Set in an imagined future shaped by megastructures and industrialization, Reactor is a depiction of the last kids on Earth. It explores the struggling relationship between a cataclysmic landscape and the humans who consume its resources. The film's abstract yet realistic animation, ethereal chants, and visceral imagery form a striking portrait of our collective bond to nature.

Reactor is an homage to the golden age of Japanese Anime - it features the Suginami Junior Choir, a chorus in Japan known for bringing vocals to the films of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.

The project draws inspiration from the animated films Akira and Ghost In The Shell, in addition to the man made and natural disasters of Fukushima and Pompeii

The brief, from musician Woodkid, was to create a film that captured the feeling of being swallowed by the world around you. He was interested in a futuristic animated video that could reflect the duality of the song, which features his voice and a Japanese kids choir. We were tasked with incorporating the choir into the film, along with the environmental and elemental concepts from the album, S16.

We used 3D animation, motion capture, and simulation to create the Reactor. The character animation was achieved through a mix of UE5's choreographed motion capture and hand keyframed animation in Maya. Custom tools in Houdini produced hundreds of fluid and smoke simulations to make the environment more dynamic. Digital lights were clustered over the emission points to drive the films cinematography, inspired by natural eruptions. Finally, heat distortion effects were added in Nuke to complete the look.