Hybride, a division of Ubisoft, in collaboration with Industrial Light & Magic, recently completed VFX work on 318 shots for acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited and highly anticipated new film, Pacific Rim.
This is the second time the Quebec-based studio has participated on a film directed by the Academy Award®-winning director. The project was yet another opportunity for Hybride’s team of artists to showcase their expertise by creating motion graphic animations that serve as key narrative elements to help drive the story forward.
Hybride delivered graphic design content for the holographic projections inside robot (Jaeger) cockpits (Conn-Pods), as well as inside control rooms (Loccents). For the cockpit HUDS (head-up displays), Hybride’s graphic designers were faced with the challenge of creating visual signatures for graphics to help identify each robot’s country of origin, allowing audiences to instantly recognize Jaegers. To achieve this effect, Hybride’s team of artists created a series of color and graphic styles specific to each country’s robot. For the 2012 and 2023 versions of the American Jaeger, Gypsy Danger, Hybride produced arm grid and hand disk holograms around the pilot suits. The team also designed and created motion graphics for control room monitors and also designed and integrated the holographic television screens and computer monitors seen throughout the film.
“It was great to collaborate with Industrial Light & Magic and a fantastic opportunity to showcase our creative team’s talent as well as the efficiency of our production team,” said Daniel Leduc, VFX Producer at Hybride. “Pacific Rim was a wonderful project from start to finish and being surrounded by so much talent helped create a truly collaborative and rewarding work environment.”
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the film stars Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day and Ron Perlman. Presented by Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures, Pacific Rim was released in theatres July 12, 2013.