EXODUS - Behind The Scenes

Exodus, a low-budget science fiction short film tells the story of a young migrant woman called Mia. Displaced as a result of regional war, Mia relocates to the refugee colony of Caynara in search of her sister.

Establishing Shot - Starship Mayadin Approach.

Mayadin Passenger Starship - VFX Model

Early Propulsion look-dev

Mayadin propulsion section

By using 2 seperate fuel types, the starship combines average fuel with a catalyst which causes it to become extremely reactive. The catalyst is recovered around 60% of a full trip while the reactive fuel is utilized for space.

For descelleration, the ships engine units power down, and rotate 180 degrees to face forwards. the placement of the engines face slightly outwards to avoid the debris shield.

The engine units are equip with massive radiators to assist with venting of excess energy. At the rear of the ship is where ores/precious freight is stored. in flight, the intense radiation emitted is used as a protective barrier for the cargo.

In the first draft of the script, our protagonist, Mia, was originally going to arrive on the planets surface VIA an orbital space elevator. Due to a change in scheduling, this was cut from the film. This was later replaced with a smaller starship.

The elevator shuttle consists of 3 omni-directional chambers designed to dock vertically with an orbital space station. When descending, the shuttle turns horizontal, as well as the pods to adjust to the shift in gravity.

Show Not Tell - (look dev)

In the first draft of exodus, the shuttle elevator passes over vast industrial-zones where we see enormous bulldozers taming the environment; showing the audience the rapid growth of Caynara's settlement.

After the general shape was settled, the VFX modeling had begun for the bulldozers. After another schedule complication, the model was not capable of being finished and was cut to save time.

RDTU (Resource District Transport Unit)
-Mantis Hauler-

As a replacement for the bulldozer scene, the script was changed to feature a high-way which Mia uses to traverse the city.

The Mantis Hauler was designed with adjustable wheels which aid in docking with loading platforms, shifting terrain, and crossing deep water.

Highway Scene - Final Footage.

For the highway, and simple 2-lane design was thrown together in just a few hours. The surrounding cityscape was added in VIA Adobe After Effects in post-production.

Apartment Exterior - Final Footage

Apartment Exterior

For Mias sisters apartment, I wanted to go with a very modular, pre fab feeling. As a result of quick development, many lower-income citizens reside in narrow housing avenues.

For the interior of the apartment complex, we had around 2 weeks to build our set. Our budget was lower, so we built the walls as individual panels for modular hallways / rooms.

Editing took just around 2 days, including sound and music. I reached out to Justin Pearson, and old friend of mine to write a wonderful soundtrack for the short.