MPC’s Vancouver Studio completed 106 shots for Jonathan Mostow’s ‘Surrogates,’ Disney’s new sci-fi film starring Bruce Willis. ‘Surrogates’ is set in a futuristic world where humans live isolated in the safety and comfort of their homes, using robots as their surrogates’ bodies. The MPC team lead by Doug Oddy worked with overall VFX Supervisor Mark Stetson to develop a host of visual effects enhancing the futuristic action.

The range of MPC’s effects work covers; compositing of the ocular device effect, a glowing fire effect that kills both a surrogate and its user. Digital matte paintings extend the ‘demilitarised zone;’ home to humans who choose to exist without surrogates. The team carried out compositing work for the Bruce Willis ‘youthification’ face plates to bring to life his alter-ego.

The asset team built – and later destroyed – the A-Star Helicopter and the Chinook Helicopter, which take Agent Greer (Willis) around on his mission. MPC created the crash effects, as Greer’s helicopter looses its pilot hitting a building and crashing to the ground. A full CG digi-double of Greer was built for this crash scene and also used for the foot chase shots. A severed arm incorporating fluid effects was also created for Agent Greer’s surrogate.