“A Thousand Fangs,” an HBO Max original series, plunges viewers into the harrowing depths of the Amazonian rainforest. It follows a commando team on a perilous mission that spirals into a fight for survival against unseen forces, mirroring the chaotic beauty and dangers of the jungle itself.
Jaime Osorio´s ambitious vision for “A Thousand Fangs” was further compounded by daunting and challenging locations : deep within the jungle, or deep into the earth.
The challenges of filming “A Thousand Fangs” including steady low light conditions and no amenities or studio resources across the whole series, and it demanded practical, budget-and practical conscious solutions. Without relying always on chroma or traditional setups, we innovatively recreated vegetation, set extensions and shot planning, showcasing a pragmatic approach to achieving artistic goals within the constraints of the production.
Complex Volumetric Setups and action scenes in places where having control over the shoot, made for carefully planed sequences to keep costs within budget.
Interactive light coming from the Gun, and the boat damaged search light was a major challenge. We had to adjust across several departments as some of the shots where not possible to execute in vfx. Direction being aware of the challenge since pre production, was able to plan accordingly.
MILITARY TRANSPORT
In pre-production for “A Thousand Fangs,” meticulous planning was crucial to address the proposed night flights on military helicopters, a concept that posed significant budgetary and logistical concerns. Tests were conducted to ensure the jungle’s visualization at night met the director’s expectations and that CGI helicopters would resonate with the intended realism. This proactive approach successfully mitigated potential costs that might arise from inadequate camera material, which often leads to post-production fixes, editing cuts, or the selection of safer shots that might compromise the story’s perceived production value.
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.
Extensive testing was done in order to better attain what was possible to do within the timeframe and budget we had at hand. The size of the Jungle and the dramatic shots needed to tell some key sequences were a major topic to tackle. During our R&D we came up with workable solutions to avoid technical bottle necks and overcosts.
MONSTERS IN THE SHADOWS
The creation of CGI creatures for the series required a harmonious blend of creative storytelling and technical prowess. The VFX team faced the formidable task of fabricating entities that could seamlessly inhabit the rainforest’s chaotic ecosystem, ensuring each creature’s design was both credible within the show’s fictional realm and resonant with the jungle’s natural horrors.
As the commando team’s mission unfolds into a struggle for survival, the visual representation of the jungle’s hidden threats needed to transcend the limits of practical effects. Crafting these CGI adversaries involved meticulous previsualization to guide actors and later on artists in order to bring these creatures to life.
Given the series’ setting and tone—inspired by the likes of “Heart of Darkness” and reminiscent of classics like “Apocalypse Now”—the creatures needed to embody a level of menace and enigma that complemented the storyline’s psychological tension.
VFX intervention was contained to very specific parts of the selected shots instead of the total lenght, creating further optimizations.
Planning for action sequences was key to align CGI work with the director’s vision, ensuring that the invisible threats carried the tangible terror the script demanded.
Visualization of the creatures was paramount to understand risky areas of the budget, and early understanding of them allowed to plan the story line towards the early development of the Second Season
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