Project X


FEATURE FILM
ROLE: Senior Flame Artist / VFX Compositor
VENDOR: Method Studios
CLIENT: Warner Bros. Pictures
VFX SUPERVISOR: Joe Henke
DIRECTOR: Nima Nourizadeh

“Project X” is a teen raunch-com that utilizes the faux-documentary found-footage technique to depict the ultimate high school party. The film culminates in a fiery showdown, featuring an angry flamethrower-wielding party-goer, thousands of drunken panicked teenagers, water-dousing helicopters, news crews, and a swat team.

Although there’s a considerable amount of practical fire in the shot footage, including the flamethrower, much of it needed enhancement to intensify the chaos and danger of the situation. And due to the footage’s frantic handheld nature, cleanup and integration of additional fire, smoke, and people/props proved that much more challenging.

I was tasked with creating the initial flamethrower explosion, where the police shoot one of the tanks, causing it to ignite. I also enhanced a number of flamethrower plumes, enlarged gas explosions, tracked leaves to fake trees that I made catch fire, and removed countless fire bars and hoses scattered throughout the set.

Lastly, on a number of shots, I assembled multiple disparate plates to appear as one continuous take, the main one being the run through the house, as it’s being doused with water from a hovering helicopter.