Framestore's Visdev Team Talks Blender at BCon

In a talk that blended technical insight with artistic innovation, Senior Visual Development Artists Juan Hernandez and Stefan Mayr shared how their small but agile team uses Blender to help directors visualise and design their characters long before filming begins.

On How to Train Your Dragon, the team took concept art and translated this blueprint into 3D models, while also conducting early character studies to explore movement. On John Krasinski’s IF, the team were concepting entirely new characters from scratch — all inside Blender. From initial design, rapid iterations to high-quality renders, the software’s flexibility allows the team to ideate quickly, respond to notes, and deliver compelling visuals that set the trajectory for the final look and performance when the baton passes to our VFX and animation artists in post-production.

Working across modelling, rigging, lighting and rendering, the Visdev team exemplifies how imaginative use of technology underpins Framestore’s approach to storytelling. The talk is a powerful example of how Blender enables Framestore’s artists to work smarter, move faster, and have a major impact on the final look of a production — all while staying true to the director’s vision.

The presentation covers:

• How Framestore’s Visual Development team uses Blender in film preproduction to design and visualise characters and creatures.
• Behind-the-scenes insights from major projects How to Train Your Dragon and IF.
• How Blender enables rapid creative iteration, helping teams respond quickly to director and client feedback.
• The role of visual development in shaping the final look of a film, before assets move into full VFX and animation production.