear roof to comply with HOA regulations, but for the video, visibility was key. We explored multiple configurations, balancing realism with clear messaging. The final design positioned the panels prominently on the front-facing roof, ensuring they were always in view, while battery storage was placed in the garage for a logical and seamless energy flow.

To maintain accuracy, we used provided CAD models of the QCELLS battery storage units, allowing us to faithfully recreate their real-world form in 3D. This attention to detail ensured the animation didn’t just look good but also presented the product exactly as it exists.

Storyboarding & Rapid Prototyping

Before moving into full production, we went through a rapid prototyping (RP) phase, focused on defining key elements: camera movement, animation flow, and overall scene composition. We worked with a simplified, low-detail model of the hero house to test different angles, transitions, and visual effects.

One of the main challenges was designing a smooth camera pull-out shot—starting close on the house and gradually expanding to reveal the entire neighborhood. We tested multiple approaches to make the movement feel fluid and cinematic.

Energy flow visualization was another important aspect. A soft glowing effect was chosen, reinforcing the idea of continuous, reliable power without feeling overly stylized.

Throughout this phase, client feedback was instrumental. Because this was a YouTube ad, the first five seconds had to communicate the QCELLS advantage before the "Skip Ad" button appeared. This required precise pacing—making sure the animation established the product’s core value right away while maintaining a smooth, engaging flow. On-screen text placement was also refined to ensure brand consistency and maximum readability.

Production (Full Production / FP)

Design & Animation

Once the RP phase was finalized and approved, we moved into full production. The first step was constructing a detailed 3D suburban neighborhood. A combination of procedural and manual modeling techniques was used to efficiently populate the scene with different house styles, trees, and other environmental elements.

The hero house received a high level of detail, both inside and out. Interior furnishings were visible through the windows, small household details added authenticity, and natural lighting shifts helped reinforce realism. Subtle storytelling elements—like lights on inside the house and an electric car in the driveway—helped paint a bigger picture of clean energy integration beyond just solar panels.

The animation itself was crafted to maintain a cinematic feel. The camera movement was smooth and intentional, pulling out from an intimate, grounded view of the house to a wider aerial shot of the entire neighborhood. This sequence not only enhanced the storytelling but also visually reinforced the contrast between the QCELLS-powered home and the darkened surroundings.

Post-Production & Delivery

Final Compositing & Color Grading

Post-production played a huge role in elevating the animation’s quality. The day-to-night time-lapse transition was handled separately in compositing, allowing for fine control over cloud movement and atmospheric effects. This approach resulted in a more natural and polished final look compared to what could have been achieved directly in 3D rendering.

To heighten the drama of the blackout, we introduced weather effects—subtle rain, lightning strikes, and ambient distortions. These elements added realism and emphasized the severity of the power outage, without overwhelming the scene. The blackout sequence itself was carefully staged: streetlights dimmed first, followed by surrounding houses, ensuring a staggered and organic power-down effect. The final aerial shot revealed a vast, darkened neighborhood, with only the QCELLS-powered home glowing as a beacon of energy security.

Solar panels aren’t typically visible at night, so we made a subtle post-production enhancement to keep them distinguishable. This adjustment ensured they remained a focal point without looking unnatural.

Ensuring Brand Consistency

The final animation had to align perfectly with QCELLS' branding. This meant strict adherence to guidelines for typography, logo placement, and color balance. The client had specific requirements for logo placement and text size, so final refinements were made to ensure everything looked polished and professional. Even the smallest details—like the exact alignment of text with the QCELLS logo—were fine-tuned for consistency.

Final Audio Mix & Enhancements

Since this video didn’t include narration, sound design played a crucial role in conveying emotion and realism. Environmental audio elements were carefully mixed—soft wind, distant noise, and rain—to create an immersive experience.

The blackout sequence featured a dramatic audio shift: ambient city sounds were stripped away, leaving only rain, distant thunder, and silence. This contrast made the QCELLS-powered house’s resilience even more impactful.

Final Edits & Optimization

Because all animations were pre-rendered, final adjustments were handled in compositing—fine-tuning lighting, ensuring smooth transitions, and making minor tweaks to text placement. This approach allowed for quick revisions without costly re-renders, keeping production efficient.