How Netflix’s sci-fi thriller “Atlas” used cutting-edge visual effects

Netflix’s Sci-Fi thriller “Atlas” follows the story of Atlas Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez), a brilliant but misanthropic data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence. When she joins a mission to capture a renegade robot with whom she shares a mysterious past, she finds herself in unforeseen challenges; as the mission takes unexpected twists, Atlas realizes that her only chance of saving humanity’s future from AI is to trust it.

We had the opportunity to speak with Aaron Eaton, Cantina VFX Supervisor, about the detailed compositing process and the crucial role of Adobe After Effects on the project. Read below for more behind the scenes.

How did you first get into VFX? What drew you to it?

I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the broad subject of Multimedia. It was during college that I took various film related courses, including one specifically for After Effects. I decided the VFX path was calling me. Also my initials are AE, so I guess my path to After Effects was already decided for me at birth. I was immediately drawn to the unique combination of computer technology and creative artistry that is at the heart of Visual Effects. It felt like the perfect fit for someone like me who loves tech, has an analytical and creative brain, and no desire to do fine art.

What was the inspiration behind your VFX work on the film? What were you trying to achieve?

Our inspiration came from pre-designed graphics by our partners at Territory Studio. Much of the design language was already established when we came on board. With our additional holograms and graphics that we created, our goal was to bring a sense of realism, grounding them in their environments to serve specific purposes. For example, when designing the consumer-based holograms like the augmented reality TV wall, coffee machine hologram, alarm clock and chess game hologram, the goal was to make them both sleek and functional, integrated with practical objects, designed to be flashy and exciting enough to draw shoppers eyes in a store and beat out the competitors. In contrast, the military tech holograms focused more on clarity of data.

What tools did you use on this project and why did you originally choose them? Were there any other third-party tools that helped enhance your workflow?

The vast majority of our compositing work was completed entirely in After Effects with designs done in Adobe Illustrator. A huge advantage of compositing in After Effects is the ability to keep design and animation living in the final composite. It gives the compositor broader creative control, allowing them to easily make tweaks to design/animation at any point in the process. We also used the third-party plugin Frischluft Out of Focus a lot, which allowed us to accurately recreate the natural anamorphic depth of field captured by the production lenses. Other third-party tools include a plethora of Andrew Kramer’s handy Video Copilot plugins.

How did you begin this project? Can you talk about the collaborative process with the director and/or editor, and the process of creating your work from start to finish?

When we first jumped on board, we had several calls with director Brad Peyton and VFX supervisor Lindy DeQuattro, where we discussed the overall vision and initial scope of work. This included creating several new holograms and compositing a large amount of graphics. We began our work with GFX packages developed by our friends at Territory Studios. This became the framework for all of the graphics seen inside Atlas’ Arc Suit — the large mech that she controls through a large portion of the film. Throughout the next 12 months, we continued to work closely with Lindy, collaborating on creative choices and discussing additional needs for the project. Our scope of work on the show continued to grow, until we were tracking over 600 shots.

Image Source: Netflix.

Describe your favorite piece or component of the project. How did it come together and how did you achieve it?

It's a small part of the movie, but I really like how the TV Wall hologram came out. It was very creatively open-ended from the start. The original pre-visualization was just a wall of screens and graphics. It felt futuristic and techy, but not consumer-based and functional, something you might want in your living room, filling up your entire wall. Our design shifted toward a subtle hologram, one that seamlessly blended into the empty wall, using shapes and color from the home's interior style, to become both a living part of the personal decor and also a way of engaging with TV content. The technology behind the hologram projection is that it can trick the eyes into seeing depth on the blank wall, depending on viewing angle, an augmented reality projection.

What were some specific challenges you faced? How did you go about solving them?

One challenge was maintaining continuity and consistency with graphics — color, positioning and overall feel. The sheer quantity of graphics in the film required that multiple vendors composite graphics in different scenes. Although we frequently shared tools and pre-rendered elements, maintaining consistency across the board was a challenge. With a combination of shared assets and visual reference, we were able to smooth it out in the end.

Another challenge was Smith — the AI hologram that talks to Atlas throughout the film. Because Smith was designed to be interactive in the way he speaks and moves, we needed to work closely with editorial to ensure that he was perfectly synced. If the dialogue was re-recorded or was shifted in the edit, we needed to render Smith quickly with those changes. To ensure that Smith was handled efficiently, we built a long scene-length sequence in After Effects that included each line of dialogue in its correct place. From there we rendered individual shot length Smith elements. This also meant that Smith’s overall movement and animation would be both unique from shot-to-shot and have accurate continuity across the entire sequence.

If you could share one tip about any or multiple Adobe tools you used, what would it be?

Several of the graphics and holograms in the film are close to the camera, and very out of focus. We took some time to develop a custom Iris shape based on depth of field reference from principal photography. This seemingly small thing makes a huge impact on the visual feel and realism of the composited graphics. To be able to use our custom Iris in After Effects, we used third party plugins Frischluft Out of Focus and Frischluft Depth of Field.

It's not much of a “hack,” but something else that really helped the pipeline for this project was to always keep an updated edit cut in Adobe Premiere Pro for each sequence/scene in the film. When working on 500+ shots simultaneously, this enabled us to quickly review our latest versions back to back, and helped immensely with controlling continuity throughout the sequence.

Who is your creative inspiration and why?

I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for all designers of futuristic UI. I especially love to view the work of Jayse Hansen, Toros Kose and Bradley Munkowitz. Personally, the most inspiring aspect of their creations is not necessarily in the design itself, but how it is visually ingested — the converging point between design and the real world — masterfully guiding light, shadow, medium, and lens.

What’s the toughest thing you’ve had to face in your career and how did you overcome it? What advice do you have for people aspiring to get into the VFX space?

Oddly enough, the toughest thing I’ve had to face in my career was self-inflicted — it was participating in the Los Angeles 48 Hour Film Project for 8 years. The challenge was the same each year — to create a unique 4-7 minute short film from start to finish within 48 hours. This includes storyboarding, script writing, shooting, editing, sound design, original score (in our case), and of course, visual effects. The genre, as well as a required prop, line of dialogue and character, were unknown until the challenge began. It was a side project, and it was always a fun and rewarding experience, but it was incredibly tough. Myself, along with a core group of talented individuals, were heavily involved in the entire process. My key focuses were cinematography and visual effects, which kept me 100 percent occupied for 48 hours straight, with potentially a couple hours of sleep. Our first film, packed with VFX, caused the organization to create a new category specifically for “Best Visual Effects.” Every one of our films went on to receive multiple awards, with our latest film also being awarded “Best Cinematography.”

My advice for people aspiring to get into VFX is relatively simple; come on in! I’ve seen people get into VFX from a multitude of career paths. If you’re willing to take the time to learn some programs, you will find your way in. There is an endless supply of guides/tutorials online. Start to create things that you like to create, and slowly fine tune your craft, creating a collection of work that you can show others. Feel free to reach out to people/companies in the industry, and start to build a small framework of connections.

Share a photo of where you work. What’s your favorite thing about your workspace and why?

Image Source: Aaron Eaton, Cantina VFX Supervisor

Image Source: Aaron Eaton, Cantina VFX Supervisor

This is my home office. I am surrounded by things that I enjoy — board games, legos and various knick knacks related to projects I’ve worked on. My desk is positioned in front of a window so that I can take a break from staring at screens, and gaze outside to the trees and distant hills. My favorite thing would be the full-size movie posters of films that I’ve worked on. They bring back some great memories.

Image Source: Aaron Eaton, Cantina VFX Supervisor

In the Cantina Los Angeles office, my favorite thing has to be the wonderful natural light that fills the office throughout the day. The sunsets are also incredible from up on the fifth floor.

Stream “Atlas” on Netflix.