The creature in this segment of the feature film Omniboat was originally intended to be created in CG. However, the cost and time associated with a full CG creature pipeline was not possible given the budget. The Meza’s and I decided miniature photography would be a comparable alternative to create the monster.

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The monster was created from cast latex, puppeted by fishing line, and shot in a small fish tank. I carefully studied the existing underwater photography shot by Ian Takahashi, and matched each setup based on lensing and water clarity.

This ensured the creature could be soft matted into the existing shots without a need for detailed roto. Once we were satisfied with the performance of the puppet, rough mockups were comp’d in Nuke, to ensure the directors were satisfied before moving on.