(CJ Forrest, Robot workers at the Silver Shamrock factory)
As post-production on Cry For The Bad Man comes to a close, a small, VFX heavy project seemed like a good palette cleanser and since it's October, why not tackle Halloween.
Of course there are countless Halloween fan films, but few of them based on the one-off events of Halloween 3: Season Of The Witch.
H3 hasn't always been a personal favorite, but I've come to appreciate it's hypnotic charm and anti-capitalist subtext.
Rather than create an entire short film, we opted for a moody, atmospheric montage depicting both the lazy autumn atmosphere and the sinister conspiracy unfolding behind closed doors.
(Eric Dooley, doomed Silver Shamrock product tester)
It was also a chance to create a bold, nostalgia-inspired look and take some artistic liberties with the material. Rather than the doomed Kufner family, we opted for a stoner type (actor Eric Dooley) looking for a quick 50 bucks to test a new product. As for "Test Room A," gone are the slate-grey walls and faux living room. In their place, a Beyond The Black Rainbow-inspired RED room with numerous CRT TV screens, 2-way mirrors, and stainless steel walls.
With no budget, we rely on photo-realistic renders from OCTANE with 3D sets built specifically for this project inside C4D.
(Close-up, Jack-O-Lantern scan lines)
In addition to the familiar sets, we wanted a new angle on the iconic scan-line/Jack-O-Latern opening title cards.
The concept was to show those scan-lines surging with power, almost unstable -- something that would suggest the destructive power waiting to be unleashed.
The compositions were created entirely in After Effects using shape layers, trim paths, and noise generators.
("Clay" test render, C4D Physical)
The above shot shows the untextured model prior to Octane. It's another familiar location from the original film, but with a few industrial flourishes to add scale. I'm hoping to add the iconic "FINAL PROCESSING" lettering to the right wall.
(Shamrock chip insert - Octane Live Render view)
As for the robotic factory workers, we wanted add a little more visual appeal to the internal workings, so we built a circuit board with a shamrock-shaped chip to be inserted as the final component in their construction.
It's not all green-screen/VFX work. We filmed a couple skateboarders (Liam Adolph, Ethan Howe) out at dusk -- possibly up to some seasonal mischief -- wearing the iconic Silver Shamrock masks. The pumpkin mask, baby blue hoodie, and skateboard was our homage to the skateboarder in the 1982 film. This sequence also gave us an excuse to riff on the iconic cover with the trick-or-treaters in dark silhouette against the orange sky.
Although there was no script, we had a loose concept in mind while filming: Couple of teenagers in masks breaking into the gate at the Silver Shamrock factory to take advantage of steps and handrails.
Although there was no script, we had a loose concept in mind while filming: Couple of teenagers in masks breaking into the gate at the Silver Shamrock factory to take advantage of steps and handrails.
(Director, VFX Sam Farmer. Photo: Jason Howe)
(Pumpkin mask, Liam Adolph, skating at dusk)
There's still quite a bit of work to do. Most of these images are first passes and still need a considerable amount of work.
In an ideal world, we'd pitch this as a one-off mini-series to Malek Akkad and the series gatekeepers. Realistically, this exercise has been a great respite from the grind on Cry For The Bad Man and a chance to dust-off the VFX tools.
Happy Halloween!
Comments
Post a Comment