Digital Domain contributed 61 robot builds and 859 shots to The Electric State, based on Simon Stålenhag’s graphic novel, developing the main characters and essential environments.
Based on the 2018 graphic novel of the same name by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag, Netflix film The Electric State takes place after a robot uprising. Digital Domain, led by VFX Supervisor Joel Behrens, was the lead VFX vendor contributing to over 850 shots for the film.
The team's primary focus was to design and develop the film's main characters including Cosmo, Herman, Mr. Peanut, and Colonel Marshall Bradbury. By the end they were responsible for 61 character builds and developed nearly 480 assets, including everything from detailed characters to essential environmental elements like rocks, grass and terrain.
Logical and Physically Plausible
To animate and bring the film's robot characters to life, Digital Domain wanted to create realistic movements and interactions. They carried out motion studies and studied real robots from Boston Dynamics and advances in modern robotics to ensure that the robots' joints and overall structures were logical and physically plausible.
The project required them to pay meticulous attention to detail in their design and animation, so that each subtle movement and expression helps to convey the characters' emotions, enhancing their realism and connection with the audience. For example, Digital Domain’s artists designed Herman's face to incorporate the CRT elements of the screen, determining how he would move and emote with that retro design.
The artists also considered the performances of the on set motion actors who were captured on set in real time using Xsens motion capture suits and witness cameras, which greatly informed the animation process.
A Leap Forward
"As far as character pipeline and animation are concerned, this project marked a monumental leap forward for our entire team in terms of managing both the volume and complexity of characters," said Joel. "The scale of this undertaking pushed us to innovate and collaborate like never before. I am incredibly proud of every individual who contributed their talent and dedication to bring this ambitious vision to life."
Digital Domain also contributed to several environments and sequences important to the story. They worked on an amusement park sequence that features impressive crowd work and dramatic FX including robot damage and interactive lightning arcs.
A sequence in a shopping mall involved hundreds of animated robots, utilizing crowd simulations alongside hero animated robots. Many of these robots were from their Maya pipeline, others were developed by different vendors, requiring the team to ingest and integrate assets of varied styles and proportions to populate the scenes.
The Electric State is now playing on Netflix. digitaldomain.com
