MacGyver Film Productions in Amsterdam needed a large Rubik's cube.

The mechanism inside a Rubik's cube is very special; it is a spherical "bearing". The geometry of this mechanism is extremely complicated and it would have been impossible to replicate it in time for the shoot.

We decided to go for a "magnetic" mechanism. This is also challenging; the magnets have to be balanced, accurately positioned and the polarity obviously has to be correct...

The large magnetic cube would be painted chromakey green. Human faces would later be matted onto the moving cube.

We started by making the 27 cubes as accurately as possible. We had to guess-timate the strength of the magnets to be used. In fact we adjusted the strength of the magnets 3 times before getting it right. We also tried to put bearings in the central cross of the cube, (as shown in the photo above).