A-X-L
Scope of work
Film Titles | VFX | Screen GFX | Creative Direction | Editorial
Client
Lakeshore Ent.
Date
August | 2018
The Project
Aimed at the under 10 years of age market, A-X-L is a film largely about the creation of artificial intelligence and the pitfalls of creating something intelligently independent yet also controllable. Wrapped in a story aimed at children, IMDB except – A-X-L is a top-secret, robotic dog who develops a special friendship with Miles and will go to any length to protect his new companion.
This project required an opening prologue that outlined everything the viewer needed to know before the film started, a Main-On-End title sequence and the conceptual design and execution for a series of various GFX and VFX shots throughout the film. Such a fun job!
The Prologue
The opening prologue of the film was a rather involved process. The aim was to create a 2-3 minute prologue that could set up the film’s concept in an interesting way that also housed all necessary information to support the films narrative.
From writing scripted dialogue between scientists, to showcasing months of development work inside a laboratory, the final result ended up as a recorded message showcasing a pitch treatment from a mythical tech company called Craine that was vying for a defence contract that would ultimately fund the creation of the A-X-L project.
Main-On-End
As the film ends, suggesting a potential sequel, the viewer is left knowing that A-X-L is alive and waiting to be rebuilt…. I know right… spoilers, much?
Following this films path, we wanted the Main-On-End to focus on the theme of rebuilding. In particular, re-building A-X-L from bike parts as that is the forte of our protagonist, Miles. The result is a graphic walk-through of this instructional process.
Fun fact: We used some actual bike parts. Skrrrt-Skrrrt! Bork-Bork!!
GFX & User Interface
Design
Throughout the film, a large portion of the narrative is expressed through scenes involving two employees from the Craine laboratory who are tracking down the A-X-L prototype as it runs wild throughout the country.
For this to work, we wanted to do two things:
One, create a user interface that played across a twelve screens set-up used by the employees at Craine. This involved planning out the screens allowing us to section out the narrative into modules.
And two, walk the line between what is visually realistic and what was visually entertaining for viewers under 10 years of age.
This body of design work needed to play out across computer monitors, mobile devices and also high tech helmet visors that could transmit data and project visual information.
Credits
Studio: Lakeshore Entertainment
Director: Oliver Daly
DOP: Tim Orr
Editor: Jeff McEvoy
Producer: David S. Goyer, Kevin Turen
Produced By: Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi,
Richard Wright, Eric Reid
Executive Producer: James McQuaide, David Kern, Elizabeth Gesas, Adam P. Schneider
Production Designer: Suzuki Ingerslev
Post Production Co: Supervixen Studios
VFX Supervisor: James McQuaide
Supervixen Editor: Daniel Bavell
Titles Design: Morten Rowley, Daniel Bavell
VFX Designer: Richie Ellis
Producer: Ian Johnson
3D: George Psomas, Ash Ross,
Compositor: Samuel Jorgensen, Zelko Dejanovic, Michael Koorey, James Hughes
Music: Ian Hultquist