GHOST IN THE SHELL

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GHOST IN THE SHELL

The sequences and images in the reel represent a compilation of work created for the Ghost in the Shell live action film, which includes everything from animation tests to final assets implemented in the film.

SOLOGRAMS

Early on in the film’s development, I met with Rupert to discuss some of the creative direction. He expressed his desire to paint the city with neon lights in a new form that he coined as “Solograms”, which are solid holograms. It is something in the realm of a particle system of light that can be moved and augmented in Z space. I loved the idea and instantly got to work building out concepts and ideas. Below you will see a mix of various style frames, concepts, and final production assets that made it into the film. These concepts then went into post production where Chris Bjerre and I animated and created an asset library for Rupert to paint his city with.

CITY

Pulling muse from the amazing original source material, I aimed to craft a look and style that would match Rupert’s vision, while still maintaining the essence of the original manga and anime. By merging physical buildings with the Solograms, old neon lights, and holograms, I aimed to paint a multi-layered facade over the city to bring it to life. I wanted it to feel as if the viewer was taking a psychedelic journey wavering between the realms of alternate reality and virtual reality.

PROPS

I have always wanted to build out actual concepts and props for films ever since I was a young boy. It was an honor to adapt and build upon some of the iconic cars and props that I grew up adoring, such as Batou’s car and the Major’s bike. The images below are a collaborative effort with fellow artist and Lead Concept artist on the film, Maciej Kuciara. It was an incredibly fun exchange.

CAMO

During the post production phase of Ghost in the Shell, the VFX team wanted to explore how the Major’s suit would activate and work. Chris Bjerre and I did many different tests and simulations. The images below capture some of the early research and development as we progressively discovered what the final effect would be in the film.

POSTERS

Maciej and I pitched a few poster renditions for the marketing of the film. Although the posters were not eventually commissioned, we really enjoyed connecting and building them out regardless.

LOGOS

Designing the logo and identity for the franchise was a great privilege. I did my best to pay homage to the past, yet bring a fresh look and feel for this new film. The variations and images below reflect my personal artistic exploration as I built iteration after iteration until the final logo was realized to brand the film franchise.

LOST CONCEPTS

After working on the film project for about a year, there were various tests and concepts that never made it through to the final film edit. However, I really enjoyed the process of making them and wanted to share some of them with you nonetheless. Please enjoy!

BEHIND THE SCENES

One of the many memorable moments working on this project was the ability to work and collaborate with great friends and people I admire. Below are some images captured along the journey. Thank you everyone for all of the support and having me involved on the project.

TEAM

Director - Rupert Sanders
Lead Concept Artist - Maciej Kuciara
Lead Concept Artist - Vitaly Bulgarov
Concept Artist/Designer - Ash Thorp
Designer - Chris Bjerre
Reel Editor - Franck Deron

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