Blackmagic Design has announced that New Zealand based post production studio PRPVFX used Fusion Studio VFX and motion graphics software to deliver more than 340 visual effects shots for the upcoming sci fi horror feature “Ash,” which was directed by experimental musician and filmmaker Steven Ellison (more popularly known as Flying Lotus).
Shot largely inside a warehouse with minimal physical sets of the exterior location, the team at PRPVFX was tasked with creating surreal, highly stylized landscapes and effects that reflected the unique creative vision of the director, who is also responsible for the film’s original score. Working closely with Flying Lotus throughout post production, the PRPVFX team drew on decades of experience and a tightly integrated Blackmagic Design workflow to bring the film’s psychedelic science fiction world to life.
PRPVFX Director George Port explained, “We made the decision to complete all the VFX work for ‘Ash’ in Fusion. We had physical elements, green screen, model miniatures, Unreal Engine environments, and practical footage. Fusion became the hub to bring all of that together in a 3D compositing environment. It was a massive job, and Fusion handled it all.”
Originally formed as an offshoot of the “Hercules” and “Xena” production teams, PRPVFX has decades of experience delivering VFX for major film and television projects. With a long history of using Blackmagic Design products, Port said the decision to fully shift to Fusion Studio and DaVinci Resolve Studio was both technical and philosophical.
“We reached a point where we were done with subscriptions and maintenance fees for VFX software that crashed daily. Blackmagic’s approach just made sense,” he noted. “Fusion is stable, powerful, and affordable. For ‘Ash,’ I had 20 full resolution compositions open in one instance of Fusion for over a week without a single crash. That’s unheard of on other platforms.”
Key features that enabled the workflow included Fusion Studio’s advanced 3D tracking and keying tools. “The film featured reflective space suits, glass helmets and a very complex visual look. The precision of Fusion’s keying tools let us create natural looking composites even under challenging lighting conditions,” said Port. “We also took full advantage of Fusion’s 3D workspace, integrating green screen elements with 3D tracked camera data and Unreal renders to achieve a cohesive result.”
One of the film’s pivotal sequences featured a character walking through a CG alien landscape towards a space station. “It was a challenging comp with many creative iterations. The director, Flying Lotus, is very engaged and technically competent, so we were able to quickly and effectively collaborate to refine the look. Fusion made it possible to rapidly move between alternate versions of a scene and find the right vibe,” said PRPVFX Senior VFX Supervisor Carol Petrie.
Flying Lotus, known for his experimental music and directorial work on the cult film “Kuso,” maintained close involvement with the VFX team throughout production. “He shared mood boards, Unreal scenes, and gave direct feedback during team meetings. That level of collaboration helped us deliver something that felt unique and cohesive,” Petrie added.
PRPVFX also relied on DaVinci Resolve Studio for pulling plates and file preparation, with longtime Blackmagic Design user Port saying the company is now fully embedded in the Blackmagic Design ecosystem. “We use Fusion, Resolve, DeckLinks and more to make our studio work. I have been a fan since the early days, and Blackmagic’s ethos aligns with how we want to do business: powerful tools, fair pricing, and genuine care for the creative community,” he concluded.