Behind the Magic: Scott Edelstein, Ellen Hoffmann, and Eric Kasanowski on Digital Domain’s Groundbreaking VFX for Venom: The Last Dance

Published on in Exclusive Interviews

From the eerie, shifting landscapes of Klyntar to the chilling presence of Knull, Digital Domain’s visual effects in Venom: The Last Dance have set a new benchmark for the industry. In an exclusive interview, Scott Edelstein (VFX Supervisor), Ellen Hoffmann (Animation Supervisor), and Eric Kasanowski (Compositing Supervisor) reveal the creative process behind bringing the dark symbiote world to life.

With cutting-edge tools like Masquerade3 and breathtaking CG environments, the VFX team transformed every frame into an immersive experience. Whether crafting Knull’s menacing expressions or the dynamic motion of the Xenophages, Digital Domain’s artistry and innovation shine through in this latest installment of the Venom saga.

PH: Klyntar's shifting, living appearance is breathtaking. Can you walk us through the challenges of designing such a complex, fully CG environment? What were some key creative decisions that shaped its eerie tone?

Scott Edelstein: Creating Klyntar was a particularly exciting challenge because we were not just designing a static environment, but an entity that felt alive and shifting constantly. The core challenge was capturing this dynamic nature, while maintaining a sense of cohesion with the overall narrative tone.

One of the key decisions was treating Klyntar as more than just a visual spectacle; it needed to feel like an extension of the symbiotes themselves — organic, unpredictable, and capable of evolving. This meant designing it with a constant state of motion, where the texture and structure were in flux. We experimented with different fluid simulations, ensuring that the environment appeared to “breathe” and change shape.

We also played with lighting and shadows, using dark, moody tones to enhance the eerie, menacing feel. The use of a subtle atmosphere within Klyntar helped establish a sense of mystery, and slight variations of color helped break up the visuals so everything didn’t blend together. 

PH: With only three months to complete the VFX work, how did your team manage such an ambitious workload without compromising quality? What were the critical milestones in this timeline?

Scott Edelstein: The timeline for this project was definitely challenging, but we were able to prioritize and streamline our process in a way that allowed us to meet the ambitious deadlines without sacrificing quality. One of the key milestones was ensuring that we had a solid pre-visualization (previs) of our sequence. This allowed us to establish the core look and feel of Klyntar early on, which was crucial for making efficient use of time in later stages.

We also maintained an open line of communication with all departments, especially animation and lighting, to ensure that there was consistency and a unified vision throughout. Having a strong collaboration between our VFX team, the client VFX team, director, and other vendors helped us maintain our focus and kept the workflow smooth.

Throughout the three months, we were also able to phase the tasks into milestones, first focusing on base simulations and layouts, followed by character animation and rendering, and finally, compositing and fine-tuning. This approach allowed us to deliver iterations quickly and make adjustments without losing the sense of realism or emotional weight that the film needed.

PH: Since some designs (like Knull and Xenophages) were initially developed by other vendors, how did your team collaborate and build on those concepts to create the final versions seen in the film?

Scott Edelstein: When collaborating with other vendors, the key was aligning our vision with the initial design decisions while pushing them to fit within the specific look and tone of the Venom universe. For characters like Knull and the Xenophages, we first reviewed the designs to understand their core attributes, paying attention to things like textures, scale, and anatomy.

With Knull, for example, the challenge was not only making him visually striking, but also ensuring that he conveyed the appropriate emotions as the primary antagonist. The use of light and shadows around Knull played a crucial role in making him feel like a god-like, menacing figure.

For the Xenophages, our team worked to give them a more visceral and monstrous feel for their close ups by adding unique textures and some additional displacement. The motion design for these creatures was also crucial, as we wanted them to feel swift and deadly, but also alien. Collaboration was key, as we constantly provided feedback and incorporated elements of movement from reference into the final versions, ensuring a smooth visual narrative.

PH: The opening scene and the climactic post-credit sequence are pivotal moments in the film. Can you share insights into the process of crafting these visually stunning scenes?

Scott Edelstein: The opening scene, where the symbiotes take on Knull and his Xenophage army, was one of the most exciting and challenging parts of the film. We really wanted to make it feel like a huge, dramatic battle, so we leaned heavily on slow motion to emphasize the power and fluidity of the symbiotes. The idea was to let the action breathe, showing off the scale of the battle and the raw strength of the symbiotes as they fought. Lighting played a huge role in creating the right atmosphere—stark contrasts and moody atmospherics helped us build tension. We were careful with how the light and shadows interacted to create that eerie, dramatic feel.

This scene was also about introducing Knull and explaining how he was imprisoned. Since we were dealing with a tight timeline, we relied heavily on previs to lock in the composition and layout early. With limited time, having that groundwork in place really helped us work efficiently and ensured we were staying true to the vision without getting bogged down by last-minute changes.

The final post-credit sequence, with Knull failing to escape and finally giving us a close-up of his face speaking directly into the camera, was especially difficult. We knew that shot was going to be a big challenge, given the time crunch. So, we spent a lot of time prepping our pipeline in advance so we could tackle the shot quickly when it came time to finalize it. Even though the timeline was tight, our planning allowed us to move faster and deliver that moment without sacrificing quality.

Both scenes were a huge effort, but thanks to a solid plan and some careful prep work, we were able to make them visually impactful and serve the story, while also getting everything done within the time we had.

PH: The Xenophages were terrifying on screen. What details did your team add to enhance their monstrous nature, and how did these adjustments influence their role in the story?

Scott Edelstein: The Xenophages were meant to be visceral and menacing, so our goal was to make them as terrifying as possible by making sure their movements conveyed speed and menace. We wanted them to look aggressive, with sharp predatory movements that gave the impression they were constantly hunting.

In terms of their role in the story, these adjustments helped underline their nature as relentless, unstoppable forces. Their presence not only raised the stakes but highlighted the vulnerability of the characters they were hunting. Their ferocity played a key part in the narrative, pushing the protagonists to their limits.

PH: Knull’s performance relied heavily on nuanced facial animations. Can you describe the process of animating his subtle expressions and how your team balanced realism with his menacing otherworldly nature?

Ellen Hoffmann: Using the strong foundation of mocap data from Masquerade3, combined with on-set witness camera footage of Tom Hardy's performance, we had a solid starting point. From there, with the help of our facial UI tools, we began adjusting and refining the details to meet our needs. His posture and the lighting played a crucial role in determining which parts of his face needed to be emphasized and where to draw more attention, ensuring the performance aligned perfectly with the scene's demands.

PH: Masquerade3 played a pivotal role in bringing Knull's facial expressions to life. What makes this technology unique, and how did it elevate the subtlety of Knull’s performance?

Ellen Hoffmann: Using high-quality markerless facial capture, our Knull face model was trained directly with Tom Hardy's performance data. Even during the training process, we incorporated distinct Knull-specific facial shapes to align the model with the character’s unique features. Once training was complete, we processed all the shots, extracting detailed facial information that could be further refined and intensified as needed, ensuring a highly polished final result. 

PH: With Masquerade3 providing detailed facial motion capture, how did your team ensure that Tom Hardy's voice performance translated seamlessly into Knull's digital portrayal?

Ellen Hoffmann: Knull's unique design posed a challenge for standard facial expressions. With no lips and a prominent display of teeth, his mouth rarely closes, making it difficult to achieve readable and believable lip sync. From the start, we knew we had to strike a balance between fully hitting certain phonemes and conveying the essence of the correct shapes. Once we established a clear set of rules, it became much easier to apply them consistently across all our facial animation shots.

PH: The Xenophages have a visceral, almost predatory quality in their motion. What were some key references or techniques used to design their animations?

Ellen Hoffmann: The Xenophages were developed by other vendors. In a short period, with effective communication and a broad range of references, we carefully studied and adapted their movements. We also observed the erratic, unpredictable motions of fighting hyenas, incorporating their rapid, sharp movements while ensuring they still reflected the heft of a larger creature, given the Creatures’ size. While all Xenophages share a common goal, it's important to note that there are also rank-order fights among them.

PH: How closely did the animation team work with the FX and compositing teams to create the fluid, living elements of Klyntar? What were some challenges in aligning these elements?

Ellen Hoffmann: We worked closely with FX in a highly collaborative process to refine the Klyntar environment. Once we placed the Xenophages, FX introduced shifting elements, which were then sent back to us to adjust our animations accordingly. This seamless communication between the two departments ensured we achieved the best possible shot composition, harmonizing the creatures with their surrounding world. 

PH: Knull’s subdued presence required more subtle animation choices. How did you approach this minimalistic yet impactful style, especially for scenes where his face was hidden?

Ellen Hoffmann: Knull sits trapped in his throne, weak and struggling against his restraints. Subtle movements—small body adjustments, breathing motions, faint hand twitches, and slight shaking—were crucial to convey his struggle and keep him feeling alive, amplifying the intensity of his situation. We also incorporated subtle details like forehead movement for hairline shifts, temporalis muscle motion, and occasional jaw clenching to add depth and realism to his performance.

PH: Were there moments when artistic judgment overrode technical input, such as Knull’s intricate mouth shapes or pronounced wrinkles? How did you strike that balance?

Ellen Hoffmann: For the final shot, we couldn’t rely on mocap data, so additional animation was required. At this stage, we applied everything we had learned from Tom Hardy's performance, our earlier lip-syncing efforts, and the refined body and facial nuances developed in previous shots to bring this moment to its full potential.

PH: With so many interconnected elements (environment, character design, creatures), how did your teams ensure smooth collaboration and alignment of creative visions?

Eric Kasanowski: In our visual effects workflow at Digital Domain, we foster collaboration and alignment by maintaining open and frequent communication across all departments. With Venom: The Last Dance, for example, regular dailies and cross-departmental reviews allowed our teams to share progress, address challenges, and ensure that every element—be it environments, character designs, or creatures—were aligned with the overarching creative vision. Utilizing shared tools like management systems and collaborative platforms ensured consistency and transparency, enabling seamless integration of all components. Additionally, early concept discussions and visual reference boards helped establish a unified artistic direction that guided the team throughout production.

PH: What new techniques or tools were developed specifically for this project, and how do you see them influencing future projects?

Eric Kasanowski: To bring the Klyntar environment to life, we developed new fluid sim techniques to simulate organic, alien-like substances and create a fully immersive CG experience. This included advanced procedural workflows for liquid dynamics, tailored shader systems to replicate the unique behavior of alien matter, and custom pipeline tools to streamline iteration while maintaining realism. These innovations not only elevated the quality of the project but also laid the groundwork for future applications in creating otherworldly environments and materials. Their modular nature ensures adaptability across diverse projects, pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling.

PH: How does the work on Venom: The Last Dance stand out compared to previous projects at Digital Domain?

Eric Kasanowski: The work on Venom: The Last Dance was distinguished by its intense complexity and rapid turnaround. The team tackled highly intricate effects within compressed schedules, requiring exceptional efficiency and creativity. The project demanded an unprecedented level of collaboration, both internally across departments and externally with the client, to ensure every aspect met the creative and technical benchmarks. Despite the challenges, the production's innovative approaches and dynamic teamwork resulted in a final product that set a new standard for delivering high-quality visual effects under tight constraints.

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