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InterviewsThe Gorge: Christian Irles VFX Supervisor Image EngineBy Vincent Frei - 20/03/2025 In 2019, Christian Irles discussed Image Engines contributions to John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum. He later worked on Mulan, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, The School for Good and Evil, and Foundation.How did you and Image Engine get involved on this show?We have a good working relationship with Skydance. They sent us an initial bid package for The Gorge back in August 2022. If I recall correctly, neither Erik or Rich were attached to the show at that point.Then, in November 2022, once Erik and Rich had joined the show, we received a second bid package including early art work from the art department. Due to the nature of the work and our previous work experience with Erik and Rich (The School for Good and Evil), we were extremely excited about the project.How was your collaboration with VFX Supervisor Erik Nordy and VFX Producer Rich Yeomans?Due to the highly creative and subjective nature of The Gorge, we had a very close collaboration with Erik. Erik and I have known each other since 2012. We are good friends and have a great working relationship. This allows us to focus on what matters most, tackling creative challenges to fulfill the directors vision, while having fun along the way!What are the sequences made by Image Engine?We built a desolate, abandoned town covered in purple fog. Within it, there is a church in which lead actors, Drasa and Levi, take cover and get attacked by terrifying Skull Spiders and Hollowmen. As they get overrun, Drasa and Levi escape and make a run towards the command center, a bunker-like building embedded at the base of the gorge cliff wall.Soon after, still within the purple fog world, Drasa unintentionally steps onto a rope trap and is forcefully dragged across the ground into the thick fog.Lastly, we built a massive underground industrial facility and developed one of the films more intricate visual elementsa vast, organic network of translucent entangled bodies (aka the bodyweb), which was a complex challenge both technically and artistically.The abandoned village has a very distinct atmosphere. Can you walk us through the design process and the key artistic influences behind its look?There were three key components to the distinct look of the town: its abandoned nature (decay and weathering), the bonemoss that had grown/overtaken the town, and the purple fog.Our art department provided concepts for the overall mood the director was after, and also provided a Blender model of the town.Although we knew the visibility of the town through the purple fog was going to be somewhat limited, we had to inject the right amount of detail to make the town look believable. We spent quite a bit of time in assets, making sure each building and road had the correct level of weathering based on camera angles. We then proceeded in our layout department to populate the town with bigger objects like cars, trucks, trash cans, etc. Lastly, we procedurally covered all sidewalks and roads with debris and vegetation.The moss, or more specifically the bonemoss, was a key component of the unique look of the town. The idea behind it was that the radiation that caused all mutations within the gorge also affected regular moss at a DNA level. Its pattern also hinted at spiderwebs made out of bone, which subconsciously led us to the Skull Spiders Attack sequence within the church. The bonemoss was created procedurally by Felix Barthel, hard surface modeler using Houdini. His setup was done in such a way that our clients could art direct the overall look of the bonemoss and how it covered all objects located in the town on a per shot basis.Last key component, but not least, was the purple fog. Early on, there were many conversations about how the fog within the gorge should look like. At a certain point, the fog was almost meant to be a character in itself. Framestore also worked on sequences within the gorge, so we collaborated closely to ensure the look of the fog remained consistent throughout the film, regardless of its colour. Maintaining continuity in an environment as atmospheric as the gorge was key, and it was great working together to achieve a seamless and cohesive final look.As post-production progressed, the fog became a more naturalistic aspect of the film, rather than something more stylized. We referenced real fog and smoke to achieve the desired effect. To populate the town with fog, we created long FX caches in Houdini (pockets of fog if you like) that one of our CG Supervisors, Xander Kennedy, artistically placed. This methodology allowed us, on a shot-by-shot basis, to quickly create the depth required, while not having to constantly run complex simulations. The eerie fog layer close to the ground was a separate simulation also done in Houdini. All fog throughout our sequences was achieved in a similar manner.How did you balance practical set elements with digital extensions to enhance the sense of decay and isolation in the village?What was built on stage was quite minimal. From the plates, we only kept the actors, the ground they walk on, and the church and its entrance. Everything else that you see in the film is CG.The Skull Spiders have a very unsettling, almost unnatural movement. What references or animation techniques did you use to bring them to life?The animation of the Skull Spiders was challenging due to their size and what they are made of (predominantly bone). And to make things more difficult, they also had to move quickly as its a fast-paced action sequence!Their movement was predominantly driven by the weight of their head/skull. After all, skulls are heavy, so their legs had to work extra hard to keep them upright. We also used the weight of the skulls to create an uneven sense of balance when they walked or ran.To create variations, we had three different Skull Spider sizes: child skull spider, woman skull spider and man skull spider. Each moved differently due to the size of the skull.The Hollowmen attack in the church is an intense and chaotic sequence. What were the biggest challenges in animating their movements to make them feel both terrifying and physically grounded within the environment?The Hollowmen were extremely fun to be involved with! As a starting point, we received concepts and sketches from the art department and Framestore, respectively. Then, our concept artist, Daniel Cox took these to a highly detailed level before starting the 3D models.The impact of their design in regards to animation can be narrowed down to three components: how emaciated they were, their mutated anatomy, and how much their mutations had progressed.Their rage is driven by hunger, but their bodies, due to starvation and physical mutations, did not allow them to move like healthy human beings. These traits directly drove the uncanny manner in which they moved during the church attack scene.How did you handle the interaction between the Hollowmen and the churchs architecturewere destruction elements, lighting effects, or simulations key factors in making the scene more immersive?I believe true immersion is the culmination of all departments working together, at their best, to create invisible visual effects work. For work to be truly immersive, everything must be spot on. From matchmove to seamless 2D integration.In terms of FX simulations, we were very careful not to physically destroy the church as the sequence and fight progressed. Otherwise costs would have skyrocketed very quickly due to continuity. This being said, we extensively used FX simulations for bullet impacts, spiders exploding, Hollowmen being hit, etc.Lighting had to be spot on for the Skull Spiders and Hollowmen to look believable. Our clients went above and beyond to provide all the references needed for this (per shot HDRIs, chrome/grey balls, stuffies, etc). And although we always lit to match the plate, there were many instances in which we added rim lights to accentuate the shape and terrifying nature of our CG creatures.Lastly, amazing compositing from our team was crucial to bring this scene to life.What were the biggest challenges in blending creature animation with the environment, especially in terms of interaction with fog and terrain?Luckily, our creatures (Skull Spiders and Hollowmen) only interacted with the interior of the church. The challenge for us was making sure their lighting and shadows matched perfectly to the plate. This process was tricky due to the way the church was lit on set and its dilapidated architecture. There were many pools of light and shadow, which helped tremendously to the eerie feel of the sequence. Making sure our CG characters sat properly in this lighting was key.To help interaction between the abandoned church and the Skull Spiders, we added dust kick-ups whenever they were moving fast. These were created in Houdini once animation was approved.Were any specific simulation techniques used to give the Hollowmen or Skull Spiders a unique sense of weight, texture, or procedural movement?Yes. For the Skull Spiders, our rigging department created a very clever system that allowed all the little branches and bits hanging off of them to jiggle as they moved and ran around. This added a secondary layer of visual complexity while the spiders were in motion.For the Hollowmen, our creature FX department ran cloth simulations. The design of their costume was a perfect fit for this as their clothes were heavily torn.The bodywebs have a fascinating translucent quality. What were the key technical challenges in achieving this look while ensuring they remained visually readable on screen?The bodyweb is by far the most difficult work Ive ever been involved with in visual effects. It is one of those items that only once you got there, you knew you had hit the mark. You couldnt take small steps to know if you were heading in the right direction, you had to finish a shot to confirm we had nailed the bodywebs look. Even 2D concepts could only take us so far due to its translucent and backlit look. Very very challenging, and as you can imagine, render intensive.We had to double the size of our renderfarm to deliver the bodyweb scene, we never anticipated this when starting the show. It was bonkers.The main technical challenge was the sheer amount of geometry and translucency needed to achieve the final look. All bodyweb components, from bodies to small vines had to have the following geometry: exterior surface (its skin), inner geometry (veins, bones, internal matter), and exterior geometry (small vines, twigs and thorns). The bodyweb bodies seen near and around the walkway were hand-modeled based on 2D concepts, and most vines attached to them and the environment were procedurally generated. All the inner and outer geometry was procedurally generated as well.In terms of readability, it took quite a bit of back and forth to find the right balance between having a key light that helped shape the bodies while injecting the right amount of translucency to compliment it.Was there a particular reference or real-world material that inspired the way light passes through these structures?Dumplings! Also, some types of frogs, grapes and skin, amongst many others. Early on, we received a substantial amount of references and concepts from our clients. We gathered some too. And although none by themselves was a solid reference for the intended look of the bodyweb, each had interesting aspects to it. Some of the references were specific no nos as well!How did you ensure the bodywebs remained consistent in their visual language across different lighting conditions and camera perspectives?This was one of our main concerns while working on the first hero shots. We knew that the bodyweb was extremely sensitive to changes in lighting, so we came up with a robust light rig that kept the look consistent. We also kept this sequence with a specific group of lighting artists that understood all the intricacies of illuminating the bodyweb. It took time for them to understand how to light it, but once they got into the groove of things, it became a smoother process.The industrial facility has a massive and imposing presence. What was the approach to designing its environment to ensure it felt both realistic and visually striking within The Gorges world?The design of the silo interior environment was taken care of by the production art department. They provided concepts and a Blender model for it.Our mandate was to convert the mood of the concepts into a photo-real and believable world that belonged in The Gorge. We up-resed every model provided and paid meticulous attention as to how much everything needed to be weathered. All locations in The Gorge had to look as if they had been abandoned since the 1950s.One of the most difficult challenges was lighting such a vast environment. It had to feel natural, eerie and immense. But due to its simple shape and location, a long underground rectangle, we had to be very strategic as to where to place our lights to sell its scale.In terms of the colour palette, we settled on complementary colours set by the art department and principal photography: ambient red (caused by the red contaminant), green key light (light coming from the exterior), and incandescent yellow (lamps).Were there any memorable moments or scenes from the film that you found particularly rewarding or challenging to work on from a visual effects standpoint?Oh, its hard to pick! I love the uncanny look of the abandoned town, but my personal favourite scenes in terms of creative challenges are the Skull Spiders Attack and the Bodyweb.Looking back on the project, what aspects of the visual effects are you most proud of?What Im most proud of is the quality and photo-real nature of our work, and how consistent it is across our sequences. This level of excellence could not have been possible without the talent of our team, their passion for our craft and their dedication. Kudos to each one of them!And special mention to the bodyweb team, my goodness, it was hard. I have to say though, I am so proud we created something thats never been done before. That is pretty special.Lastly, I want to thank Skydance and our clients, Erik, Rebecca, Rich and Nick. Thank you for letting us be part of this adventure, and for the trust you always put on us. We had a blast working on The Gorge!Thank you for the interview!How long have you worked on this show?September 20, 2022 May 27, 2024Whats the VFX shot count?181.What is your next project?Im working on a Netflix TV series with more details to come.A big thanks for your time.WANT TO KNOW MORE?Image Engine: Dedicated page about The Gorge on Image Engine website. Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025
