Between 2006 & 2007 I produced 70 visual effects shots for Mat Dolphin’s 60-minute disaster comedy Impact Day. Originally Mat had intended to shoot all his effects practically using models, but as the script grew more in scale it soon became clear that a CGI approach was needed.

I modelled, rigged and animated all the 3D elements in the film including the space shuttle model, the satellite seen early on in the film, and meteors using Maya, with Adobe Photoshop for textures. This was my first visual effects project so there was a huge learning curve! I then had to composite the shots, some of which involved greenscreen keys (another first for me!) using After Effects.

This reel shows a few of the shots, accompanied by the end-titles theme “Death Wish” which I co-wrote with Pete Swinson (who composed all the music for the film). If you listen closely, you can just about hear me singing backing vocals during the chorus…

This breakdown shows the elements that made up the launch of shuttle Foolhardy. I didn’t have time to build the launch tower, so instead there’s a very long ladder propped up against the side of the shuttle. But that’s okay because in the story the shuttle was somehow stolen from NASA and parked, ready to launch in a field in Solihull, and if you believe that, you’ll believe anything!