With key decisions already in place by various vendors who later exited the production, our challenge was not only to adapt to the existing framework but also to navigate through the complexities that arose from earlier, potentially ill-informed choices. From creature design to location selection, each aspect had a cascading effect on the VFX department’s budget and the overall production strategy. Our entry at this late stage meant we had to quickly understand, adapt, and innovate within a set framework to ensure the project’s success without compromising on its artistic vision.
Despite production’s initial push for 2D animation for cost containment, we advocated for the use of 3D assets for the demons that required intervention in “30 Coins,” debunking the myth that 3D is always more expensive. This decision not only added depth to the characters but also made our workflow more efficient, art directable and proving cost-effective and flexible in the long run.
Our switch to 3D assets optimized productivity and smoothed production workflows, enabling efficient shot execution. This, along with fewer VFX shots, delivered high-quality results that aligned with Alex de la Iglesia’s vision cost-effectively.
CHARACTER ENHANCEMENT: BLIND DEMONS
The original vision for a pivotal character, presented a significant challenge. The character’s unique trait – a blind demon with a head covering that obstructed the actor’s vision – necessitated extensive VFX work. The initial plan required over 80 unaccounted VFX shots solely for rendering the character’s eyes shut, a process that threatened to inflate the production’s budget and timeline significantly.
Recognizing the potential for a creative yet pragmatic solution, Unbound Hub proposed an innovative approach that aligned with the director’s artistic vision while substantially reducing the project’s complexity and cost.
Our team suggested a modification in the portrayal of the demon character. By allowing the creature to open and close its eyes in specific, impactful scenes, we could maintain the eerie and unsettling effect intended by the director, Alex de la Iglesia, while dramatically decreasing the number of required VFX shots. This approach reduced the necessity from an overwhelming 80 shots to a mere 16 ensuring the character’s impact remained undiluted and the narrative’s integrity intact.
VFX intervention was contained to very specific parts of the selected shots instead of the total lenght, creating further optimizations.
LOCATION CHALLENGES: VFX HELL PALACIO LINARES
Exploding budget- A Ticking Bomb
At Palacio Linares, we faced a unique challenge: an octagonal room destined for green screen work, overlooked by mirrors across from the chroma key areas. Previous vendors, failed to document the mirror issue, leading to flawed assumptions about the budgeting and the liability it represented for the whole shoot.
The Location was dressed with 10 mirrors at different angles, and due to the historical nature of it certain interventions where not possible to do (blood puddles in the floor). The story required up to 30 extras and main characters at the time in complex scenes (fights and battles), and the location was already aproved for shooting when we joined the Team. NONE of this situations were being considered as an issue.
We identified all the potential riks areas, fully aware of the unique challenges presented by the activity within the space.
We highlighted to the production team the potential cost escalations if preemptive measures were not implemented.
Additionally, Alex de la Iglesia’s filming approach, involving three camera units in this confined area and his trademark limited takes, added another layer of complexity to our task.
Original Raytraced Vizualization of the location, to identify the angles and lenses that better served the story and minimaze the exposure to uncontrolled or impossible to realize vfx.
TACKLING THE CHALLENGE
In the intricate setting of Palacio Linares, we were confronted with a scene of considerable complexity: an octagonal room where up to 20 extras engaged in elaborate fight sequences, all reflected in the room’s extensive mirrors. The historical significance of the location imposed strict limitations on physical alterations, adding layers of complexity to our VFX strategy.
One key narrative element involved lost souls bleeding out, necessitating blood puddles on the historic floor tiles—a detail that could not compromise the integrity of the site. The presence of eight floor-to-ceiling mirrors meant these meticulously placed blood effects would be reflected, significantly amplifying the need for intricate rotoscoping, tracking, and cleanup efforts, especially under the challenging conditions of volumetric lighting.
To navigate these hurdles, our strategy embraced meticulously planned camera angles designed to preserve the scene’s dramatic impact while strategically avoiding the pitfalls posed by reflections. This careful orchestration minimized the reliance on chroma keying and mitigated the potential explosion of VFX shots, ensuring that each frame upheld the narrative’s authenticity without the additional burden of complex mirror reflections.
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