Set 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides, the HBO prequel Dune: Prophecy follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit. Image Engine created visual effects for 208 shots across episodes 1 and 3-6 of this series, bringing the world of Arrakis to life. From the awe-inspiring desert landscapes to the intricate, towering structures of the Sisterhood’s complex, our VFX work captured the beauty and aesthetic of the Dune universe. This case study shares the challenges and successes of our VFX work, illustrating the technical artistry that made Dune: Prophecy an unforgettable extension of the Dune legacy with our crew: Cara Davies, visual effects executive producer Martyn Culpitt, visual effects supervisor Viktoria Rucker, visual effects producer Jeremy Mesana, animation supervisor Adrien Vallecilla, CG supervisor Xander Kennedy, CG supervisor Daniel Bigaj, compositing supervisor Francisco Palomares, compositing supervisor Mariusz Wesierski, FX TD  Rob Richardson, head of FX Daniel James Cox, concept artist David Bocquillon, concept artist Dan Herlihy, art director at Territory Studio Sand dreams In the opening episode of Dune: Prophecy, our team created a series of complex sand FX simulations during a haunting vision in Raquella’s nightmare, involving the mighty sandworm of Arrakis, Shai-Hulud. The sequence shows the immense power of the sandworm as it devours the Sisterhood complex, built from sand, amid the desert. “The surreal nature of this sequence posed multiple challenges,” says Martyn Culpitt, VFX supervisor at Image Engine. “We had to recreate the Sisterhood structures entirely from sand and ensure they collapsed in a way that balanced dreamlike fluidity with realism.” “Capturing the scale and movement of the sandworm and the desert was critical,” notes Viktoria Rucker, VFX producer. “Achieving the immense scale and fluidity of the sand took innovative approaches and required pushing our particle system to simulate thousands of sand grains in motion.” Each sand pass was meticulously crafted to show the sandworm’s devastating force, annihilating the complex with dust and debris swirling into the desert landscape. Extensive iterations of simulations in sand movement, lighting, and volumetric dust were necessary to create a dynamic sequence true to the Dune aesthetic. The sandworm’s scale had to be flawlessly integrated into the environment. “Even though this was a dream, our FX team had to ensure the scale between the worm, the complex, and the desert felt plausible,” explains Rob Richardson, head of FX. “We used several simulations for the collapse, and certain simulations were even used as inputs for other simulations to achieve the visual complexity required.” “There was a lot of preparation required for the incoming 3D assets to ensure the relative scales between the worm, the Sisterhood complex and the surrounding desert made sense and that the velocity of the worm was physically plausible.” The complex had to be fractured to reflect its inevitable destruction under the worm’s force. “We fractured the Sisterhood complex geometry into hundreds of pieces, then created an RBD simulation for the larger building components. Once we had the timing and composition right, the transform data from the RBD simulation was accessed from inside a grain particle solver,” adds Rob. When simulating sand interacting with the sandworm, the team used art direction to ensure the sand moved naturally and seamlessly. Rob elaborates: “We needed to make sure that the sand collided with the internal structures of the worm—its hairs or teeth—so we developed techniques to control where and how the sand flowed between them.” This data was used to animate the sand and its neighbour constraints, when the calculated torque applied to the constraints went above a threshold, the sand was allowed to break apart. The solver then created attributes so that we could emit even more grains of sand in another post-simulation of smaller-scale sand.   “For rendering purposes, we needed to ensure that we had a volume of particles, rather than just an outside coating, for sub-surface scattering, but not so many points that it became too memory intensive to render,” says Rob. “We created an up-res technique that took the simulations as an input, so we could dial up and down the number of points until we found the sweet spot of having enough density and being able to fit the data into RAM.” “The volumetric layers of dust were also generated from the several layers of sand simulations, and in many cases we split those layers down even further by partitioning them spatially and wedging the domains, then re-combining them later for more efficient rendering,” explains Rob. The sandworm had a pre-existing look that had been well-defined in the movies that our team was asked to match as closely as possible. When referencing the worm pushing through the sand, the team noticed that the sand would bulge up before breaking up and generating dust. We created procedural deformers and forces so that we could art direct the amount of bulge depending on the shot composition as well as artistically defining the breakup area and manipulating velocity fields for the volumetric dust solvers.  There were multiple simulations depending on which part of the worm was interacting with the sand, be it the front of the worm or the sides, or whether the worm was submerged or was above ground.   “The worm would swallow much of the sand as it moved through the desert,” Rob notes. “This required additional simulation work that was dependent on animated velocity fields that would funnel the sand inwards as well as collide with the mouth hairs and teeth of the worm.” In another surreal vision, a cascade of sand descends from a shrinking hole in the ceiling. The brief for the FX team was again to create something which had an otherworldly feel to it while remaining somewhat grounded in physics.  “The hole in the ceiling revealed an upside-down environment containing a pool room,” shares Rob. “But instead of water falling, it was sand cascading like a waterfall. This required extensive FX sand simulations to get the weight and movement of the sand just right.” Creating the flowing sand was no small feat. The FX team ran multiple simulations, carefully adjusting the interaction between the grains of sand and the play of light and shadow. The goal was to evoke both the natural flow of falling sand and the eerie, surreal aesthetic of the vision. “The scene contained two plates stitched together and animated to move apart,” Rob explains. “The set geometry from the plates was blended to match the stitch, creating the illusion of a seamless environment.” Once the foundational look was approved, the team fine-tuned the details. “We started by spacing the emitters and dialing in the turbulence for the grain and volumetric solvers on a static frame,” Rob continues. “But as the hole shrank and rose, the next challenge was to have the sand and dust fall gracefully without appearing visually jarring.”  Bringing the desert into the war room In Dune: Prophecy, the holotable serves as a vital strategic tool, used by key characters to analyze scenarios, track events across planets, and explore possible futures based on historical and genetic data. In this sequence, Emperor Corrino is woken from a bad dream and enters the war room to activate the large, interactive holotable. He watches the projection of Desmond Hart survive an attack, but then is devoured by a giant sandworm in the Arrakis desert. This sequence required the seamless blending of two distinct environments: the fully lit, expansive desert and the dimly lit, enclosed war room. Achieving this balance meant making the hologram appear semi-transparent and slightly distorted while still integrated into the scene. The team essentially “rebuilt” the desert environment through the lens of a projector, deconstructing rendered images of the desert and adding dimensionality to ensure the hologram had visual depth and accuracy. “I’m really proud of the details from the hologram we created,” states Xander Kennedy, CG supervisor. “The hues of the highlights and the semi-transparent shadows provide enough detail to be a hologram, but enough room to see through to the effects that build up the surrounding image. The team did a pretty outstanding job across all departments. The level of communication and collaboration that was necessary to pull this off was a feat of its own.” The hologram table itself was a technical marvel, featuring hundreds of independent lights and projectors. Precise coordination between departments was essential to maintain consistency across all shots, from wide angles to close-ups. “One of the biggest challenges was maintaining two worlds—the war room where the projection is taking place and the actual Arrakis desert, which was hundreds of times larger,” explains Xander. “The concept of the overall look meant that the Arrakis desert had to be fully lit as if it were actually photographed independently of the war room.” Martyn further elaborates on the intricate process: “The multi-scene scale integration and cross-pollination of FX, lighting, and compositing to create a projected hologram look was complex. These departmental elements had to be carefully considered and work perfectly in sync to maintain a correct scene/scale for connection from table to hologram to the final look.” Specific Passes for the Holotable   “On the FX side, we had two main parts that contributed to the look. A field of volumetric lights, which would react to the scene with geometry GOBOs that were generated from terrain details,” Mariusz Wesierski, FX TD describes. “The other part was the reverse: holographic streaks coming from the geometry and shooting towards the light sources. To keep RAM usage low and get sharp lines without having to generate high-resolution volumes, we used motion blur in a creative way. The table was divided into overlapping circular grids projected from the camera onto the scene in “table space”. Each grid would have their velocity vectors pointed to their light sources. The beauty passes from the desert would then be used as a texture and rendered with motion blur to get pixel-perfect streaks without the use of volumes. Arnolds shutter curve was also used to control how the rays fade off.” Also featured in the hologram table projection is the spice harvester, a large, heavy, mobile vehicle designed to harvest melange, a fictional psychedelic drug in the Dune universe. These machines would harvest and process the spice from the sand of the desert floor. “For the spice harvester redesign, we sought to give the vehicle an updated design, fitting the show’s timeline that predates the events depicted in the films,” says Daniel Cox, concept artist. “Research played a key role in this process, as we examined the original movie vehicle and learned that it had been inspired by NASA’s space shuttle transport carriers.”  “A series of small thumbnail silhouettes were created to provide a wide range of options for the client. After a review, the design that resonated most was one where the harvester’s main chassis was angled at roughly 20 degrees upwards. This choice was intentional to give the vehicle a “hot rod” feel, suggesting a modified, upgraded version of its predecessors. The angle also reinforced the notion that it expels sand at higher velocities, creating a dynamic, more aggressive harvesting process. Concepts were also done for the damage to the rear of the vehicle, complete with embers and a smoke plume.” Image Engine Concepts for the Harvester Final Concept Final Asset The chaos of war Episode 1 also showcases a massive battle featuring a towering battlefield robot—a four-legged mechanical giant—facing off against an advancing army. This sequence included full CG shots and detailed set extensions to transform the battlefield into a sprawling, rubble-filled warzone. “For the battlefield robot, the goal was to create a machine of war that was both imposing and practical,” explains Daniel Cox, concept artist. “The client initially referred to it as a ‘mech,’ which inspired us to craft a heavily armoured design with a unique, standout look. We wanted something that felt like a tank but with more flexibility and agility.” The robot’s four-legged design drew inspiration from an elephant’s gait, but with an enhanced, mechanized version. “We gave each leg ball joints, which allowed for incredible movement and maneuverability,” Daniel shares. “This gave the machine a dynamic presence—something that could navigate the battlefield with both strength and precision.” While the main structure featured a hard-surface, armoured chassis, advanced “nanotechnology” was suggested in the design of its arms and legs through geometric patterns. “We wanted to balance its massive power with a sense of high-tech sophistication, embedding subtle details,” says Daniel. The robot’s primary weapon was a laser emitter integrated into its “eye”. “The eye laser was a crucial design element,” Daniel notes. “It needed to reinforce its nature as a formidable opponent, cutting through the battlefield with precision and power.” The final design balanced function and intimidation, bringing to life a machine designed for the kind of high-stakes combat emblematic of the Dune universe. Concepts Final Asset “At the beginning of this sequence, one of the Atreides soldiers throws a grenade at the four-legged robot,” recalls David Bocquillon, concept artist. “The goal was to create a grenade design with a clear and simple silhouette—something that could be visually read from a distance—while still embodying the technical complexity of a weapon capable of unleashing an electromagnetic pulse strong enough to completely paralyze an enormous robot.” David continues, “For animation, we wanted the EMP Grenade to have a tactile, mechanical feel, so we incorporated the idea of it being magnetized to the robot. This concept was inspired by Dune: Part Two, where a landmine is shown snapping onto the surface of a harvester. That detail added an extra layer of realism and tension to the grenade’s behaviour in this sequence.” Final Asset As soldiers charged toward the battlefield robot, it retaliated with a devastating laser blast, hurling them back in a chaotic eruption of smoke, dust, and debris. Each element of the scene, from the fiery explosions to the dense clouds of shrapnel, added to the raw energy of battle. “There was a lot of back-and-forth between departments to make sure the final look was unified,” recalls Martyn. “The challenge wasn’t just in creating the explosions or the robot, but in blending everything seamlessly into a single, believable environment.” The FX team meticulously crafted the explosion effects, adding layers of detail, such as dynamic debris trajectories and realistic smoke simulations. These elements worked in tandem to heighten the realism of the war-torn landscape, ensuring that the Mek robot felt like an integral part of the action. “This battle takes place in a junkyard and it was a unique challenge because it was designed entirely as a full CG environment, without any prior conceptual direction from the client,” explains Daniel. “We aimed to create a desolate, atmospheric setting filled with discarded robot parts. The composition was deliberately expansive—a vast canvas of industrial detritus—highlighting the utilitarian and unforgiving nature of the junkyard.” He continues, “At the heart of the environment was the melting plant, where Mech parts were melted down. It was a central visual element, surrounded by a sense of looming industry and decay. We used backlighting to cast silhouettes, emphasizing the harsh industrial processes. Atmospheric fog swirling through the junkyard added an extra layer of mystery and foreboding, underscoring the bleak nature of the scene.” Concepts The mechanical lizard During the engagement party in episode 1, a little boy pulls out a small, seemingly harmless toy ball from his pocket. Suddenly, the ball transforms into a mechanical lizard that darts around the room, shocking the royal guests. “The challenge here was to create this animated mechanical lizard that was part toy and part companion for the prince, but also represent the forbidden AI technology,” explains Jeremy Mesana, animation supervisor. “We needed it to feel alive and aware, with the unpredictable energy of a real creature, but also retain the stop-and-start staccato movements of a mechanical toy.”  The transformation from ball to lizard involved meticulous attention to detail. Each metallic panel of the lizard’s shell was individually animated to unfurl smoothly, creating a sense of mechanical intricacy.  “Having to incorporate elements of the lizard state into the ball state and vice versa so that the transformation could flow between both end states believably was tricky,” Jeremy reflects. “As was convincingly hiding other parts that existed only in one state but not both.”  The resulting movements combined precision with a touch of abruptness, amplifying the lizard’s unique identity as both lifelike and artificial. When the lizard is stabbed later in the scene, its movements shift, becoming erratic and jerky as it malfunctions. Despite its injury, the lizard retains a sense of life and consciousness.  We really leaned into a more staccato mechanical movement when the lizard was stabbed through the body.  To really show that despite being spit through with a knife it was still functioning but more in its robotic nature. Illuminating the genetic archive In Dune: Prophecy, a genetic thinking machine named Anirul is revealed to be a secret, high-functioning computer that survived the war. Located within a cavern, this immense data center houses the empire’s vast genetic archive, serving as a living repository of its bloodlines and histories, spanning countless generations. When activated, intricate data streams pulse with light, forming holographic trees—dynamic representations of the flow of genetic information—illuminating the environment with a breathtaking organic quality. As the Bene Gesserit sisters explore this archive, holographic family trees and bloodline data materialize, adding to the visual experience.  “The Anirul environment was designed to feel alive, like a character in the episode,” says Adrien Vallecilla, CG supervisor. “Each asset and graphic had to pulse, fade, and move with purpose, all while interacting with realistic reflections and lighting. Organizing these elements to tell the story elegantly and seamlessly was one of the most challenging but rewarding aspects of the work.” “With such strong concept work successfully translated into the asset, compositing played a crucial role in bringing the final look to life,” says Dan Bigaj, compositing supervisor. “Collaborating closely with the lighting and asset teams, we iterated through multiple rounds of look development to ensure fidelity to the original concept and the showrunner’s vision. Once we achieved a look that the client loved, we optimized the workflow by integrating as much of the compositing work as possible into the asset and lighting setup. This approach streamlined the process, allowing us to complete the final compositing work with maximum efficiency.” To maintain consistency across all of the Anirual sequences, Dan developed a comprehensive Nuke template that consolidated key elements and compositing treatments. “This not only ensured a cohesive visual style but also enabled our small compositing team to meet the tight production deadlines without compromising on quality,” he explains. One of the key challenges in look development was determining how to handle the atmosphere within Anirul’s vast cavern. “Though subtle in the final images, this atmospheric layer played a significant role in enhancing the sense of mystery surrounding the immense thinking machine,” says Dan. “A fully CG approach proved too costly to render for such a large environment, so we implemented a Nuke particle system to dynamically generate atmospheric sprites. This solution allowed us to create a responsive, volumetric effect that was both efficient to render and required minimal manual intervention in each shot.” Another successful application of Nuke’s particle system was the addition of dust motes to the scene. “Though a minor detail, these particles subtly enhanced the interplay of light in the foreground, helping to sell the abundance of light sources in a natural and immersive way,” notes Dan. Finally, to ground the sequence in realism, Dan and his compositing team focused on ensuring that all animated light play—from the trees and servers to the graphical elements—interacted believably with the lens and plate photography. “We developed a dynamic, lightweight flare system driven by luminance, mimicking the anamorphic flare characteristics captured in the original footage,” he says. “This final touch really brought Anirul to life, seamlessly integrating the CG elements into the final composite and delivering a visually compelling result.” Concept art of the ring “The ring plays an important part in the Bene Gesserit sister’s cavern, with many pivotal scenes revolving around it,” explains David Bocquillon, concept artist. “Originally, it was a practical prop on set, but we ended up re-designing it and replacing it with a CG asset. We needed to elevate its visual impact while maintaining continuity with the original concept and shape.” He continues, “We focused on refining the Ring’s structure, especially the continuity of the band of light along the interior, which played an important role in the visual storytelling. Additional details, such as intricate ornaments and old Bene Gesserit inscriptions, were incorporated because we wanted to make it feel deeply rooted in the lore of Dune. These elements catch the light beautifully and give the design a sense of complexity and believability, fitting seamlessly into the world.” Once Territory Studios had delivered the initial designs and graphics elements for Anirul’s visual identity, Image Engine built upon their work to bring the environment to life. Territory developed intricate concept art and a graphical language for the archival systems, which served as the foundation for the sequence. From there, Image Engine’s team extended and integrated these elements into a fully realized 3D environment, refining the designs and adding storytelling layers to ensure they aligned seamlessly with the show’s narrative and aesthetic. “The client emphasized that the machine should feel like an intelligent system—a library of bloodlines and dynasties,” explains Dan Herlihy, Art Director at Territory Studios. “Our goal was to create a design that felt like an archival network with a synaptic quality, balancing both beauty and the capacity to house thousands of years of data.” Taking these initial concepts, Image Engine elevated the visual language, transforming the graphics into a fully dynamic and immersive environment. The glowing holograms and pulse-like animations were designed with storytelling at the forefront, ensuring the visual complexity of Anirul wasn’t just a backdrop but an integral part of the narrative. “In order to deliver this sequence on a tight schedule, we decided to build attributes for each holographic asset so it would allow our animation team greater control during production,” says Adrien. “The goal was for the animators to bring the trees to life early in the production stage. Choosing this workflow, instead of a more traditional downstream approach for the holograms, allowed us to approve the storytelling of the sequence early in the production process, giving us time at the end to focus on the artistic finalization of the sequence.” Image Engine also took the lead in conceptualizing the servers and providing ideas on how to incorporate them into the surrounding rock formations. “The servers were a critical part of the environment, acting as nodes in the archival network,” Adrien explains. “The goal was to create something visually unique that explores communication through technology and nature. We decided on a mixture of pulsing calligraphy on the tanks and flowing particle effects across the branches, merging technology with the organic texture of the stone to create the final look of being both ancient and advanced.” “The cavern sequence posed a particularly complex challenge,” explains Daniel, “as it was essential to visually represent the movement of data and information within a mysterious and potentially ancient subterranean environment. The cavern itself was intended to function not just as a physical space but as a conduit for the transmission of information, making it a key narrative device. The challenge was to effectively communicate this flow of data while still preserving the haunting, otherworldly atmosphere of the cavern.” “Initially, the concepts for how the data would manifest within the cavern leaned toward a more organic design, with flowing, curving lines that mimicked natural forms,” Daniel continues. “This idea was grounded in the concept of information as a living, breathing entity, almost like the lifeblood of the cavern itself.” “However, as the design process evolved, the client favoured a shift towards a more structured, mechanical aesthetic. This was in keeping with the established visual motif of the show, where the pervasive blue light served as a constant thematic anchor. The decision was made to focus on geometric shapes and sharp, angular data lines that would interact with the glowing blue light, making the data flow seem more mechanical and systematic. The shapes were placed around the blue light in a deliberate arrangement, creating a visual harmony between the data and the environment and reinforcing the show’s overarching technological tone.” “Ultimately,” Daniel concludes, “the cavern sequence became a blend of organic inspiration and mechanical precision, perfectly aligning with the show’s visual language. The data, no longer just a passive element, became an active participant in the narrative, adding to the visual complexity of the cavern and reinforcing the themes of control and hidden knowledge that run throughout Dune: Prophecy.” Main Anirul Server The claw and the truth revealed  In the final episode of Dune: Prophecy, a chilling revelation demonstrates the calculated precision of a Thinking Machine’s robotic claw. This imposing mech performs a disturbing microsurgery to attach advanced technology to a human eye. “Compositing played a major role in bringing this creepy concept to life on screen,” says Daniel Bigaj, compositing supervisor. “This was an incredibly fun mini-sequence to work on—a compositor’s dream (pun intended)—because it demanded a high level of creativity to successfully execute such a unique visual experience.” A key aspect of this scene is that it unfolds from the perspective of the patient whose eye is being operated on. “That perspective was a major driving factor in the creative decisions I made while crafting the final image,” Dan explains. “I wanted to truly put the audience in the patient’s position—to give them an image as close as possible to what they might experience if they were lying on the operating table themselves.” To achieve this, Dan studied how human vision reacts in extreme conditions. “I spent a lot of time staring at nothing, adjusting my focus, blinking, squinting, and straining my eyes—really observing how these natural movements affect our perception,” he says. “From the strong vignette to the eye blinks, blurry vision, chromatic aberration, shallow depth of field, flaring, and subtle eye vibrations—every element was carefully crafted to heighten the viewer’s immersion.” However, replicating the real human experience too accurately wasn’t the goal. “Our eye movements are far too rapid to translate well to the screen, so I had to find a balance—something that felt real but remained visually readable,” notes Dan. One final detail that helped reinforce the intimate scale of the scene was the addition of floating dust motes. “I made sure they were true to scale, drifting in and out of focus in sync with the patient’s panicked eye movements,” he explains. “It’s a subtle touch, but it adds another layer of realism and tension to the sequence.” The final result was so unsettling that even showrunner Alison Schapker had chills while watching it. “That was the best reaction we could have hoped for,” Dan says with a smile. Developing the concept for the Thinking Machine in this sequence was particularly challenging to visualize due to its complex nature and unique function in the narrative. “This massive mechanical construct was more than just a machine; it needed to symbolize a disturbing and clinical purpose,” explains Daniel Cox. The concept art team began with over 20 thumbnail sketches to explore its potential shapes, focusing on wide-side views to capture the mech’s sheer scale and silhouette. The brainstorming helped pinpoint the most promising direction for the design. Once the client selected a preferred design, the focus shifted to refining the intricate details, ensuring its anatomy was tailored for its specialized purpose. A critical element of the design was the integration of multiple arms equipped with surgical tools. “Given its role in surgery, the tools needed to strike a balance between plausibility and futurism,” says Daniel. Some instruments were inspired by real-world surgical equipment, while others were entirely fictional, pushing the boundaries of the show’s technological vision. The silhouette played a vital role in the Thinking Machine’s visual impact since the sequence was heavily backlit with the show’s signature glowing blue light. “The shape had to stand out against this lighting and appear imposing and mysterious,” notes Daniel.  As the sequence progresses, the camera introduces a warm glow in the distance. “This was intentional,” Daniel shares, “it’s meant to suggest the presence of a Guild member, whose silhouette was partially revealed. The warm light contrasted with the cool, sterile environment, adding another layer of mystery and hinting at a greater force at play in the narrative.” Explore the evolution of this intricate sequence—from initial concept art to final CG renders—in the images below. Concepts Concept Final Concept Final A nightmare on thin ice In the season finale, Valya finds herself trapped in a chilling nightmare—a frozen lake where she is battling fierce winds and a relentless blizzard. Reliving a traumatic memory, she struggles across cracking ice, determined to save her brother Griffin from drowning in the ice hole. The ice lake sequence is as much a psychological battle as a visual spectacle, with the environment reflecting Valya’s turmoil. “The amount of turbulence in the snowstorm was designed to be a reaction to Valya’s emotional state,” explains Rob. “As the sequence progresses, the ice beneath her feet fractures, and black snow is introduced as a manifestation of her internal chaos.” To enable nuanced control of this dynamic environment, the FX team developed multiple layers of passes for the comp artists, including random ID passes, rest position noises at various scales, depth from the camera, velocity and proximity to Valya. “We weren’t certain how much artistic flexibility we’d need over the snow’s colour, so we ensured the compositing team could adjust the balance between the black and white snow on top of the levels directly coming from FX,” Rob elaborates. The trickiest elements to manipulate were the volume layers, where the black and white values would mix very quickly and turn gray. The team experimented with NDC techniques to project particle colours on the volume render passes, but achieved more fluidic results by re-rendering volume layers separately after the compositing team dialled in the distribution of colours. The FX team also developed procedural techniques to simulate ice cracks forming beneath Valya’s hands as she crawled forward to save Griffin. “The curves for the cracks were extruded and rendered with the ice lake geometry,” Rob adds, “while shaders used ray-depth lookups to the FX geometry to achieve the effect of cracks fracturing and spreading across the ice surface.” To switch between shots dynamically, we used proprietary tools inside of Houdini, which helped with continuity and being able to submit many shots at once. This also helped the lighting and compositing teams with consistency in the data caches between shots.  The conceptualization of the frozen lake environment for the concept art team was equally intricate. Daniel reflects on the evolution of the sequence: “It was originally envisioned with a giant worm erupting from the ice, but the final version took a more atmospheric and psychological approach. The focus shifted to the eerie, unstable nature of the ice itself and the escalating tension.” One of the most striking designs was a wide, top-down shot, where the vastness of the lake is shown, as well as cracks in the ice which formed the shape of Sh’alud’s mouth—a chilling metaphor that suggested the ice was alive, a thin, fragile boundary between Valya and the lurking unknown dangers below. “The cracks became a symbol of her vulnerability, amplifying the sense of imminent peril,” Daniel notes. The challenge of making the ice appear natural yet treacherous was achieved by carefully designing the texture of the ice to appear jagged, uneven, and fragile. Daniel explains, “To make the environment appear cold, it was conveyed not just through the icy surfaces, but also through the use of lighting and atmosphere. The play of light on the frozen landscape helped highlight the severity of the surroundings, making the viewer feel the biting chill as her footsteps creaked across the surface.” In its final form, the combination of lighting, ice textures, and the Sh’alud-shaped cracks reinforced the atmosphere of isolation and terror. The icy lake, in the end, became not just a physical environment but a manifestation of the character’s internal terror, making it a haunting and memorable visual in the show. FX Passes/Layers for Snow At the end of the sequence, Valya herself begins to dissipate and blend into the storm, metaphorically letting the storm pass through her. This transformation was a technical challenge for the team. “We had some 3D geometry representing Valya,” shares Rob, “but the details of her hair and the folds in her clothing were too complicated to replicate in 3D.” To overcome this, the FX team utilized NDC projection techniques, matching the live-action plate and emitting particles directly from Valya’s body and hair. “Once the particles reached a certain distance, they began to inherit the turbulent forces driving the storm,” Rob adds.  The emotional weight of this key moment was further heightened by the interplay of lighting and mood. Drawing from the client’s vision, the team developed a series of keyframe concepts to explore different lighting setups and atmospheric effects that would reflect Valya’s internal battle and transformation. “The goal was to emphasize the strength of the winds and the contrast between the coldness of Lankiveil and the warmth of Arrakis in the background,” David says. This duality of the environment reinforced Valya’s internal conflict while hinting at her deep connection to the larger forces at play. “Her dissolution was a powerful metaphor, showing that she isn’t just battling the storm—she is part of it,” David explains. By combining the detailed FX work with carefully crafted lighting and symbolic visuals, this final shot captures the haunting beauty and emotional depth that defines the ice lake sequence. Concept Witness to vengeance In Dune: Prophecy, the bull is a significant symbol associated with House Atreides, representing their traditions and the dangers they face. In episode 3, “Sisterhood Above All,” Tula Harkonnen infiltrates a bull-hunting event with a sinister agenda of vengeance. Amidst the tension, a Salusan bull appears atop a rocky cliff. Its piercing gaze seems to lock onto Tula, bearing witness to her act. This moment sets an ominous tone, with the bull’s presence foreshadowing the calamity that lies ahead. Concept artist Daniel Cox explains: “Building on its natural animalistic qualities, we focused on enhancing its size and musculature, adding a level of ‘natural’ armour. The armour design extended from the bull’s horns, down its back and spine, creating a more rugged and defensive profile. This added layer of armour not only increased its survivability but also aligned with the show’s thematic elements of survival in a hostile and dangerous world. The variations in the design were intended to reflect its status as a creature of both beauty and brutality.” Concept Final Asset Original plate and final comp A testament to collaboration and craft Dune: Prophecy showcases how thoughtful collaboration and technical expertise can bring a legendary universe to life. From Anirul’s intricate holographic library to the chaos of battle, every detail was carefully crafted to serve the story. “Our goal was to create visuals that felt both grounded in the Dune universe and unique to the Bene Gesserit’s story,” says Martyn Culpitt, VFX Supervisor. “Every scene had to feel massive and intimate at the same time, and that duality is what makes this show so compelling. It was an exciting challenge.” As the series transports viewers to an era before Paul Atreides’ rise, Image Engine is proud to have contributed to the visual effects of the first season of Dune: Prophecy. 

For decades, Kraven the Hunter has stood as one of Spider-Mans most relentless and intriguing adversariesa man driven by an unwavering desire to prove himself as the worlds greatest hunter. With his live-action debut, Kraven the Hunter brings Sergei Kravinoffs fierce and deeply layered character from the comic book pages to the big screen, exploring his origins and setting the stage for his connection to Spider-Mans universe.The film is also notable for reimagining another iconic character, Rhino, whose transformation from man to beast plays a pivotal role in the storys high-stakes action and drama.Image Engine took on the mission of delivering 162 visual effects shots that brought this Marvel antiheros world to life. From crafting sprawling, immersive environments to executing explosive action sequences and delivering a stunning new version of Rhino, our team contributed to key moments that defined this thrilling cinematic adventure.Building on our work in Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Spider-Man: Far From Home, Image Engine continues to push the boundaries of visual effects in the Spider-Man universe.Explore our creative process and insights in the Q&A below with:Martyn Culpitt, visual effects supervisorAndy Walker, visual effects supervisorBrian Sepanzyk, visual effects producerJack Evans, CG supervisorJeremy Mesana, animation supervisorDan Rubin, compositing supervisorCrafting Kravens worldFrom sprawling African plains to overgrown hideouts, Kraven the Hunter required environments as dynamic and untamed as the character himself. Combining CG extensions with the original plates, Image Engine transformed Kravens mountainous home into a lush, dilapidated retreat and constructed a dramatic valley expanse.Q: Can you tell us about the environment extensions?Brian: We created extensive environment extensions throughout the film. Kravens lair is a dome that we transformed into a lush, overgrown environment. It had to be shrouded in rich vegetation and feel dilapidated, so what we improved on from the plate was quite drastic. The challenge was to create a beautiful vista but also keep your attention in the middle of the frame, and I think we did a great job of that.Martyn: Our goal was to build a world that immersed viewers and connected them to Kravens world. We spent a lot of time trying to find the right look and feel for where he would live in the mountains with the clients concepts. Once approved, we brought it to life with full CG landscapes, vegetation, digital matte painting skies, and distant mountains. The final shots in the film are a dramatic transformation from the original plate photography. FinalBrian: Another environment was adding a valley expanse as our character walks out of the dome, along the side and then settles on an over-the-shoulder as he observes the wide landscape. They shot the actor against white flags, so we had to integrate the African plains as we move along with our character, through vegetation and trees and not have it feel digital. In my opinion, its one of the best shots that we achieved.In all of the examples, we married plate footage with a fully CG image in a seamless way where the viewer isnt able to tell what is plate and what is real. Final Q: How did you approach the VFX for the helicopter scene?Martyn: The helicopter scene was challenging to keep consistency and we tried really hard throughout to keep it feeling realistic. The timing on the falling bombs was driven by animation and then FX used the timing to add their FX work coming from the falling missiles. The client wanted it to feel like he was in a war zone and that his life was in peril as he dodged explosions. We added a lot of debris, rocks, dirt, pine cones, needles and a bunch of dust kick-up to help sell it all. We also had to add realistic explosions rather than white flashes.Brian: This was a tricky sequence. We had a lot of practical elements that were filmed, but they didnt feel dangerous or intense enough. For the helicopter, they had nothing firing out of the bottom, so we worked with the FX team to meticulously add realistic phosphorus missile launches and explosions that rained down on Kraven to create a frenetic experience for the audience. Brian: As Kraven ran through the explosions, we had to add more smoke and debris while maintaining the phosphorus trails. We studied a lot of military references and iterated until the scene felt realistic and accurate. In the end, we created an exciting sequence that the director was really happy with. From man to beastIn Kraven the Hunter, Aleksei Sytsevich undergoes a dramatic transformation into Rhino, shifting between his human form and a monstrous, thick-skinned beast. Unlike previous adaptations which relied on a mechanical suit, this version of Rhino is the result of a biological enhancement he undergoes, which is triggered uncontrollably during moments of intense emotion, pain, or angerThese volatile transformations are central to Alekseis storyline, emphasizing the tension between his humanity and his beastly side. Image Engine contributed to every stage of this complex evolution, from the initial facial contortions to the full-body metamorphosis. Our team combined intricate CG modelling, muscle simulations, and dynamic texturing to highlight the physical strain and emotional turmoil of Alekseis transformation, ensuring it felt raw, grounded, and deeply connected to the characters internal struggle.Q: What direction were you given for creating the Rhino character?Martyn: Rhino appeared once before in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but this time, Kraven the Hunter opted for a different take on the character. Hes a more physically animalistic version of the villain.We didnt have a clear idea of how he should look in the final state after he transforms from Aleksei, played by Alessandro Nivola, into Rhino. So we went through a lot of iterations for the character as it was so important to the director, J.C. Chandor and the studio that he had a link to the actor and the Marvel Machete, as well as being human.Brian: Our initial concept grew and grew. We eventually settled on a version that was a mix of the classic Marvel concept and a new updated vision for Rhino.Even though hes a fantastical hybrid, J.C. Chandor wanted him to feel human through it all, so that was a big part of how we animated and created the character so that we could have that quality still shine through, no matter how crazy he looked in the end. Jack: One particularly challenging aspect of this sequence was stretching out the transformation across so many shots while maintaining a cohesive and dynamic effect.We went through several rounds of animations to get the timing just right so each shot had dynamic movement without feeling too slow or rushed.We also needed to find the right balance between the full rhino armoured skin look and his natural human skin. Fine details can easily get lost when the character is further from the screen, so it took some experimenting to strike the right balance.These same fine details required very careful integration between comp and lighting to make sure the transformation didnt just look cool, but felt real and part of his body. Q: Can you tell us about the Rhino transformation?Martyn: Transforming Aleksei into Rhino was a complex undertaking. We had to ensure seamless tracking to blend CG elements with live-action footage while also creating a completely original and organic transformation effect.We didnt have a clear idea of how he should look in the final state as Rhino, so creating the transformation state was even more ambiguous. It was super fun to work with the client through concepts and find lots of interesting references to finally land on the details we have in the film.One of the coolest references our CG supervisor, Fred Sundqvist found was some dried-up river bed of clay that had started to flake and peel in the sun and this is what we used for inspiration for the cracking on his skin as he transforms.Mario Anger, one of our lead modelers, took the clients original concept of Rhino and fully redeveloped the look. It was a fascinating process to see Rhino emerge from the 3D world. We had done some initial 2D concepts, but when we started to involve Mario and build it in 3D, it entirely changed the way we saw Rhino and helped considerably to get the client and director to buy off on the final design.Brian: The Rhino transformation was a really unique approach that was left to Image Engine to develop, so that felt like something that we had part ownership of and were able to help drive creatively.The director wanted the transformation to feel painful, so we made sure to maintain that feel when we see the effect coming on and then the relief when it starts to subside. But we didnt want it to look excessively graphic.They didnt have a look for us to emulate, so it was up to us and the FX team to create an organic, original transformation for Rhino. We had a lot of back and forth before landing on the look we see in the end. The hard work was worth it as it feels and looks so unique, especially in the Marvel universe.Jeremy: The transformation we designed had 4 key elements to it: the muscle volume, the rhino plate formation, the skin transition, and the color transition. We built an animation rig that would have separate controls over all of those aspects with blend shapes and lookdev attribute controls. This allowed animation to have full control over those elements to time the transformation elements as per the sequence needs. The FX department would take these base animations and drive a more complex setup in Houdini to the final transformation effect. Q: What was the process of digitally replacing the characters arm when its changing and he smashes the table?Martyn: The challenges for replacing the arm with CG Rhino were mainly the tracking of the arms and body and finding the overall look.The process of replacing his arm was tricky to find the right timing. The tracking needs to be super tight to the actors performance as we did end up using the plate skin in areas from his hand and forearm. We used matchmove as far as we could using our digital version of Alessandro but then had to shot sculpt the hands and arms to get a perfect match so our digital version would blend seamlessly with the actor. Martyn: We did this with the animation team using masks to reveal the Rhino. Anim had multiple levels of controls over the colour of the muscles and the bulk so we could define when and where Alessandro would change into the Rhino.Once we had this timing for the whole sequence agreed upon with the client, we would then pass the anim to shot sculpt. From there, the team could adjust and tweak the look and feel of the transformation to match the actor closer so FX could then run their simulations using anims timing maps.Because Rhino was so powerful once he transformed, we had to portray that in the film. The client asked us to create a full CG table so that when Rhino slams his fist on it, we could have it crack and have pieces of concrete, dust and debris flying everywhere. Its a pretty dramatic shot.The connection between Alessandro and the Rhino character was a fine balance, especially on his face as they still wanted to keep the likeness of the actor, but also have it be Rhino. We created a full CG version of Alessandro so we could blend seamlessly between areas and the plate and not know if it was CG or plate. It took a lot of close anim matching and shot sculpt to the actors performance to make this work.These shots were unquestionably a complex build that had to be stitched together from all departments, and in the end, the compositing team had to piece it all together. Overall, I think the look was awesome and very different from anything we have seen before.Jeremy: Another tricky thing we encountered was properly portraying the size growth when Alessandro was transforming to Rhino. We needed to progress through about 2 feet of height as well as 400ish lbs of muscle volume. Revealing a tighter and tighter shirt as the muscle volume increased as well as showing a height change while still maintaining the plate framing was a challenge.Q: Could you discuss the sequences featuring the fully CG Rhino? What techniques were used to bring these effects to life?Brian: We had to replace the actor with a full CG Rhino character and match his expressions and dialogue with our full CG facial system. We had to blend in the organic skin so that the character felt as though it was in the same space as the real actors. Martyn: Creating a fully CG character presents a different challenge than a character transformation into a rhino. We ended up using a lot of the references of Alessandros performance from the plates and timing and built on top of those to find the Rhino characters own unique performance while still maintaining the likeness to the actor.Its a lot to fit into a CG characters look, emotions, movements and presence on the screen. We build a whole library of FACs shapes for both the actor and Rhino which we put into our facial system to make Rhino come to life and talk. We built many different muscle and bulk shapes that animation could drive so we could make Rhino grow where needed and become bigger in bulk and shape. Making Rhino talk and be Rhino was certainly difficult as he is so much bigger than the actor but I think we managed to really make him feel like his own character but still have a sense of Alessandro.CG Asset Alessandro Nivola Rhino TransformationCG Rhino Asset for both Transformation blending and Full CG Rhino NON Damaged version.Q: How did you approach creating the wounded and damaged appearance of Rhino?Jack: This was a unique conceptual challenge. How do you kill a seemingly indestructible Rhino-human hybrid? The logic was that he had sustained internal injuries during his fight with Kraven which weakened him enough that being trampled by a herd of buffalo was too much for him to survive.Our first step was to create concept paintovers of the base renders that we could show the director to work out what exactly we wanted him to look like so we could formulate our plan for how to execute the work.Once we had an approved concept, the majority of the work was hand-sculpted by EungHo Lo, organic modeler. Blood and other details were painted into his textures and enhanced in the shaders.FX provided dynamic blood effects when he coughed up blood during his dialogue with Kraven.As he begins to die, he starts to transform back to Aleksei. Once again, we needed to figure out exactly how much he would transform.The directors top priority was to keep Rhinos look organic and naturalistic while preserving as much of the actors performance as possible. If we werent careful, the transformation could end up looking like a man in a rubber suit with the mask removed, rather than a true biological evolution.After extensive animation and FX testing, we refined the transformation to the partial version seen in the final cutstriking a balance that preserves enough of the actors real face in his final moment.Q: Were there any specific references used for his damaged look?Jack: In VFX, you have to work from reality to create realistic images, so finding these real-world references often leads to a very questionable search history.Unfortunately, some of the best references were images you really dont want to see. We used images of rhinos that had been the victims of poachers, some other various injured armored animals, as well as other general medical-related source material.CG Rhino Asset Full CG Rhino Damaged version Brian: Each sequence came with its challenges, as they all had different looks and levels of transformation. It was particularly challenging when were seeing the transformation up close, witnessing it with our villain as he watches himself change and grow.Animation spent a lot of time with assets to create blend shapes so that when he spoke and emoted, it felt real and still human. So a lot of time was spent to make sure this felt authentic and to not take the viewer out of the scene.Martyn: Once we found the look the client was after with animation, we then did a lot of shot sculpt work to define and mold the look of specific face shapes and muscles. We definitely had to think outside of the box when it came to the animation, scale and poses of Rhino as he was supposed to be 7 feet tall and yet our actor was not that tall. So it was a challenge to get him to fit into some of the camera spaces and vehicles being that big. In the end, it worked out pretty well.Unmasking DmitriRevealing his newfound abilities, Dmitri Kravinoff, played by Fred Hechinger, highlights the evolution of his shapeshifting powers in this sequence where he transforms his face to mirror his brother, Kraven and moments later, his face transforms to look like the all-white, featureless maska nod to the Chameleons iconic comic-book look, before transforming back into his own human appearance.This scene was one of the longest shots Image Engine worked on for the film. Our team handled the digi-double work for Dmitris face transformation, focusing on delivering a seamless progression through his various appearances. Achieving the perfect look for the Chameleon mask required careful iteration to capture the original comic-book representation and balancing that with the Marvel Universe aesthetics.Q: What were the most challenging aspects of crafting the seamless face morph between Dmitri, his brother Kraven, and the Chameleon mask?Dan: To create the fluid transition between Dmitris and Kravens face, a clean plate was created removing Dmitris head from the plate and then tracking in Kravens head, which was shot on bluescreen. It was important for the Chameleon mask to feel as if it was part of the transition, skin flaking and cracking elements were composited over the edges of the actors and the CG mask to help the integration.Q: What was your approach in achieving the comic-book look for Chameleons mask?Jack: This part proved to be a significant challenge to retain the general design of the comic books while grounding it all in reality. We initially had designed the Chameleon face to be an actual mask, like we see in some of the comics.After several iterations, we settled on the look of the mask being incorporated into his actual facial features, so the Chameleon face was what his actual face looked like when he wasnt mimicking someone else. We exaggerated the brow ridge to emulate the squared off look of the masks eye holes and kept the center line as a ridge embedded down the center of his face.The dark, contrasty plate made it especially challenging for the white Chameleon mask to read properly as a kind of unnaturally white skin. If he was too white, it would lose the realistic look of flesh, but if we brought in too much subsurface detail, he would stop looking white enough. It was a delicate balance to find just the right look that we wanted to achieve.Q: What was the collaboration process like with the director and creative team on this sequence?Jack: This was where our great relationship with the creative team really paid off. The overall look of Chameleon was evolving as the project developed. What seemed like the right idea at the outset ended up not feeling right near the end, requiring a redesign to what we see in the final film. We sent a number of concepts and collaborated closely with them throughout the process until we narrowed down what felt like the best look in the end. The final result is a creepy, but cool look that ties in the designs in the comic books while creating something new in the process.Chasing the wildBuilding the backstory in Kraven the Hunter, a young Sergei Kravinoff, portrayed by Levi Miller, appears in the film to explore the origins of Kravens unique skills, intense determination, and primal connection to nature.In this scene, he demonstrates his extraordinary speed and hunting instincts by pursuing a stag (male deer) through the forest. The chase builds to a dramatic moment as Sergei successfully captures the stag, showcasing his agility and the relentless drive that will shape his character throughout the film.Q: Can you tell us about the sequence with the stag being chased? What did the visual effects entail?Martyn: We had to have the CG stag capable of jumping over obstacles in the forest and leaping across full CG environments, all while staying connected to the scene. We built a derailed, full hi-res ground with leaves, sticks, dirt, debris, and dust that the stag would disturb, adding life and energy to the shots. The stags fur was fully groomed, and we created creature FX muscle systems to ensure its movement mirrored that of a real deer. Once the animation was approved, we ran simulations on the fur to react to the movement and environmental forces.While the plate photography provided was great, we needed to enhance it with CG plants, trees, and debris. One of the key tasks was adding a full CG ravine, enhancing the feeling of peril as Sergei and the stag leapt over it. We created Full CG Geometry cliffs to seamlessly blend into the plate, scattering additional CG plants, trees, and leaves to complete the scene. There was a tricky moment where we had to split the original plate and shift it to make the ravine wider. This required blending the practical with the CG in a way that looked flawless, but it was definitely a challenging task to pull off.CG Asset Reflecting on the huntImage Engine played a crucial role in bringing Kraven the Hunter to life. From dynamic environments to explosive action sequences and intricate character transformations, we continuously pushed creative and technical boundaries. Our teams expertise ensured a balance of power and emotional depth, especially with Rhinos unforgettable presence. This project not only showcased our innovative VFX but also reinforced our commitment to delivering cutting-edge work that complements the vibrant Marvel universe.Were incredibly proud of the hard work and passion our team poured into this project, contributing to Kravens action-packed journey.Q: How did you collaborate with the director to ensure the visual effects met the vision for the film?Brian: Close collaboration with the director was essential to ensure the visual effects aligned perfectly with the films vision. We had to keep up with J.C.s pace for when there would be a pivot on the briefs or a new story direction. We took each new directive with great professionalism as we would often have to go back to the drawing board on our major sequences multiple times. But this was due to an evolving story for the film. We started to understand what worked best for J.C. and what he needed to see before he could make his final decisions, so knowing that later in the process helped us turn around useful versions for him to choose from.The projects scope kept growing organically and I think that is because the client saw the exceptional quality of our work and could rely on us. Their trust in Image Engines abilities led them to continue bringing us back for more creative collaboration. In the end, JC was really grateful to have our team on board and loved the work.Q: Looking back, what are you most proud of from Image Engines work on Kraven the Hunter?Martyn: What stands out to me is the dedication and skill shown by the whole team. Of course, Rhino is the centerpiece. Hes such a unique character. Designing and creating a CG character from the ground up always comes with challenges, but seeing him come to life and knowing the client was thrilled by the result was incredibly rewarding.The way we were able to capture both the ferocity of the rhino and the essence of Alessandros performance is a testament to the teams skill. And the seamless blend between CG and live-action footage during his transformation was a huge achievement. The techniques we developed for this sequence will certainly pave the way for even more ambitious work on future projects. And, honestly, he looks amazingglasses and all!

Visualizing the voidSnowpiercer season four hit screens in 2023. In it, the shows post-apocalyptic narrative reaches new heights of intrigue as Snowpiercer explores areas previously thought to be uninhabitable, including one scene where the train leaves its tracks and travels independently across a frozen ocean. The season also involves more action and expansive environments, meaning Image Engine was trusted with 343 shots across multiple episodes. Notable sequences included the Snowpiercer train metamorphosing into a snow tread vehicle, unveiling an epic frozen port city, a thrilling nighttime rocket launch over an icy ocean at night, and the dramatic freezing of the character Ben (Iddo Goldberg), who makes a supreme sacrifice for the safety of others.The amount of work on season four was fivefold, so there was a big difference in volume and the size of the comp team, says Jesus Lavin, Compositing Supervisor. Some of the more complex shots were those where we had to comp practical sets on huge, full-CG environments with long aerial travelling cameras. These shots were very challenging and required a lot of integration.One such environment was that of New Eden a new warm spot discovered on the frozen Earth. Image Engine built the entire valley of New Eden, ensuring it looked convincing from multiple angles. The New Eden environment shots contained multiple square kilometres of landscape with buildings, mountain ranges, lakes, and the integration of the trestle bridge and canyon from season 3, says Poser. The environment team needed to work from many different angles in full CG, but with the added challenge of combining that with plates of the New Eden set.As well as the more expansive shots of New Eden, we also worked on close-up sequences of many areas that only make up a tiny part of the environment, which we up-rezzed and refined to accommodate the need, he continues. These shots included the bridge worksite, canyon, top of the cliff, and the area west of New Eden with its parked trains and tracks.In one episode, viewers witness the camera pan over the New Eden worksite, soar across the tundra, and fly by the track scaler vehicle.This shot started with a live plate component of a crane shot that was handed off to a 3D rendering of a fly-through animation, says Jack Evans, CG Supervisor. We blended the final shot in comp with added digital matte painting elements to fill out the background. Combining these disparate elements into one cohesive shot was challenging, but our compositing team knocked it out of the park. By the end of the show, these huge environment shots felt second nature.Ali Ehtemami, Lead Compositor at Image Engine, ensured the particle and FX setups that gave these environments an extra edge in fidelity continued to be refined and improved to ensure a realistic result.The number of shots, delivery targets and the fact that we were working on all the episodes across the season made season four even more challenging and every shot was embellished with snow particles and 2D atmos and fog elements, says Ehtemami. So, to meet this challenge, I took all the great FX work the team accomplished on Snowpiercers previous two seasons and further refined and optimized the core atmos and particle tool we created for smoke, snow, snowdrifts, clouds, and fog in Nuke. I tweaked the setup in a way that kept the quality of the particle setups high while running at least ten times faster. Moreover, we introduced a new modular compositing workflow specifically tailored for this show, coupled with various optimizations implemented in the compositing process. These advancements greatly contributed to enhancing production efficiency!Embracing complexityOf course, the Snowpiercer train itself did not go without its fair share of attention in season four. This time, the trains visual effects required a significant increase in mechanical complexity as well as further optimization of the train track tool, as Poser describes.For season four, the tool could: generate better wheel alignment and displacement and connect wheels correctly on the train track, even when the track was curved or sloped; correctly link the train cars; create better train car spacing with support for steep angles and curves; and improve instancing for performance and caching, he says. By this point, the tool was firing on all cylinders and saving us time which the team could then spend on creating even more beautiful, believable shots.Those shots included some close-ups of Snowpiercer that revealed the train in more detail than in any previous season. One close-up sequence sees the character of Ben stepping outside the train to release a stuck link between two train cars, and in another, Melanie (Jennifer Connelly) must crawl through the trains undercarriage and into the cooling vents. For these scenes, the Image Engine team had to construct the Snowpiercers intricate undercarriage with numerous moving mechanical pieces and higher-resolution textures.The most challenging setup was definitely the close-up shot of the undercarriage of the train where the tank-like treads are first revealed, which enable Snowpiercer to leave the tracks and travel independently across the frozen ocean, says Evans. The team had to design a believable system that could deploy snow treads across the whole train, lift it with hydraulic pistons and allow Snowpiercer to leave the track and freely drive through a ruined port city and onto a frozen ocean.To create the sequence, Image Engine created concept artwork of the undercarriage design for approval, then built out the treads and their animation, ensuring the mechanism felt like something that could realistically propel the train. Our animation supervisor, Curtis Richardson-Smith, created animated mockups of modified geometry for the mechanism used to link the cars together, which the asset department then used to build out the more detailed work, explains Evans. Ultimately, the close-up shot revealing all of this was a cross-department effort involving assets, animation, FX, and compositing. When it all came together, the results blew me away.Making the unreal, realImage Engines task list for season four also encompassed numerous shots of actors against a green screen, such as some scenes that show characters moving around on the exterior of the Snowpiercer train.The biggest challenge on shots like these is always integrating something shot on stage to make it look like the actors are actually on a train driving 150kph and rumbling through a frozen world, says Poser. This is an even bigger challenge when the actors are very close to the surface or touch and interact with the CG train, like Melanie hanging onto the ladder on the side of Snowpiercer. There are an incredible amount of details and small things to get right, or else the shot will look fake. These sequences require flawless execution from matchmove and roto to lighting and final comp.Lavin adds: When dealing with blue screen material shot on set, the challenge is finding a middle ground between the look that comes with studio lighting and the lighting you need in your CG to make the shot look good. Nevertheless, our Image Engine lighters are amazing at tasks like these at this point.Image Engine also updated and optimized its tools to more easily incorporate 2D elements on cards within its 3D scenes. These updates gave us a lot of flexibility in quickly trying out different ideas without involving the compositing team every time we wanted to combine practical elements in our CG environments, says Widen.Many scenes across Snowpiercer season four also required the addition of digital doubles CG replicas that needed to feel as believable and natural as their living counterparts to sell the believability of the set pieces in which they featured. When you have a full CG shot with digi-doubles, most of the workload is on the shoulders of animators and lighters, says Lavin. Again, at this point, the team is fantastic at making these shots feel real. Our artists delivered some incredible work.

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Paramount+s hit series Halo returned for a thrilling second season, featuring the iconic Master Chief and his Spartan team facing an escalating war against the Covenant. Image Engine proudly contributed 158 visual effects shots, seamlessly transitioning from enhancing on-set plate photography to fully realized digital environments and characters.Our team meticulously crafted over 20 unique space vehicles for intense battle scenes, complete with intricate damage and weapon effects. We also created full digital doubles for the Spartan crew and their weapons, along with a detailed hero asset of the iconic Halo ring. Throughout the process, we adhered to the established lore and aesthetic of the Halo franchise, ensuring a cohesive visual experience.Our VFX supervisor, Robin Hackl and Associate VFX Supervisor, Jenn Taylor offer an insiders perspective on the challenges and triumphs of bringing the iconic Halo universe to life. Developing the FleetsOne of the unique challenges we faced was that many of the ships had not been seen outside of the game yet. We had to develop two fleets from game assets, translating the intricate and iconic designs of the game into a photorealistic style suitable for television. We had to ensure fidelity to the source material while adapting the designs to meet the visual and technical requirements of the show. Our team leveraged game models as a foundation, enhancing them with additional details and textures to create fully realized, cinematic spacefaring vessels. Space BattlesRobin: Complex space battle scenes between the Covenant armada and the incoming UNSC battalion were set against the backdrop of a gas giant planet and space. This necessitated the creation of a full 3D asset for the planet itself given the full variety of camera angles we needed to view it from. This approach ensured consistency and realism from these various viewing angles, elevating the visual experience beyond traditional matte painting techniques. A careful collaboration between our assets and compositing teams was essential to its success. Battling SpartansRobin: Inside the Covenant Corvette, our digital prowess shone as we brought to life intense close combat sequences, complete with digital creatures, weapon effects, and explosive action. The integration of practical sets with digital elements seamlessly immersed viewers into the heart of the battle, showcasing our ability to blend reality with imagination. One hero shot of Master Chief in hand-to-hand combat with 4 Sangheilis was entirely digitally generated while maintaining the full in-camera performance and choreography.Jenn: We were tasked with creating an interior battle between the Spartans, who had just breached the Corvette, a warship in the Covenant Navy, and the Sangehili Elites. The Sangheili are vicious, aggressive fighters so we wanted to portray their strength and power as they pushed back the Spartans through the Corvette, taking them out both with their Energy Swords, as well as firing Plasma weapons. We had to strike a balance between the Sangheilis strength and the efficacy of the Spartan troops. The battle resulted in many casualties on both sides.These sequences were dynamic, fun and challenging across departments. The animation team worked to find the style and movement pattern unique to these creatures, while the FX team had significant elements to create; from plasma explosions, smoke, blood, plasma bolts, and Needler smoke trails, to name a few. Our compositing team did a great job integrating these numerous elements into smokey environments, which resulted in the final product of an exciting battle sequence. What was the most challenging part of this project?Jenn: One of our biggest challenges on this project was the timeline in which to deliver. With a tight schedule, we relied heavily on our internal teams to work concurrently with one another to define looks and build assets. Our teams were incredibly cooperative and innovative, allowing us to develop some new methods to improve efficiency and deliver quality work under restrictive timelines.Are there any shots you found particularly memorable?Robin: One standout moment was the epic collision of our hero Kai piloting the Covenant Corvette into the covenant assault carrier, requiring intricate FX work to simulate the impactful collision and resulting destruction. This culminated in a breathtaking 20-second fully digital shot capturing the aftermath of this monumental event.ConclusionImage Engines stunning visual effects shines brightly in Halo season 2, leaving audiences captivated and eager for the next chapter in the Spartans saga.Our teams talent and unwavering dedication are evident throughout our work in episodes 7 and 8, playing a pivotal role in delivering an unforgettable conclusion that leaves audiences on the edge of their seats and eagerly anticipating what lies ahead in season 3.A heartfelt congratulations to our incredible crew who helped bring the adventures of Master Chief and Silver Team to life.

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