In cut 08 the soldier walks towards camera (tracking with), readies his weapon and fires. We’ve added a 3-point tactical sling to the weapon design, and included a chambering action prior to the trigger pull. While he still fires into the extreme foreground, we’ve moved him a few degrees off the perpendicular to avoid covering the action with the muzzle blast.

C09 is an insert cut to show the first reaction of the Patient as the bullets slam into the air before his face. It’s a very fast cut (starting as it does with the weapon already firing) and pushes the camera back very fast to help sell the impact and allow room for his arms to swing up into the air before him

C10 is one of the only cuts where we maintain a camera perpendicular to the action, for a couple reasons. As the primary intention of the cut is to illustrate sustained fire with a closing gap, a straight angle that clearly shows the space between the characters is most effective. In addition there’s a few tricks we’ll be able to use to save resources that won’t work as effectively at a sharper angle.

We also suggest an interruption to the fire that allows the Soldier to reload. A fully-loaded automatic weapon can empty a clip in just 4-6 seconds. A rapid reload action not only grounds the weapon in a realistic manner but also helps to display the professional, cold skills of the Soldier (who never slows down his stride nor pauses more than necessary in his steady rate of fire).

c11 is where it all goes wrong for cold, professional skills. The Patient goes from deflecting the bullets to a sweeping motion that simultaneously pushes wide the limbs of the soldier, forcing him into a pose similar to that of the Patient. His weapon drops to his chest and his arms are stretched back to the breaking point. This cut is similar to the version in the animatic, but delays the most gruesome action until the following beat.

Scene 006 is (along with 004) the most animation-intensive series of cuts within the short, and as such we’ll break the board edits into a couple of entries. As before, please click any board to open the full sequence. We have only recomposed boards for which significant changes are suggested.

In C02 , we’ve adjusted the camera angle down and to the left slightly, mostly to get us off the perpendicular angle. This angle is also most suitable for the action in C05, which is a match cut for 02.

In C05 a Lab Tech walks in from Left, injects the contents of a wicked-long syringe into the IUD port and then activates a few buttons on the back of the chair before leaving Left. The chair rises to the standing position, and the neck restraints disengage (the injector in the back of the neck leaves a small line of goo from the neck to the port to emphasize the connection without seeing the actual mechanism).

The majority of scene 004 (the UAV bug’s infiltration of the base) is unchanged, but we’re suggesting some significant changes to the part in which the bug gains access to the computer. We maintain the same number of cuts, but the action and the camera angles are new. Please click on any thumbnail in the sequence below to see the full frame, and use the controls on the popup to navigate through the frames.

Starting at Scene 004 cut 008, the bug lands upon the back of a server and enters the casing through the vents. Once inside (004-09) it hops from the wall to the motherboard, and from there to the processor, then leaps to a cooling vent in the foreground. While moving on surfaces its actions should be sharp and fast, much like an insects normally is (also conveniently saves on frames).

004-10 displays our new concept for the interface. There seemed to be a general agreement that the “jack” interface wasn’t quite working for anyone, so we’ve tried something new. The wasp’s segmented abdomen retracts to reveal an articulated eye and triple-barreled microfiberoptic relay. Once the processor is targeted, the relay fires fiberoptic cables into the foreground.

004-10A is an insert shot, but it’s a match cut with 004-09 so the added content is negligible. The shot is needed to show how the fiberoptic cables extend from the abdomen of the wasp to connectors on the processor, allowing the Hacker to gain direct access to the network.

004-11 illustrates that the bug is transmitting, as it did before. We’ve added a little animation in the extension of the antennae. The radiating circles are intended as a graphic device rather than a literal visual effect… intermittent light pulses and an accompanying sound effect will telegraph the “transmission” impression.

The final image is a new model sheet detailing the modified interface relay. The wasp design remains largely unchanged, as the new mechanisms fit entirely within the abdomen, which was already designed with articulated plates.

We’ve got new boards for those cuts in which we would like to make significant modifications to the layout or the composition.

Scene 002 (the Hacker’s room) has been tweaked, but the action is still matched to the animatic. The first cut (002-01) has been shifted back and a sleeping guard dog added to the foreground. 002-02 is shifted to slightly behind and over the shoulder to add some depth to the shot and show the holographic displays more clearly. 003 is another angle shift, and shows how we’ll round the projected data to simulate the shape of the lens.

More model design updates:

We’ve made some small adjustments to the girl, based on received notes and the suggest model.

Given that we end on her opening eye, there’s some question of whether the eye should look in any way artificial or manipulated, like the eyes on the patient.

In addition we’ve added a new, preliminary design rough for the lead scientist character (dubbed “the Doktor” for the moment) based on the provided model’s features.

As we zero in on the character design of the Hacker, we begin to incorporate layouts to help see how the designs fit into the scenes themselves.

We like the Asian design best and so we’ve moved forward with that in mind (this design is still open to confirmation). We also like the full goggles, as they allow him to remain mysterious up to the end, and highlight the reveal of his face.

Even if these designs need to be modified or redone, feedback regarding the layouts and the action are useful, and allows the work to serve double-duty.

In scene 002, cut 02 we see him in profile, manipulating the holographic display elements. The hands perform the majority of the animated action in this cut, and we can emphasize the motions by animating them along the depth plane as they perform the deliberate actions that control the computers.

In S05C01 we see his face full on, and a holographic display pops up to illustrate the feed from the UAV bug. By arranging the popup screen so that it only partially covers his face we can emphasize the effect of the display itself.

In S07C03 the hacker removes his goggles to reveal his face. We’ve thrown together some rough keys to suggest his stress and concerns, as well as showing some subtle tech effects with the data jack or the extendable band on the goggles (rather than being elastic, it extends out on rollers. This way is doesn’t sit so tightly on the face that it’s being pulled against the skin as modern goggles do. A sound effect will help emphasize the action).

There was an initial confusion with the scientists, in that we thought there was two types; the “observers”, and the “nurse”.  The new design sheet is based on notes from the previous design and a re-examination of the animatic.

It’s been suggested that the scientists prefer to cover their features, and that they are “not quite human”. One way to convey that impression without seeing their expressions is in their behaviour and body language. If, for instance, one tilts their head from the neck pivot (rather than the shoulder), it appears more reptilian or birdlike. Twitches, odd gestures or weird walks can also convey a sense of something being “wrong” with the character.

Lastly, we return to the UAV bug design to expand upon the extending data jack as shown in the previous model sheet. While initially appearing to be a simple electrical plug, it opens and expands to show that it’s much more complex.

The angle for the final composition should probably be more dynamic, as well as more detailed, but this effectively shows how we might handle the action of the bug plugging into an unfamiliar port with a universal tool.

Beginning to address design notes, starting with the UAV Bug and the Patient.

Very little change was required in the bug, mostly changing the stinger to a data plug.

We’ve covered the mineral growths on the Patient with more skin, allowing only the tips to emerge. The skin and the blood vessels glow increasingly bright as the power grows. We’ve also simplified the face lines to make them noticeable but not overly complex to wrap to the contours.

Second round of design based on the animatic, script and board postings.

For our Patient Zero we modified his wheelchair to be a bit more hi-tech and incorporated restraints into his clothing as well as the chair. There’s some question still as to how outwardly “artificial” he should appear… small seams in his skin and technical markings in areas such as the face, tongue or eyeballs might emphasize it in greater or lesser ways.

We looked to a combination of crystal structure and bone mutations which result in skin-piercing spurs (real stuff, very scary) as the inspiration for the primitive growths that serve as the focus and visual cue of his powers. They can be more or less jewel-like and faceted depending on whether we make them more crystalline or more bony.

Next up is Our Lady Of The Jar, who’s psychic stone growths appear more as polished gems rather than painful growths. The pattern of the stones is less random and more spaced to resemble a maangtika or a ferroniere  (basically forehead jewelry).

Flowing, floaty hair can be very time-consuming to animate well (lots of mixed wave-forms), so while we want so show that she has a full head of hair, we can trick the amount of frames down by containing it in some interesting way. We might also incorporate the prop as part of the larger apparatus that surrounds here, with cables leading out of the sides or lights that indicate activity.

Our design of the “bug” starts with the basic form of a wasp, in this case Vespa Mandarinia. Also known as the Giant Asian Hornet, it measures about 2-3 inches and is powerfully venomous.

It’s also a good basis for the study of wasp anatomy, since it’s so big that the details of taxonomy and anatomy are readily apparent. Our little mecha-wasp has a similar basic structure and outward appearance, but replaces biology with technology and adds in a few tricks (like retractable antennae and a wide-range multi-spectrum visual array with macrotelescopic depth options.

I don’t know what any of that means, but it sounds awesome.

Attached are a series of preliminary character roughs, based on designs seen in the animatic or on the board. First is the Hacker. Board designs suggested an alternative vision of the character who’s a little less tidy than that seen in the animatic, and that design seemed to fit more fluidly with the character as described in the script. We’ve drawn up a pair of headshots based on those designs but using the house style, and we’ll pursue one or the other (or a different option) based on feedback. In addition, we explore a couple of variations on his glasses, through which he interfaces with the computer. Click for larger:

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Next we check out a few variations on the labsuits worn by the technicians attending to the captive. The first is a fairly straight take on the design as posted in the boards, the others offer variations in helmet design and external apparatus.

Switching the focus to a single cut, we did a rough pass on the soldier who agitates the captive into action. The armor is simple but follows the lines of modern suits, with a focus on covering the torso and groin. It’s been suggested that we leave the helmet off this particular character, both to emphasize his character and heighten the horror of what happens next.

The rifle is a basic bullpup design based loosely on the lines of a Kel-Tec RFB and then adding more modern, sculpted curves for the grips to reflect against the harder lines of the firing mechanism. The weapon is cocked by pulling the knob along the top of the barrel, not unlike sub-machineguns such as the Uzi or MP5.

The goggles we went with here are basic shooting goggles, but an alternative might be something more articulated and cybernetic (having the implants rip out along with everything else could notch up the eww factor another tick).

Once he’s made the mistake of agitating the captive, things get messy. Sounds will be 70% of what you see, but in addition to the twisting of limbs into interesting shapes, showing the secondary effects (such as suddenly pouring blood from the splits in the body out of the bottom of the ball of meat that used to be a man) effectively re-emphasize the horror of what’s taking place.

A new angle for the headscraping action emphasizes the observing scientists place in the scene. Even as silhouettes, they can react by body language, or they can not react at all… either way it says something about them as characters.

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Finally, once the soldier has been wrung out and given a shiny new haircut, we switch out to a low angle that places all three actors (the captive, the soldier, and the scientists as a group) into the frame and displays the mass of pulpy, chunky gore that’s been sprayed across the laboratory. After holding him in the air to squeeze out a bit more juice, he’s dropped into a floppy lump that barely resembles anything human now.

This is a one-day initial rough pass on elements from the animatic, board and script. With additional time and focus we’ll improve the level of detail and design.

clean keys for the bump, plus rough tweens. All scratch time, and we still need to drop in the shadow work.

rough animatic layout for the VV bump.

In-house sequence for use on the reel, and wherever else it seems appropriate.

Closing mockup showing how we transition to black.

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Explosion check

What could I possibly say? Nortega silliness. It makes for some fun loops if you fiddle with the frames.

Complete keys and rough tweens for the entire spot. The logo treatment at the end is a mockup, and we’re still lacking the rain of splinters around the middle, but principle animation is essentially complete, barring corrections.

Second round of keys. This cut also includes cleanup tweens for frames 001-035, and runs out to the bat inside the store (078). This does not include the layer of splinters that rain down during the hold at 51 (staring at the bat). We’re just over the halfway point, and we’ve got about five flex points to adjust timing if necessary.

Keys and rough tweens for frames 001-038. About the first quarter of the total, estimated. Normally we’d break keystests up by cut, but since this piece essentially has no cuts, we’ll be posting as we go.

Because of the rough nature of the “clean” keys, the rough tweens fit in more seamlessly than usual. Nevertheless there’s a lot of elements not included here, such as a thicker defining line, color, shadows, etc. This keystest only serves to test motion and timing.

Additional adjustments made to both the storefront and the body/uniform of the character.

Possible adjustment to the final frame of the first spot.

Second animatic for Modell, built to blend with the first spot, so we can have either two short pieces that stand alone or one longer piece suitable for multiple formats.