VFX Legion Crafts the FX for The Passenger'
Brie Clayton August 23, 2023
0 Comments
The Global Visual Effects Boutique Reunites with Blumhouse, Serving as Primary VFX Company for the MGM Original Film, A Psychological Thriller from Director Carter Smith.
VFX Legion (www.vfxlegion.com) served as primary visual effects studio on The Passenger, the new hostage thriller helmed by director Carter Smith (Swallowed). One of a package of eight horror genre films developed and produced by Blumhouse exclusively for MGM , The Passenger premiered digitally on August 4th.
Written by Jack Stanley (Lou), the story focuses on two employees at a seedy burger joint tightly wound Benson (Kyle Gallner/Smile) and timid, submissive Randy (Johnny Berchtold/Dog Gone), Benson snaps when the persistent bullying of Randy by fellow employees goes too far as they force him to eat a rancid burger. The protagonist gets a shotgun from his car, massacres the tormentors, and flees taking Randy as his passenger/hostage on a violent rampage.
Some contents or functionalities here are not available due to your cookie preferences!
This happens because the functionality/content marked as Vimeo framework uses cookies that you choosed to keep disabled. In order to view this content or use this functionality, please enable cookies: click here to open your cookie preferences.
Legion created a variety of digital effects to achieve a spectacle of carnage with the intensity that the director envisioned for the gruesome scenes that play out in the restaurant and during the killing spree that follows. Digitally rendered muzzle flashes, bullet hits, blood splatters and other brutal imagery deliver high-impact visceral violence throughout the film.
One of the most challenging effects tracking a long, continuous shot achieved a perfect lock on camera moves in SynthEyes. The uninterrupted take heightens the ferocity of bloody slaughter of two employees in the pivotal scene.
The Passenger required invisible effects to help build dramatic tension. Artists also replaced objects in practical photography with computer-generated assets, digitally deleted elements captured by the camera, and augmenting footage shot at multiple locations, aligning the look of environments with the film's storyline.
Legion, conceived as a fully remote global visual effects boutique with studios in Los Angeles and British Columbia, with a diverse international collective of talent assembled a team custom-tailored to the needs of the film. VFX supervisor Blake Anderson headed up the production, strategically allocated creative resources, efficiently and cost-effectively producing over 60 high-quality shots for The Passenger. Anderson put together a core team of artists residing throughout British Columbia - enabling the production to take advantage of the province's significant tax rebates.
August 21, 2023Boris FX Acquires Prominent 3D Camera Tracking VFX Software SynthEyesThe cutting-edge and affordable production match-moving toolset joins the award-winning Boris FX
August 10, 2023VFX Legion Delivers 225 FX For CobwebThe Primary Visual Effects Vendor for Director Samuel Bodin's Psychological Thriller, Legion
Co-founder, Burbank-based James David Hattin provided the creative direction, ensuring that the visual effects aligned with the director's vision and delivered a cohesive and compelling cinematic experience. Legion directed the digital effects during the early planning stages of the film through production and post. Working closely with the Blumhouse's team during preproduction, Hattin mapped out an approach to the dynamic sequences - streamlining workflow, maximizing the impact of the CGI, and ensuring that shots seamlessly integrate with practical footage.
Along with creating the effects for The Passenger, the company produced all the visual effects in two other thrillers for the Blumhouse/MGM eight-picture package Unhuman .
Paint Out, Before and After
Legion's long history with Blumhouse began in 2013, the year the pioneering fully remote visual effects company opened its doors. Out of the gate Legion was brought on board by the award-winning production company to serve as the primary visual effects vendor for the first of 18 films - including Black Phone, Unhuman, Black as Night, Bingo Hell, Black Box, Nocturnal, MA, Manor, Madres, Merry Christmas, The Keeping Hours, Lowriders, The Veil, Purge: Election Year, The Gift, Jem and the Holograms, Insidious: Chapter 3, and Stretch. The visual effects company, also called on to handle packages of complex shots on challenging deadlines, has lent its talents to a mix of Blumhouse films including, Sinister 2, Insidious: Chapter 3, Ouija, Amityville: The Awakening, and two installments from The Purge franchise.
Artist used a range of tools to create the visual effects for the film including Autodesk Maya, Redshift, SynthEyes, and the Foundry's Nuke.
The Passenger is currently available to view digitally on streaming platforms.
CREDITS
Title: The Passenger
Genre: Mystery/thriller, Drama
Release Date: Aug 4, 2023
Distributed by: MGM
Production Company: Blumhouse Television
Directed By: Carter Smith
Written By: Jack Stanley
Executive Producers: Jason Blum, Lauren Downey, Chris Dickie, Jeremy Gold
Producers: Chris McCumber, Jeremy Gold, Paige Pemberton
Cinematographer: Lyn Moncrief
Visual Effects by VFX Legion LA | B.C
Visual Effects Supervisor: Blake Anderson
Creative Director: James David Hattin
Visual Effects Producer: Antonio Gallardo
Head of Production: Nate Smalley
Digital Compositor: Nolan Conrad
Digital Compositor: David Goody
Digital Compositor: Hong Kyoung Kim
Digital Compositor: Kate T.C. Lin
Digital Compositor: Lauren Morimoto
Digital Compositor: Vicki Silva
Tracking Artist: Ruy Delgado
Chi
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Standalone processors acknowledged for the innovation and value they bring to Pro AV
Cobalt Digital, a leading designer and manufacturer of signal processing ...
02/07/2026
Synamedia announced today the appointment of Dr Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transitio...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia backs audience-led filmmaking with new insight-driven initiativ...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia refines guidelines for Narrative Content Development and Docume...
02/07/2026
Maxon Autograph: Introduction to working with Tables
Simon Ubsdell July 1, 2026
0 Comments
An overview of Autograph's ridiculously powerful tables...
02/07/2026
Boston Conservatory's Soir e Breaks Records to Fund Student Scholarships The event achieved 127 percent of its fundraising goal in an evening celebrating ...
02/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Med Tech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might thin...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
VFX Legion Crafts the FX for The Passenger' 
