Rick Ram vs UFO - PROJECT RE:VISION
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
In 2016, Watts Creative Studios produced a local television commercial called Rick Ram vs. UFO. The project was developed, filmed, edited, and delivered in just three days, eventually airing before feature films at the local Regal Cinema. Like many regional productions, it was created with a limited budget, a tight deadline, and the production tools available at the time.
Nearly a decade later, the question became:
What would this commercial look like if it were created today?
That question became the foundation for PROJECT RE:VISION, an ongoing series from Watts Creative Studios focused on revisiting original productions through a modern Hybrid Production workflow.
The Challenge
Unlike a traditional remaster, Rick Ram vs. UFO presented an unusual obstacle.
The original camera footage was gone.
The editing project no longer existed.
Graphics, visual effects, timelines, and source assets had all been lost over time.
The only surviving file was the final exported commercial from 2016.
Rather than rebuilding the project from scratch using the original media, the challenge became enhancing and expanding an already-completed video while preserving the personality and pacing that made the original memorable.
Introducing PROJECT RE:VISION
PROJECT RE:VISION is an initiative by Watts Creative Studios that explores how older productions can evolve using today's creative tools without losing what made them work in the first place.
The goal isn't to replace the original.
It's to ask a different question:
How far can an existing production be pushed when modern production techniques meet nearly ten years of additional experience?
A Hybrid Production Workflow
Today's production pipeline looks dramatically different than it did in 2016.
For this project, the original master was enhanced using a combination of modern post-production techniques, including:
AI-FX scene enhancement
Advanced compositing
Cinematic color grading
Expanded visual sequences
Modern sound design
Custom music production
Digital cleanup and reconstruction
Contemporary editing techniques
Rather than relying on a single technology, the project was completed using a Hybrid Production workflow that combines practical filmmaking experience with emerging creative tools.
Preserving the Original Vision
One of the most important goals throughout the project was restraint.
It would have been easy to completely reinvent the commercial.
Instead, every decision was made to support the original concept created in 2016.
The humor remained the same.
The pacing remained familiar.
Even the spirit of the original production was preserved.
The technology simply allowed the world around it to become larger, more cinematic, and more immersive.
Then and Now
One of the most rewarding aspects of the project is being able to watch both versions together.
The original represents a snapshot of what could be accomplished in three days with the resources available in 2016.
The new PROJECT RE:VISION edition demonstrates how a finished production can continue evolving years later through modern creative workflows.
Rather than replacing the past, it celebrates it.
The Future of Hybrid Production
Projects like Rick Ram vs. UFO represent something larger than a commercial.
They demonstrate how Hybrid Production is changing what's possible for businesses, filmmakers, and creative studios.
Modern production is no longer limited by what can be captured on set alone.
Today's workflow can combine practical filmmaking, digital production, AI-assisted creative tools, cinematic editing, sound design, and advanced compositing into a single production pipeline.
For brands, that means bigger ideas can become achievable without the production scale that once made them impossible.
For filmmakers, it means older work doesn't always have to stay in the past.
Sometimes, it simply needs a second look.
Watch Both Versions
See the original 2016 Rick Ram vs. UFO commercial alongside the new PROJECT RE:VISION edition and experience how nearly a decade of creative evolution transformed a local commercial into a new production while remaining faithful to the original idea.
Watts Creative Studios continues exploring the future of Hybrid Production, blending practical filmmaking, AI-FX, cinematic editing, and emerging creative technologies to build productions that bridge traditional filmmaking with modern digital workflows.