From SlashFilm · Rafael Motamayor · · 1m 10s
Project Hail Mary Uses Animatronic Rocky
Project Hail Mary used animatronic Rocky for one scene to avoid VFX issues with LED screens.
In brief
Project Hail Mary used animatronic Rocky for one scene to avoid VFX issues with LED screens. Project Hail Mary used animatronic Rocky in a mental health room scene to avoid VFX erasure of puppeteers around LED screens. Originally reported by SlashFilm.
Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary is a sci-fi film based on Andy Weir's novel with Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace.
Rocky the Alien
Rocky is a character in Project Hail Mary who is mostly a puppet but occasionally an animatronic.
Animatronic Rocky System
The animatronic 'WALDO' system was used for Rocky in scenes where LED screens would be visible.
Mental Health Room Scene
Rocky's animatronic version was used in the mental health room scene to avoid VFX erasure of puppeteers.
Why Animatronic Was Chosen
James Ortiz said the animatronic would be too rigid for Rocky's movements, so a rod puppet was used instead.
VFX Solution
The animatronic was placed on a ball with a cable to hold it in place, then erased around it in post-production.
The headline
Project Hail Mary used animatronic Rocky in a mental health room scene to avoid VFX erasure of puppeteers around LED screens.
