Post uncovered: Milk on Heads of State (Prime Video)

Mik delivered 239 VFX shots for the Amazon Studios action movie, Heads of State. The team was led by Milk VFX supervisor David Sadler-Coppard and VFX producer Jasmine Ford–Elgood, and were involved from pre-production through to final delivery.

Working closely with production VFX supervisor Raymond Chen and production VFX producers Claudia Dehmel and Jakub Chilczuk, the studio’s work focused on two of the film’s largest sequences, the La Tomatina festival opening scene and Safehouse.

In addition, the team contributed to several other sequences throughout the film, enhancing the practical action and stunts. This included the addition of muzzle flashes, destruction, digital vehicles, the integration of FX and plate elements, and environment extensions.

The most complex sequence was the film’s opening, which takes place during Spain’s famous La Tomatina festival, a real-world event where thousands of participants gather to throw tomatoes at each other in a chaotic, city-wide food fight.

Due to filming restrictions, real tomatoes could not be used on the ground or in the air, so Milk was tasked with creating highly realistic CG tomatoes that appear in nearly every shot of the sequence.

The sequence involved a large number of actors running and interacting, which created substantial tracking and roto challenges. Creative direction played a major role in shaping the final look, with extensive notes on the colour, consistency, and wetness of the tomatoes.

Particular attention was paid to whether they appeared more chunky or watery, and how they interacted with both surfaces and performers. Milk’s artists had to stay flexible to accommodate notes on every variation of tomato splatter and surface interaction, all while maintaining photorealism under the scene’s chaotic conditions.

In addition to the tomato work, the sequence also featured muzzle flashes, FX destruction, CG crowds, and a heavy amount of stunt interaction, all contributing to the intensity of the scene.

Another key sequence was Safe House, where two world leaders are under siege by a team of assassins. One standout beat involved a blast sequence in a corridor, where a door rigged with C4 is blown off and ricochets back and forth, triggered by multiple explosions.

To create this scene, Milk rebuilt the entire corridor digitally. This allowed for detailed previsualization and destruction choreography. The timing of the destruction elements was so specific that the sequence required ongoing refinements throughout the post schedule.

Beyond the large set pieces, the team also worked on muzzle flash shots that evolved into more intricate VFX challenges. Each required minute detail including flying bullet casing, smoke from barrels and chambers, flash ghosting, muzzle gases, and heat distortion. Different weapons, from pistols to shotguns to machine guns, required their own tailored setups. 

Milk worked on Heads of State for approximately a year, with the team scaling up to around 30 artists at its peak.