The Sydney Transmission
Responsible for all aspect and concept.
ZBrush · Maya · Mari · XGen · Substance Painter · ComfyUI · Nuke · Premiere
The Sydney Transmission is a short science-fiction film conceived as a love letter to Industrial Light & Magic and its history of pushing visual storytelling forward through technology. The story follows Aloysius Varnak, a former diplomat turned freight pilot, whose quiet life is interrupted by an unexpected transmission from ILM in Sydney. What begins as a simple message becomes a journey, pursued by the mysterious Wanderers , Aloysius races toward Earth and the place that has summoned him. At its heart, the film is about answering the call to create and about the excitement that comes from discovering what might be possible. The project also became an experiment in the kind of technological evolution that inspired it. I developed the film through a hybrid AI and traditional VFX pipeline, using LLMs throughout the writing, visual development, shot design, continuity and iteration process, while ComfyUI and generative video tools helped explore imagery, motion and cinematic variations. Those tools were combined with the traditional 3D techniques that remain at the foundation of my work. ZBrush and Maya were used for character and asset development, modeling, design and 3D control, with the generated material continually refined through an artist-driven CG and compositing workflow. Rather than treating AI and traditional 3D as opposing approaches, The Sydney Transmission explores how they can work together. In that sense, the production itself became part of the tribute: a small independent film built around the same spirit of experimentation, craftsmanship and technological curiosity that has defined ILM since its beginning. Thank you for watching!
THE 3D FOUNDATION
The generative workflow was built around authored 3D assets rather than replacing them. Character, vehicle and environment development established the forms, proportions, materials and design language that every generated shot had to preserve. Aloysius was developed through sculpting, grooming, texturing and look development. The Elspeth Beard and Praetor were defined through controlled silhouettes, scale relationships and mechanical continuity. Their approved sheets became the visual authority for every later shot.
The generative workflow was built around authored 3D assets rather than replacing them. Character, vehicle and environment development established the forms, proportions, materials and design language that every generated shot had to preserve.
Aloysius was developed through sculpting, grooming, texturing and look development. The Elspeth Beard and Praetor were defined through controlled silhouettes, scale relationships and mechanical continuity. Their approved sheets became the visual authority for every later shot.
HYBRID 3D AND AI PIPELINE
The pipeline treated generative tools as one production department within a larger filmmaking process. Story, staging, asset identity and continuity were defined before generation; selected results were then diagnosed, repaired, retimed, composited and edited through a traditional finishing pipeline.
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Story treatment and shot design
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Authored 3D assets and controlled previs
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One reference, one clear job
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LLM-assisted prompt construction
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ComfyUI and Seedance generation
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Diagnosis, continuity repair and Nuke compositing
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Premiere edit, sound and finishing
The direct production cost was approximately $250. Limited generations made deliberate preparation and reference hierarchy essential.
Project breakdown
click on a picture to get more details
Crown modeling
The crown was modeled using a combination of ZBrush’s procedural modeling tools and Houdini’s node-based workflow.
In ZBrush, I leveraged procedural techniques to block out the initial shapes and ornamental details, allowing for flexibility and fast iteration.
Houdini was then used to refine the form and generate more complex, non-destructive elements, particularly for the symmetrical patterns and layered geometry.
blendshapes samples
For this project, I’ve been focusing on facial modeling using blendshapes. I’m currently exploring deformation techniques through clusters and painted weight maps. The key facial poses shown here were sculpted in ZBrush, but the core rigging and groundwork have been developed in Maya.