The Fin team are proud to have been the visual effects partner entrusted with bringing the infamously ‘companion-turned-murderer’ AI robot doll M3GAN to life in the acclaimed comedy horror, directed by Gerard Johnstone and produced by Jason Blum, Blumhouse Productions and James Wan, Atomic Monster.

Responsible for the realism and continuity of M3GAN, Fin delivered the 550 visual effects shots which encompassed the full scope of VFX disciplines: from numerous invisible effects, CG facial replacements, FX narrative enhancements, to complex CG solutions.

Right from the outset, Fin was consulted more as a ‘creative partner than a vendor’ with director Gerard Johnstone, and producers Melissa Brockman, Couper Samuelson and Jennifer Trent. The overriding focus in all the creative conversations on script visualisation was that M3GAN had to feel “almost real” – as a convincing, lifelike mechanical robot with associated movement and expression limitations, yet capable of subtle (and chilling) facial nuances that create connection.

Jonathan Dearing, Fin VFX Supervisor confirmed how this translated into “complex and specialised visual effects work” by the Fin team to seamlessly “blend” the different versions of M3GAN for a consistently realistic likeness of M3GAN’s skin, eyes, lips, hair and clothing.  

The Fin VFX artists, working off detailed references including Lidar scans of the robot models, and actual fabric swatches of M3GAN’s dress, meticulously matched the onset animatronic, puppeteered dolls, prosthetic mask worn by the stunt performing actor Amie Macdonald, and the full digi-double, M3GAN (created for the entirely CG climatic robot battle scene).

“M3GAN was one of those unique projects that stand out in bringing Fin’s agility to the fore, as there truly was something for every VFX artist”

Rick van de Schootbrugge, Fin Compositing Supervisor. 

Subtly nailing M3GAN’s plausibility was simultaneously a creatively and technically challenging but totally rewarding achievement across all FIN VFX departments. CG Supervisor, Phil Sloggett, attributed the film’s success to “the great cohesion and coordination between all Fin artists, the director, producers and all those on set, stunt and production design crew”.  In the end, the project’s collaborative nature fostered strong relationships that Fin looks forward to maintaining with Blumhouse Productions in future endeavours.

Jason Blum, after seeing the final version of M3GAN, commended the team, “Fin’s work on the film M3GAN was exceptional.”