The Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival served as a stage this year for the visual effects industry to showcase some of its behind-the-scenes work. TransPerfect, through its audiovisual division TransPerfect Media, organized a panel discussion dedicated to breaking down the creative and technical process behind the visual effects of The Carpenter's Son, one of the productions featured in the 59th edition of the festival.
Interest in these types of meetings has grown in recent years within festivals specializing in fantasy and horror cinema, where the visual and technological component is often as decisive as the narrative. In this case, the session provided a first-hand look at how supernatural scenes are constructed by combining digital elements with the actors' live performances.
A panel discussion focused on the work of The Mill
The talk, titled Snakes, Fire and the Unholy Supernatural: Building the VFX of The Carpenter's Son, was moderated by Jacques Barreau, Vice President of Media and Interactive Entertainment at TransPerfect Media. Also participating were Ryan Bardoul, CG/3D Supervisor, and Barthélémy Beaux, 2D Supervisor, both from The Mill, a creative studio integrated into TransPerfect.
As explained during the meeting, The Mill's team worked for six months on developing the film's visual effects, completing a total of 125 VFX shots. The Carpenter's Son is directed by Lotfy Nathan and stars Nicolas Cage, FKA twigs, and Noah Jupe, offering a dark reimagining of biblical tales through the lens of supernatural horror.
Snakes, fire, and supernatural manifestations
During the session, the speakers reviewed some of the most complex challenges they faced, such as the digital creation of snakes, fire, and other supernatural manifestations that appear in various scenes of the film. The goal, they explained, was to ensure these elements integrated naturally with the actors' performances.
Ryan Bardoul detailed the team's standard workflow when facing these types of challenges: "Our job is basically to create things from scratch. Something like fire, which can be dangerous, and we place it in the scene. We talk to the director to know how to capture it in the scene and how they want it. Then, we adjust the colors, add details, and use techniques to make it look real and integrate it into the actors' performances."
For his part, Barthélémy Beaux emphasized the balance between creativity and technical precision that this type of work requires: "What we do is a mix of art and science. We think about the challenges of placing elements that were not in the original recording to provide realism. It would be ideal to be able to use a real snake, but it is impossible, so we must introduce elements that interact with the movement of the actors."
TransPerfect Media, present in several festival productions
TransPerfect Media's participation in this year's Sitges festival was not limited to the panel discussion. The company has been involved in various technical and localization tasks for other films included in the festival's program.
In the field of visual effects, it developed 350 VFX shots for Father Joe and another 35 for Too Many Beasts. In localization, it handled the French subtitles for Nightborn and Her Private Hell, a film for which it also created the Digital Cinema Package (DCP).
The company also provided an audio room with Dolby Atmos technology for Apocalipsis Z: Parte II, as well as facilities for the dubbing and mixing in Spanish and Catalan of Monstruosa Mia, a production for which it also provided dubbing services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Carpenter’s Son?
It is a supernatural horror film directed by Lotfy Nathan, starring Nicolas Cage, FKA twigs, and Noah Jupe, which reinterprets biblical tales from a dark perspective.
What role did The Mill play in the film?
The Mill, a creative studio integrated into TransPerfect, was responsible for developing the production's visual effects, working for six months on a total of 125 VFX shots.
Who participated in the Sitges panel discussion?
The session was moderated by Jacques Barreau of TransPerfect Media and featured Ryan Bardoul, CG/3D Supervisor, and Barthélémy Beaux, 2D Supervisor, both from The Mill.
What other Sitges films did TransPerfect Media work on?
The company was involved in Father Joe, Too Many Beasts, Nightborn, Her Private Hell, Apocalipsis Z: Parte II, and Monstruosa Mia, with work in visual effects, localization, subtitling, dubbing, and audio.
What type of visual effects were addressed in the panel discussion?
The discussion focused primarily on the digital creation of snakes, fire, and other supernatural manifestations, explaining how these elements are integrated with the actors' real performances.
