In early 2022, as part of my third-year project at Media Design School, I had the opportunity to work on a team assessment with the entire student cohort of the Bachelor of Art and Design program. The class consisted of around 30 students specializing in three mediums: Animation, Comping, and Technical Directing. Under the guidance of director Peter McCully, a lecturer at the school, Perilune was made, a disaster short film set in space.
The experience of working on this project provided an authentic taste of industry experience, as we were required to work collaboratively with students from different disciplines to achieve our goals. As a technical director on the team, I was responsible for ensuring the smooth delivery of visual effects, including the creation of photo-realistic models, an animated newsroom segment and a handful of camera layout tasks.
Working on Perilune was an incredible learning experience that allowed me to refine my skills in a professional environment while working alongside other talented students. It was also an opportunity to gain insight into the collaborative nature of the industry, as we worked together to bring the directors vision to life. I am proud to have been a part of this project and to have contributed to the success of the team.
Perilune is currently being shown at various film festivals and is not yet available for public release.
AWARDS
Golden State Film Festival (2023) - Best Director (Short Animation)
Fortean Film Festival (2023) - Platinum Award - Best Movie (Short)
Platinum Award - Best Science-Fiction Film
Platinum Award - Best Special Effects
Platinum Award - Best Science-Fiction Film
Platinum Award - Best Special Effects
2024 Action/Adventure Screenplay Festival - Best Action Film (Audience Award Winner)
TOP NOMINEES
TOP NOMINEES
Lonely Wolf International Film Festival (2023) - Best CGI & VFX
Best Sci-Fi
Best Sci-Fi
2024 Climax Film Festival - Best Achievement in Visual Effects
SEMI-FINALISTS
SEMI-FINALISTS
2024 Film Haus Film Festival - Best Sci-Fi
2024 FARO Film Fest - Best Visual Effects
HONORABLE MENTIONS
HONORABLE MENTIONS
2023 Paris Film Awards
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
2023 Golden State Film Festival.
2023 Planet Cinema
2023 Paris Film Awards
2023 Cannes Independent Film Festival
2023 LA Shorts International Film Festival
2023 Paris International Film Festival
2023 LA Action Film Festival
2023 Fortean Film Festival
2023 We Make Movies International Film Festival
2023 Lonely Wolf International Film Festival
2024 Film Haus Film Festival
2024 AEAF Awards
2024 CLIMAX Film Festival
2024 FARO Film Fest
2024 Action/Adventure Screenplay Festival
About the Film
Trailer for Perilune (2022)
Perilune is an award winning sci-fi short film directed by Peter McCully. The film follows a young New Zealand astronaut, Alex da Costa, aboard the Ra1 spacecraft. She finds herself in a desperate situation when a freak accident occurs, causing the craft to be drawn closer to the moon. As the situation becomes increasingly perilous, she must use all her skills and ingenuity to try to save herself before it's too late. With stunning visual effects and a heart-stopping storyline, Perilune is a thrilling journey into the vast and dangerous depths of space.
Software I used:
Maya | ZBrush | Houdini | Photoshop | Redshift | ShotGrid | Thinkbox Deadline
Laptop Asset
When I first started on the project, I was assigned to model a laptop asset for the interior of the cabin. It was one of the early models created and served as a placeholder for many other TDs to use for any areas where a screen or similar-sized technology would be present. I used Maya to model the laptop, and I surfaced it using Photoshop before rendering it with Redshift in Houdini. This asset was an excellent starting point for me, and it got me excited about the project and ready to tackle more assigned tasks.
Wall C
I was given the task to compile existing assets and create new ones for Wall C, one of the four walls located inside the cabin. As part of my task, I modeled new assets like the medkit, defibrillator, and laptop wall mount, and compiled other assets that had already been created for the wall (including my laptop asset). After completing the models and compiling them in Maya, I moved on to Houdini to attach all the textures and materials needed for the final look. The wall and its assets were then ready to be sent down the pipeline to for all walls to be attached.
News Graphic
I was given the task of creating the graphic for the News scenes. The scene involved the moon and the animation of two icons, one representing the Ra1 spacecraft and the other, a nearby ship named Orion. The icons pinpointed the trajectory of the Ra1 as it headed towards Gagarin crater. To achieve this animation, I utilised Maya's motion trail tool to have the icon follow a NURB curve into the moon. For the Ra1 icon model, I used a decimated version of the full Rai1 asset to better fit the scene. Working closely with the director Peter, we went through a few iterations to ensure the graphic was just right, the end result was truly rewarding to see in the final film.
Camera Layout
Through this film project, I completed several camera layout tasks using Maya. These involved setting up cameras for various shots with the tracked data I was given. These shots included all of the news room, as well as some of the mission control scenes.
