As VFX Supervisor my main role was to ensure all the VFX-dependant shots had clean motion trackers and optimal lighting for the solo VFX compositor working in post - me.
The main VFX element was the large on-set Android phone. I requested Kino Flo lights be installed inside the prop to produce a natural "glow" on the talent. The prop served as a creative solution by mirroring everything on the talent's phone to avoid depending on isolated close-ups.
In post-production for Episode 1, the large Android phone became a larger task because we noticed that it was designed as a 9:16 model rather than the updated 9:20 design. This meant that every shot with the large prop needed an additional compositing pass before the main UI work. Thankfully the prop was fixed for Episode 2.
Intro styling
Phone composite
Watch composite
Episode 2 was more ambitious - it included dynamic camera movements and accurate utilization of the Gemini UI.
To ensure accurate movements, I made markers on the devices using coloured tape and instructed the talent on how the UI operated. While the camera was rolling the AD called out the colours to control the timing of the presses.
Google provided procedural Gemini UI animation files that I could adjust and re-time for each shot. For some shots we had to re-work the UI to increase animation speeds for shorter shots or reduce visual clutter in the wide shots.
