Twisted Metal Season 2

The most ambitious sequence was the Watkyns storm, a lightning-filled car combat scene. A custom Houdini system was developed to choreograph bolts of electricity across the sky and near the practical vehicles, with sparks added using a catalogue of simulations designed to match and extend practical effects. Vehicle tracking and ground geometry provided lighting interaction, reflections, and volumetric smoke, while practical Tesla Towers were digitally extended for scale and scope. The lightning system was further adapted for energy weapons and the electrocution of a character, combining subsurface passes, body-tracked electricity crawls, and particle simulations to intensify the effect.

We developed the ‘Soul-Sucking’ effect for Grimm, a character who may consume the souls of his victims. The effect featured strands flowing from victims’ eyes and mouths to Grimm, created using Houdini simulations that controlled flow, density, and movement, enhanced with smoke and mist for atmosphere. Grimm also required a digital double for stunts too dangerous to film practically. These included landing in the back of a moving vehicle, being hit by a missile, blown off his bike by an explosion, and thrown against a moving car. Hand animation provided precision, then hair and cloth simulations were added to make the stunts feel realistic and impactful.

Our artists’ work is visible throughout Season 2, enhancing car combat sequences with muzzle flashes, tracer fire, and bullet impact effects. Digital matte paintings extended the landscapes, from old industrial buildings to Earth and stars seen through a space capsule window. Character effects included teeth being knocked out, a talking baby (delightfully shouting ‘kill them!) and a mix of 2D and 3D blood for stunts involving a treadmill, table saw, and split head effect. Flames, skin burns, and impalements were added, alongside paintballs hitting vehicles, missiles, explosions, and a malfunctioning forcefield, underscoring the high-energy and chaos of the series.

The final result is a visually diverse, action-packed season that demanded flexibility and creativity across disciplines, blending spectacle and storytelling in equal measure.

On collaborating with our team, show-side VFX Supervisor Joshua Spivack shares that, “Framestore was an invaluable partner in the visual effects process for Twisted Metal Season 2. Every render was of the highest quality, and we could always rely on their creative eye to bring the most out of every sequence. Their integration was seamless, grounding large visual effects while opening up story possibilities.”

He continues, “Framestore showed an ability to take on a wide variety of work, leading our largest effects episode with the massive atomic lightning storm, creating bespoke effects such as the Grimm soul-sucking effect, showcasing digi-double strength with a photoreal Mr. Grimm, extending sets from Seattle to space, and managing all kinds of 3D-2D effects from blood, tracers, explosions, driving comps, and everything in-between. There was no challenge the team was not up for. We found this to be a partnership we could rely on, and the results speak for themselves.”

VFX Supervisor Nick Tanner adds: “Working on Twisted Metal was an exciting process for the whole team. The wide scope of the work, from the subject matter (Explosions!, Blood and Gore! Lightning! Electricity! Gunfire! Soul Sucking!) to the variety and combinations of techniques we employed allowed everyone to bring their best to the show and I think every discipline in digital effects was well represented.”