Honda
Your Dreams Engineered
VFX as an extension of the physical world - making human dreams tangible.
Completely believable impossible objects
From the very beginning, we wanted the VFX to feel like an extension of the physical world rather than something that had simply been added in post. The central idea was that a human dream could become something tangible — something you could see, touch, interact with and ultimately engineer. Our challenge was to make these surreal, impossible objects feel completely believable within the real world.
Completely believable impossible objects
From the very beginning, we wanted the VFX to feel like an extension of the physical world rather than something that had simply been added in post. The central idea was that a human dream could become something tangible — something you could see, touch, interact with and ultimately engineer. Our challenge was to make these surreal, impossible objects feel completely believable within the real world.
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Early stage development
We were involved from the earliest stages, even before the job was awarded, developing tests and visual experiments alongside Pablo London. Jonathan Box, our Creative Director and VFX Supervisor, worked closely with the team at Pablo to establish how we could bring the concept to life. We knew almost every shot would involve some level of VFX, but we wanted to solve as much as possible in-camera first.
That meant working closely with production designer Sigita Simkunaite to create practical stand-ins for the dreams: small white spheres puppeteered on string, oversized beanbags, smoke-filled bubbles and even a giant room-sized PVC bubble that the talent could walk inside. These weren’t intended to be the final effects, but they gave us something physical to light, shoot and interact with, allowing the actors and camera to respond to something real.
That meant working closely with production designer Sigita Simkunaite to create practical stand-ins for the dreams: small white spheres puppeteered on string, oversized beanbags, smoke-filled bubbles and even a giant room-sized PVC bubble that the talent could walk inside. These weren’t intended to be the final effects, but they gave us something physical to light, shoot and interact with, allowing the actors and camera to respond to something real.
Early stage development
We were involved from the earliest stages, even before the job was awarded, developing tests and visual experiments alongside Pablo London. Jonathan Box, our Creative Director and VFX Supervisor, worked closely with the team at Pablo to establish how we could bring the concept to life. We knew almost every shot would involve some level of VFX, but we wanted to solve as much as possible in-camera first.
That meant working closely with production designer Sigita Simkunaite to create practical stand-ins for the dreams: small white spheres puppeteered on string, oversized beanbags, smoke-filled bubbles and even a giant room-sized PVC bubble that the talent could walk inside. These weren’t intended to be the final effects, but they gave us something physical to light, shoot and interact with, allowing the actors and camera to respond to something real.
That meant working closely with production designer Sigita Simkunaite to create practical stand-ins for the dreams: small white spheres puppeteered on string, oversized beanbags, smoke-filled bubbles and even a giant room-sized PVC bubble that the talent could walk inside. These weren’t intended to be the final effects, but they gave us something physical to light, shoot and interact with, allowing the actors and camera to respond to something real.
Dream states
For the dreams themselves, we combined simulation in Houdini with hand-crafted animation in Maya. This allowed us to balance organic, unpredictable movement with more intentional, characterful animation. We wanted each dream to feel as though it had its own physical properties and personality, rather than behaving like a conventional CG effect.
Dream states
For the dreams themselves, we combined simulation in Houdini with hand-crafted animation in Maya. This allowed us to balance organic, unpredictable movement with more intentional, characterful animation. We wanted each dream to feel as though it had its own physical properties and personality, rather than behaving like a conventional CG effect.
Gritty patinas
The Lithuanian locations also played a huge part in the look of the film. They had a wonderfully gritty, imperfect patina, and it was important that our digital elements inherited that character rather than feeling pristine or artificially ‘placed’ into the environment. We took detailed set surveys and extensive photographic references on location, giving us the information we needed to accurately recreate the lighting, textures and imperfections of the real spaces in post.
Gritty patinas
The Lithuanian locations also played a huge part in the look of the film. They had a wonderfully gritty, imperfect patina, and it was important that our digital elements inherited that character rather than feeling pristine or artificially ‘placed’ into the environment. We took detailed set surveys and extensive photographic references on location, giving us the information we needed to accurately recreate the lighting, textures and imperfections of the real spaces in post.
We also used emerging AI tools as part of our creative and technical workflow. We developed an internal process that allowed us to take basic, low-poly CG blocks and use AI to re-skin them with photorealistic textures. This meant we could test different environments and visual directions much more quickly, without having to commit to a traditional CG render every time. For us, AI wasn’t about replacing the craft or allowing the technology to dictate the image. It was another tool within the process, helping us iterate faster and, importantly, giving us more time to focus on the creative decisions.
We also used emerging AI tools as part of our creative and technical workflow. We developed an internal process that allowed us to take basic, low-poly CG blocks and use AI to re-skin them with photorealistic textures. This meant we could test different environments and visual directions much more quickly, without having to commit to a traditional CG render every time. For us, AI wasn’t about replacing the craft or allowing the technology to dictate the image. It was another tool within the process, helping us iterate faster and, importantly, giving us more time to focus on the creative decisions.
That balance between the practical and the digital became central to the whole project. Whenever possible, we wanted the CG team to build on something that had existed physically on set — real light, real interaction and real texture — and then push it beyond what was possible in-camera.
That balance between the practical and the digital became central to the whole project. Whenever possible, we wanted the CG team to build on something that had existed physically on set — real light, real interaction and real texture — and then push it beyond what was possible in-camera.
The collaboration continued throughout post. We worked closely with Jonathan, Ryan, Pablo and the wider team, constantly sharing references, reviewing edits and developing new ideas. Ryan created a very open environment where the principle was simple: the best idea wins. That allowed everyone involved to challenge the work and bring their own perspective to it.
The collaboration continued throughout post. We worked closely with Jonathan, Ryan, Pablo and the wider team, constantly sharing references, reviewing edits and developing new ideas. Ryan created a very open environment where the principle was simple: the best idea wins. That allowed everyone involved to challenge the work and bring their own perspective to it.
Ultimately, that collaborative approach felt completely right for the film. The story is about taking an idea that exists only as a dream and experimenting with it, testing it and shaping it until it becomes something real. In many ways, that’s exactly how we approached the VFX, starting with something impossible, building a physical foundation for it, experimenting with different techniques and gradually shaping it until the dream felt like it genuinely belonged in the world.
Ultimately, that collaborative approach felt completely right for the film. The story is about taking an idea that exists only as a dream and experimenting with it, testing it and shaping it until it becomes something real. In many ways, that’s exactly how we approached the VFX, starting with something impossible, building a physical foundation for it, experimenting with different techniques and gradually shaping it until the dream felt like it genuinely belonged in the world.
[Credits]
- Author • Black Kite Studios
