When I first started working on “Zero Contact” it was with a request for eight visual effects shots. It would end up having visual effects and motion graphics on every frame of the film and a 3-minute high concept intro that allowed for a pitch for Anthony Hopkins to be recast in the role of Finley Hart.
I was asked to create some VFX for the time-traveling villain. A sort of facial distortion to cover the face of the character that was actually played by different people. It was eight shots.
At this time there was no intention from the production to add any more VFX beyond these facial distortion effects.
It was clear to me that the film needed a significant visual overhaul for it to be saleable.
So I pitched the producers an initial idea to add some basic user interface to make the boxes on black seem a bit more compelling.
All my post work was done in Davinci Resolve/Fusion, Blender, and After Effects.
Building the Look
There were several sections of the file that I felt required different looks. That was achieved with some stylistic sections as well as a few mocked up operating systems to stand in for Windows and MacOS that I named HARTOS after the character Finley Hart in the film.
User Interface Design
I created several desktop user interfaces that I eventually animated. Loosely based on GNOME linux desktop, HARTOS had both and old and new OS versions as well as familiar looking and feeling HART ENTERPRISES branded software.
The following videos show the various interfaces that would lessen as the scene progressed.
Motion Opening
The film had a scripted opening with news clips playing as someone searched online and clicked links. I wanted to make something more compelling that would pull the viewer in.
I took over the development of this sequence and produced a complete motion graphic opening sequence that was shot in Los Angeles and posted together by myself and my partner.
Originally the opening was over 3 minutes. This final version was 2.5 which accomplished most of what I set out to do, which was to pull in the viewer to this mystery of who the led character was.
This was all created with favors (actors) and personal manpower.
Elements were shot and then inserted into the final animation. This shot was composited by a friend in Italy.
Beyond the opening, I wanted to add additional visual effects to security footage as well as a hacker interface for Finley Hart.
This clip shows the various overlays and user interfaces at work as well as additional second unit live-action shots that I directed for the inserts.
I also developed this group chat which used a bit of interface kitbashing and also featured an AI generated from waveforms of the actor’s voice and polar coordinates to create an eye shape.
Transtions
Several transitions were also created to combine the digital shots with live action plates that were shot.
This was VFX shots that we added to give some more scale and also because the production shots lacked the scope for the script.
This was composited by my partner Zeke Faust. It included the city background and touch pad.
The Japanese location was filmed without any real nod to the location being in Japan. So adding a little artwork to the walls was needed. The work was completed by the amazing artist and programmer Alexey Bogomolov.
This was another example of hacker overlays.
Something a little different to make the monotony of the zoom cameras and phones a little more interesting.
End Credits
In an attempt to bookend the film the same style of end credits was created as the opening to wrap the experience in a nice motion graphic look.
Creating the Machine
Finley Hart’s transportation machine was modeled, lit, and comped by Zeke Faust.
Color Grading & Finishing
I colored the movie in Davinci Resolve. Mostly fixing and balancing all the low-end cameras and phones that were used in the locations.
De-aging Finley Hart
I used basic smoothing and beautification tools in Resolve to de-age Anthony Hopkins.
Finley Hart in the Nexus
