Digital Domain Unleashes VFX for the George Nolfi directed ‘Elevation,’ Bringing the Reapers to Life
Digital Domain, a leader in visual effects (VFX), is proud to announce its integral role in bringing the creatures of the apocalyptic world of “Elevation” to life. From the development of the insect-like “Reapers” to the creation of breathtaking full-CG environments, Digital Domain’s artists, led by VFX Supervisor Piotr Karwas, delivered a stunning array of VFX across multiple sequences, showcasing the team’s creativity, technical expertise, and collaboration.
From Concept to Execution: Creating the Reapers
Collaborating closely with production-side VFX Supervisor Nathan McGuinness, the Digital Domain team developed the film’s key creature—the “Reapers.” Tasked with designing bug-like creatures with many digits, Nathan and Piotr enlisted a team of creature designers to bring their vision to life. The team quickly refined the design with final approval from director George Nolfi (“The Adjustment Bureau” and “The Banker”).
The VFX studio’s creature work was integral to the film and can be seen throughout, including a tense hospital scene in which one of the Reapers is blown apart. The complexity of this shot, where the inside and outside of the hospitals were filmed in different locations, presented a unique challenge for the team. However, the artists seamlessly blended all the elements together for the action-packed scene.
Visualizing the Film’s Climax
Digital Domain’s previs team, led by Jason Donnelly, also played a pivotal role in crafting the film’s climax, where the two actors had a final showdown against the alien invaders in the mountains. By using their real-world shoot locations, the team could choreograph the layout and map out the action beats so the director and onset production knew exactly what they would see. The Digital Domain previs team also supplied several options for composing shots and actions beforehand in tandem with look-developing the creatures’ heavy FX-driven deaths.
There was an added challenge due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. However, by combining existing footage with additional previs, the team was able to create a compelling climax and significantly increase the tension.
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Full-CG Environments for the Final Battle
VFX Supervisor Piotr Karwas proposed an ambitious solution to reimagine the final battle entirely in full CG, featuring both creatures and a dynamic fight sequence. Given the logistical challenges of filming on location, a small team traveled to Colorado with drones to capture reference photography.
Another key contribution by Digital Domain artists was the recreation of the stunning Rocky Mountain environment in Colorado for the final battle. Given the production constraints during the SAG-AFTRA strike and the lack of available plates, Piotr’s idea of creating the needed shots to expand the ending in full CG featuring digital doubles was approved. A small crew from Digital Domain flew to Colorado to survey the locations and gather the necessary reference photography to recreate the scene. They meticulously crafted every detail of the CG environment—from towering trees and rugged mountains to the smallest elements of the landscape, including CG people, and several monstrous creatures. The final result was an immersive, CG environment that felt both visually striking and entirely realistic. Environment Supervisor Krista McLean led the team in this effort, ensuring that every element seamlessly fit into the visual narrative of the film.
The sequences featuring the creatures running through the woods were the most technically complex shots in the film. They required precise integration of digital creatures with practical elements. Rendering these creatures as they moved through dense forests involved advanced simulation techniques and careful attention to their environmental interactions. The final result is impressive and stands out as one of the film’s highlights.
From previs to FX to environment, roto, and more, “Elevation” showcases the close collaboration between the multiple teams at Digital Domain.
“Elevation” is now available on AppleTV+ and Amazon Prime Video.