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Extraction

Studio: Netflix         Director: Sam Hargrave

Netflix Film Extraction follows a fearless black market mercenary (Chris Hemsworth) on a mission to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord. Directed by Sam Hargrave, the action-packed race for survival features several pulse-pounding moments achieved through invisible visual effects from Method Studios, including an 12-minute continuous tracking shot filled with nail-biting tension, and the climactic fight on a bridge. Method Visual Effects Supervisors Craig Wentworth and Dan Bethell teamed with Production VFX Supervisor Mark O. Forker to seamlessly blend practical footage and CG elements, resulting in high intensity sequences that keep audiences on the edges of their seats. 

Wentworth oversaw Method’s work in creating the ‘oner,’ a frenetic and intimate continuous shot that stays with Hemsworth and Rudhraksh Jaiswal, who plays the role of ‘Ovi’ as they are pursued first on foot and then by vehicle. He described, “Sam and Marko did a fantastic job planning and capturing the practical footage for the oner. It was shot in order and most of the editorial decisions were locked in, so we were able to really focus on hiding the shot transitions, using 3D elements where it made sense.”

Wentworth and his team helped link shots and augment moments with digital dust, debris and glass, maintaining continuity throughout the action, including for the oner’s culmination: a massive truck explosion, which is full CG. “Throughout the sequence, it was critical that the shot cuts be undetectable, especially when we transition to the final explosion,” Wentworth explained. “In some ways, the last 30 seconds were the toughest to create; the work had to be photoreal and match practical footage to keep viewers engaged in the chase until the very end. It was certainly a pleasure collaborating with Sam and Marko, and coming up with creative solutions to unexpected challenges.” 

Crafting the film’s third-act action scenes also required creative thinking by Method. Shot on location, the scene’s foreground elements are practical, but the city of Dhaka in the background was created digitally. Bethell and his team built a detailed, photoreal cityscape, then integrated the expansive environment with the foreground actors and bridge. With sweeping, dynamic shots, the sequence was achieved through meticulous work by Method artists, who also enhanced action with digital muzzle flashes, blood spatter and atmospherics. 

Additionally, Method was tasked with creating a dramatic helicopter crash. A real helicopter was shot on location which provided excellent reference and timings for the team. Building on this, the team created and animated a full-CG helicopter getting hit by an RPG, which then spins out of control, through varying stages of destruction, before it crashes into the bridge and ultimately sinks into the river below. “The biggest challenge for the helicopter crash was to make it work as a sequence of events; creating a complex series of shots that told the story in a clear and readable fashion, whilst maintaining a believable amount of chaos,” Bethell explained.

“Extraction” is now available to stream on Netflix. For more info, visit: http://www.netflix.com/extraction

Production VFX Supervisor:
Mark O. Forker

Method VFX Supervisors:
Craig Wentworth, Dan Bethell