Revisiting AHS:CULT VFX

Client: FX Network

Production Company: IKA Collective

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Send In The Clowns

To introduce and amplify the eerie atmosphere of "American Horror Story: Cult," FX launched an innovative promotional campaign. This interactive experience leaned heavily on the motif of clowns, foreshadowing the show's unsettling cultist clown imagery. The campaign incorporated immersive elements that blurred the lines between reality and fiction. I was a small part of a team employed to generate the content used in this campaign, and I jumped at the opportunity.

An army of clown extras were filmed on green screen and in various scenarios for use in the campaign collateral we were to make. I recall the day we got our first batch of footage in and seeing nothing but clowns on green screen making silly gestures and faces in unconvincing attempts at being menacing. I thought, 'our work is cut out for us.'

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Not The Bees!

Another major motif of the series was going to be BEES, alluding to the hive-mind mentality of the cult. One of the first tasks we had was generating fake bees in many forms, scales, and scenarios. Such as the opening video experience of the promotional campaign when a character arcs his head back and unleashes a swarm of bees at the overhead camera from his gaping maw.

We had to embellish the gaping maw of course, an easy enough 2D composite from our subjects scale. The bee swarm we created through a layered 3D particle generation effect. Finally, bees that start to crawl over the camera lens were 3D modelled and rigged and composited into the shot using After Effects.

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Creating Convincing Green Screen Composites

Central to the success of the interactive experience campaign for "American Horror Story: Cult" was the creation of convincing green screen composites. We generated dozens of vignettes, crafting story and background to random clowns and compositing them into mirky, underground environments. This content was unlocked through an interactive website where fans of the show could uncover clues to the upcoming series.

Lighting and color are critical to a good composite. By adjusting color, lighting, and shadows you can make the subject blend seamlessly with the background. Using masks and rotoscoping techniques, address any areas of the subject that require additional refinement.

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