KOJO Studios have delivered extensive post and VFX work on the critically acclaimed Indigenous vampire hunter series Firebite co-created by Warwick Thornton and Brendan Fletcher for See-Saw Films and AMC Studios.
Filmed in Coober Pedy in South Australia’s famous outback opal mining town, KOJO Studios was the sole picture post and VFX vendor on the 8 x 1hr episode series.
KOJO’s work included VFX shoot supervision, look development, dailies, editorial, 4K online, colour grading, visual effects and final delivery.
Firebite is a gritty, high-octane, effortlessly cool spin on the vampire and fantasy genre that follows two Indigenous Australian vampire hunters, Tyson and Shanika, on their quest to battle the last colony of vampires in the middle of the South Australian desert.
“This was certainly an ambitious project that Warwick and Brendan had a clear vision for, the KOJO Studios team worked above and beyond to bring their story to life and provide a complete creative, technical and production solution to the series.” said Marty Pepper, Executive Director of Post & VFX at KOJO Studios
“Oh my God. Firebite was so fast and furious, I had control until I didn’t and that was when KOJO Studios stepped in and made sure I was still in control.”
Warwick Thornton, creator/director/DP.
The series premiered in the US on AMC+ on the 16th of December whilst principal photography continued in South Australia, meaning KOJO Studio’s holistic service offering became a critical component to the project’s tight production schedule. With the last of the episodes airing on February 3rd, the team worked through January, delivering all 300 minutes of content, with over 400 final VFX shots, flawlessly and on time.
“From our first meeting, I knew we were in safe hands with KOJO. They have all the bells, whistles, hardware and software that you want to see in your post house, but it’s the attitude of the people that makes all the difference.”
Brendan Fletcher, co-creator.
Fletcher goes on, “The KOJO mob are deeply committed to supporting your vision and are tireless in the realisation of that. We had an insane delivery schedule that I wouldn’t wish on any post house, but KOJO managed this without ever making me feel we were cutting corners or compromising for the sake of a deadline. They are committed to serving the story and constantly ready to be nimble and fluid as the process requires,”
Brendan confirmed it was one of the best post experiences of his career,
“Powered from the top by Marty and Elene Pepper, KOJO were a privilege to work with and delivered high-quality work under extreme pressure with a calm, can-do attitude. They really love what they do and it shows. This is what collaboration is all about.”
Founded in 1991, KOJO Studios is one of Australia’s most experienced post-production and VFX companies having worked with producers, directors and studios across the globe over the past 31 years including Netflix, BBC Studios, Warner Bros, Universal, AMC, Focus Features, Amazon Prime and Stan.
KOJO Studios has completed almost 100 projects across film and series with credits including Mortal Kombat, You Won’t Be Alone, The Nightingale, Wolf Creek, The Babadook, The Lucky One, Hotel Mumbai and I am Mother.
Watch trailer here
To explore more of what KOJO Studios post-production and VFX services can offer your production contact:
Dale Roberts
Managing Director
kojo.com.au