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September 18, 2026 - September 19, 2026
London

In Motion London

In Motion London is where creatives come together to celebrate motion design and animation. Discover new voices, latest trends and everything that sets inspiration in motion. 

AMAZE.AMAZE.AMAZE: Animating Project Hail Mary's Rocky

In Project Hail Mary, Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) embarks on a mission to solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction… but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.

No stranger to a space-set saga, Framestore’s visual effects teams have been lending their magic touch to Grace’s starship and the new species (Rocky) he encounters while trying to save the world.

How do you give a soul to a faceless alien? How do you convey deep intelligence, humor, and heartbreak using only five arms and a metallic carapace? How do you make an audience cry for a creature that looks like a giant spider-crab made of stone? Join Arslan Elver, Senior Animation Supervisor at Framestore, as he breaks down the creative journey of bringing Rocky to life. This session dives deep into the challenges of discovering a unique physical language for an alien with no eyes, no face, and no human expressions.

MEET THE SPEAKER

Arslan Elver | Senior Animation Supervisor

A self-taught animator, Arslan specialises in conjuring nuanced, deeply resonant characters. His craftsmanship was most recently displayed throughout John Krasinski's IF, a huge, animation-heavy project demanding dozens of unique hero characters.

An AMPAS member who has worked on blockbuster franchises like Harry Potter, Star Wars and the MCU (he was key to establishing the hugely-popular 'Baby Groot' character), Arslan has also lent his skills to projects like Where The Wild Things Are and the Oscar-nominated Christopher Robin - both of which were praised for their quiet, zen-like approach to character animation. Arslan recently finished working on Project Hail Mary.