Colin Farrell in a suit with a bandage by his eye and a bloody lip

Sugar

Led by Framestore Creative Director & VFX Supervisor John Kilshaw, our New York VFX team were tapped to craft some of the Sugar’s out-of-this-world visual effects. From John Sugar’s CG alien head to the extraterrestrial environments, FX bird murmuration, planet and sky terrain matte painting and more, our artists collaborated closely with the production team at Sugar to ensure the visual effects enhanced the story and maintained Farrell’s expressive performance.

 

 

 

Environments
Colin Farrell as John Sugar in alien form looking at his reflection in a mirror.

While conceptualizing the look of Sugar, our VFX teams studied an array of cultures - from tattoos and markings, and skin tones and textures. Various animals and creatures were referenced as well, and combined with the more human-like elements to create a look that felt organic and as though it could have evolved over a period of time.

When it came to the stylized infrared aesthetic of the alien world, we collaborated with the shoot and finishing teams on how the lighting could be treated while filming, and how it could be graded in post.

“This job is a fantastic example of what can happen when a great group of people come together to collaborate and carefully plan. The team over at Sugar were incredibly collaborative and it formed a really great camaraderie between everybody. And that collaboration, made a really big difference to the show,” 

-John Kilshaw, VFX Supervisor


“Framestore was an indispensable creative partner for our project. John Kilshaw guided, nurtured and realized our show’s effects in ways that challenged us and helped us see our own vision from a different perspective. John and Julie Long were very nimble; when plans changed - they quickly had suggestions, ideas and solutions. Ultimately, the filmmakers on our show felt very comfortable in Framestore’s hands and are overjoyed with the effects they created for a magical sequence.”

-David Diliberto, VFX Producer

Credits

VFX
Framestore
VFX Supervisors
Steve Sanchez, John Kilshaw
VFX Producer
Zamantha de Gula
VFX Coordinator
Sue Lin
2D Supervisor
Sebastien Boulange
CG Supervisor
Jon Burke
Production Company
Genre Films
VFX Producers
Neil Stelzner, David Diliberto
Director
Fernando Meirelles