https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:12:59 +0100 Sometimes all someone needs is for another person to say, "I think you're ready." It's amazing what can happen after that.  What has surprised me most, throughout this project isn't the pipeline we built itself. It's the people. TAOS is filled with artists who volunteer their evenings, weekends, and free time simply because they believe in the project. They're professionals, students, hobbyists, veterans, and people looking for their first opportunity, all working alongside one another with the same shared goal. “There's something incredibly refreshing about that. Titles become less important. Egos become less important. Helping each other becomes the priority.” Some of my favorite moments haven't been reviewing a finished asset. They've been watching someone ask a question in Discord and seeing three different artists jump in to help before I even have the chance to respond. They've been watching artists share workflows they've just discovered, post topology breakdowns, explain a new ZBrush technique, or write up tutorials simply because they wanted someone else to have an easier path than they did. That's the culture we're trying to build. Knowledge isn't something to protect. It's something to give away. I've encouraged our artists from the beginning to share their work publicly as well. Not because every piece needs to be perfect, but because creative work shouldn't live in isolation. The industry has changed. People don't just hire based on a final reel anymore, they want to see how artists think, how they solve problems, how they improve over time. Every work-in-progress model tells a story. Every blockout, every sculpt, every iteration is part of the creative journey. When artists share that process, they're not only building their own careers they're inspiring someone else to begin theirs. That mindset has become part of the DNA of TAOS. This project isn't about gatekeeping knowledge. It's about opening doors. As Asset Supervisor, I've probably spent nearly as much time writing documentation as I have inside Maya. I've built tutorials, reviewed workflows, helped troubleshoot software, recruited artists, refined our production structure, and worked with our incredible team to make sure everyone has the tools they need to succeed. None of those tasks will appear on screen when the credits roll. But every one of them makes the film better. “Because films aren't made by software. They're made by people. And people do their best work when they're supported.” That support extends far beyond the asset department. One of the things that has continually impressed me throughout TAOS is the collaboration between every department. Whether it's environments, characters, props, look development, animation, lighting, compositing, editorial, or production, there's a genuine sense that everyone is pulling in the same direction. Challenges are rarely solved by one person, they're solved together, with artists from different disciplines sharing ideas, offering feedback, and finding solutions that make the entire film stronger. Behind all of that collaboration is an incredible production team. Fernanda Nevitiv da Costa,Ines Coimbra,Rebekah Hartwig, andFilipe Teixeirahave been instrumental in keeping this ambitious project organized and moving forward. While artists are busy creating worlds, they're coordinating schedules, tracking progress, helping department leads, keeping communication flowing, and making sure hundreds of moving pieces continue to come together. It's the kind of work that often goes unnoticed because, when it's done well, everything simply feels effortless. As an Asset Supervisor, that level of support is invaluable. It gives me the freedom to spend more time mentoring artists, refining workflows, reviewing assets, and helping department leads grow, knowing that an outstanding production team is helping keep the bigger picture on track. What has made this experience even more meaningful has been the people I've shared it with. TAOS has given me the opportunity to work alongside friends I've known for years, reconnect with colleagues from previous productions, and meet incredibly talented artists from around the world whom I might never have crossed paths with otherwise. Some friendships on this project span decades. Others began with a simple introduction in a Discord channel. Today, they all feel like part of the same creative family.  That, more than anything else, is what I'll remember about TAOS. Not just the assets we built. Not just the shots we finished. But the people we created them with. Looking back, I've realized that TAOS has reminded me of something I hadn't thought about in years. When I was younger, behind-the-scenes documentaries like Movie Magic completely changed my life. Watching model makers, sculptors, practical effects artists, visual effects teams, animators, and filmmakers openly explain how movie magic was created didn't diminish the magic at all. It made it even more magical. It showed me that these incredible worlds weren't impossible. They were built by passionate people willing to share what they knew. That realization is the reason I picked up a camera. It's the reason I picked up a mouse. It's the reason I learned to sculpt, paint, model, and eventually built a career in this industry. TAOS has brought me back to that feeling. We're not simply making a film, we're showing how films are made, encouraging artists to share their work, documenting our processes, teaching one another, and proving that knowledge grows when it's shared instead of hidden. I hope someone discovers this project the same way I discovered those behind-the-scenes documentaries all those years ago. Maybe they'll see a workflow breakdown. Maybe they'll watch one of our artists sculpting. Maybe they'll read a tutorial. Maybe they'll see a work-in-progress render on LinkedIn or Instagram. And maybe, just maybe, they'll realize that this industry isn't an impossible dream. It's a community. We're building something that I hope people can learn from, contribute to, and be proud to have been part of. Whether someone joins for a few weeks or stays for the entire production, I want them to leave with stronger skills, new friendships, greater confidence, and work they're excited to put into their portfolio. Because if we've done our jobs well, TAOS won't just produce a film. It will help produce the next generation of artists. Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:12:59 +0100 https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2582-creating-worlds-creating-artists-inside-the-alchemy-of-a-storm-part-ii https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2582-creating-worlds-creating-artists-inside-the-alchemy-of-a-storm-part-ii Every so often, a project comes along that reminds you why you fell in love with making things in the first place. For me, that's The Alchemy of a Storm (TAOS). I've spent more than twenty years working across feature animation, visual effects, games, commercials, and emerging technology. I've been fortunate enough to contribute to productions at studios including Disney, DreamWorks, DNEG, The Mill, Jellyfish Pictures, and Axis Studios. Those experiences taught me an incredible amount about pipelines, production, collaboration, and what it takes to deliver world-class work under impossible deadlines. What I didn't expect was that a volunteer project would remind me of something even more important. Why we create in the first place. When people hear the title Asset Supervisor, they often imagine someone reviewing models, approving topology, or making sure UVs are correct before an asset moves downstream. Those things certainly matter, but on TAOS the role has become something far more rewarding. It's about creating an environment where artists can grow. The film is, of course, the destination. Every prop, every environment, every texture, and every model brings us one step closer to telling the story we all believe in. But somewhere along the way, the project became about something bigger than simply finishing a movie. It became about building a community. One of the greatest advantages of working on TAOS is that we aren't constrained by the idea of "this is how it's always been done." Instead, we've had the opportunity to build a production from the ground up. Every folder structure, every naming convention, every workflow, every documentation page, and every pipeline decision has been created with one question in mind: How do we make it easier for artists to create amazing work? That philosophy has shaped everything we've done. We've built production guides explaining not just what to do, but why we do it. We've documented our Substance Painter to V-Ray ACES workflow so artists understand the reasoning behind every color space. We've developed publishing guidelines that keep shared work organized while encouraging artists to iterate freely on their own machines. We've established modeling standards that ensure assets from dozens of different artists all feel like they belong in the same world. The goal has never been to create rules for the sake of rules. The goal has always been to remove uncertainty. Every minute an artist spends wondering where a file belongs or why something isn't rendering correctly is a minute they aren't spending creating. A good pipeline disappears into the background, allowing creativity to take center stage. That's the kind of environment we've been striving to build. One of the things that has made that journey so rewarding has been the opportunity to work alongside our director, Delcio Gomes. Bringing years of experience from Industrial Light & Magic, he has created an atmosphere that feels far removed from the stereotype of a top-down production. Instead, he encourages discussion, experimentation, and learning. Whether we're talking about visual storytelling, solving production challenges, or refining the look of the film, he approaches every conversation with enthusiasm and a genuine desire to help people grow. For me, that's been incredibly inspiring. After spending years across larger productions, it's refreshing to work with a director who combines world-class experience with humility, openness, and a love of teaching. That attitude has become infectious, setting the tone for the entire project and reminding all of us that the best productions are built by lifting people up, not simply directing them. That culture of growth doesn't stop with the director. It extends throughout the team. “One of the things I'm most proud of has very little to do with polygons or pipelines. It's watching people discover they're capable of leading.” In our industry, leadership opportunities often come only after years of waiting for someone else to step aside. On TAOS we've tried something different. When we've seen people with passion, curiosity, and a willingness to help others, we've trusted them with responsibility even if they'd never officially led a team before. Watching that transformation has been one of the most rewarding parts of the project. Artists like Ricardo Korver, Vicky Collazo,Christopher Wallace, andWesley Poffostepped into leadership roles within our environment modeling team, not because they already had years of management experience, but because they cared about the people around them and wanted to help make the project better. And they've absolutely risen to the occasion. They've learned how to organize work, mentor artists, review assets, communicate across departments, solve production problems, and support the people on their teams. Seeing that confidence grow week after week has been just as rewarding as watching the environments themselves come together. That's something I hope TAOS continues to do long after this film is finished. We shouldn't just be creating great artists, we should be creating future supervisors, department leads, art directors, and studio leaders. Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:55:32 +0100 https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2581-creating-worlds-creating-artists-inside-the-alchemy-of-a-storm-part-i https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2581-creating-worlds-creating-artists-inside-the-alchemy-of-a-storm-part-i For building a production like TAOS, it is paramount that we build strong teams, clear structures, and workflows that allow everyone to do their best work. In this first article from our Production Managers View series, we take a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re building the TAOS team for success, from defining responsibilities and workflows to creating the foundations for effective collaboration across departments. Filipe Teixeira | Props & Environment Production ManagerHaving seen the awesomeness that Everlasting was, when they announced “Taos” I knew that I had to join and help in any way I could! It felt like too cool an opportunity to miss. See, I’ve been working in the creative industries for quite a while now… 1 year short of 30 to be exact. Done games, advertising, acting on the silver screen + small screen, and the last time I worked on an animation project was back in 2006 for a 2D animated series (which I also did voice acting for). I joined TAOS at a somewhat later stage of the project as a Production Manager, which is a first in my personal repertoire. I already knew part of the squad from THU and I knew that it would be an interesting experience (shoutout to Ines Coimbra, Delcio Gomes, Fernanda Nevitiv da Costa, and bunch of other good folks that I won’t name otherwise this article will look like a memorial). See, I wanted to get a vibe of how things worked in a production setting, and everything that that entailed. Honestly, I’d wanted to try a production related role for quite some time now. In essence I love community projects, period. And TAOS is no exception! There's an incredible mix of seasoned veterans and young talent that has just recently started to break into the world. Knowledge sharing is not just encouraged but it’s also built into the processes. Every moment is an opportunity to learn how to do things or to do them better than you’re used to. This allowed me to focus more on bridging different departments, focus on problem solving and checking in on people, which is something I really enjoy. The biggest challenges are mostly about coordinating efforts with folks from different timezones, keeping up to date, doing the odd task for different departments and being on-call for anyone who needs it. Juggling all of this with my main daily duties has been a very enlightening experience! Ultimately, I like to invest into things that I know that bring something extra to the world at large. Especially in the creative medium. This is not just a project for me and I see it as a think tank, a hub for creatives coming together to build something of which they have complete ownership of, based on a shared love of doing cool things. And this last part is something that I believe the world sorely needs. Iryna Radchenko | Layout, Animation & Editing Production ManagerI am a 3D character artist and Hair artist in the gaming industry. When I led R&D pipelines for hair creation meant solving analytical, technical puzzles, balancing artistic vision with technical constraints, tracking tasks, and navigating cross-department logistics between concept and tech art teams, alongside with producing benchmarks, assets, and managing the outsource team. Also, I have a background in physics. Physics teaches you how to look at a complex, chaotic environment, break it down into fundamental components, and find the underlying structure. All of that has become my secret weapon when I stood in as a Production Manager for the Layout, Editorial, and Animation teams for TAOS. Transitioning to a space outside your primary hard skills is adventurous. In a short amount of time, I’ve been introduced to the nuances of film pipelines, learning exactly which production milestones must be tracked to keep the production moving smoothly. For me, being a producer means finding the balance between ensuring alignment, keeping a track of the timeline, and genuinely taking care of the people doing the work. Achieving that balance starts with recognizing how we function together. There are three perspectives I could share. 1. Be a safe driver! First of all, any project, if it is not solo, is a team effort. You should always remember that you are not alone in it; you have people by your side who you can rely on. When we are passionate, sometimes we can forget to do that. But tired people make more mistakes, and stretching yourself too thin can actively damage team communication. Keeping your body and your head in a good place is your responsibility. Think of it like driving: when you drive for too long, your vision naturally becomes narrow. You need to be responsible enough to get out of the car, take a walk, take a nap, or grab a coffee so that you remain a safe driver for everyone else on the road. Extra effort has a time and place, but be wise and self-aware: ask for help, delegate, adjust approaches, etc. 2. Be curious, not judgmental! Another helpful approach when working with people is to be curious, not judgmental. This is incredibly important, especially on projects like TAOS, which includes people from all around the world, with all sorts of cultural backgrounds, different fields of expertise, and varying stages of their artistic journeys. I’ve seen many times in industry how it impacts a project when production rushes through things without considering the perspective of the people doing the work. Similarly, when an artist gets too hyper-focused on their specific task, their vision narrows, impacting the downstream pipeline. But it is important to remember disagreements come from a good place: people genuinely care about the project. We simply see issues from our own individual fields of vision. So, be curious, not judgemental. Ask questions, try to listen and try to understand.If you focus on building solutions that serve the big picture and are based on a shared understanding, the project will always benefit. 3. Building Our Tribe No matter how experienced we are, we cannot know everything. That is why it is so beautiful to have a "tribe", a safe space where you can unleash your creative and explorative nature. Many of us on TAOS are doing something completely different from our daily work lives or trying something brand new. Because of that, I do appreciate a lot the environment and mindset that Delcio has built here. He keeps saying over and over: "You can ask me anything. There is no such a thing as a silly question. I would rather explain the same thing to you a few times, but once you understand, you won't need me, you will be able to make the decision for me." That is a wonderful mindset for a leader. I think if you are any sort of a manager/ lead/ producer - building the environment where people feel safe to raise questions and explore new challenges is highly beneficial.  I feel like we have been incredibly lucky with the team on this project. It is amazing to be a part of such a massive global collaboration, and I will definitely be keeping an eye on everyone’s journeys as we move forward! Christin Walther | Characters & FX/CFX Production ManagerI joined the TAOS project in February after Delcio reached out to see if I was still interested in contributing. The opportunity was exciting, I was really happy about the opportunity, since I'd wanted to work on films for quite a while. My background as a producer and supervisor in games provided a good foundation, even though film productions come with their own unique challenges. One of the first hurdles was learning the language of film production. Understanding the difference between a shot and a sequence, what an HMC (head-mounted camera) is, and the various file types generated by the mocap sessions we had with Goodbye Kansas was essential. Clear communication is key in any collaborative project, and the TAOS team encouraged an environment where questions were always welcome, no matter how basic they might seem. In an open project like this, proactivity and a willingness to jump in are invaluable. In the early days, my focus was primarily on the production side. I helped onboard new team members, updated our public Notion page, and familiarized myself with Ayon. I also assisted supervisors in assigning artists to new tasks, monitored progress, and flagged any issues or delays to keep the project on track. To deepen my understanding of the pipeline, I started working directly on the assets. This hands-on experience gave me insight into the pipeline, helping me anticipate issues and streamline workflows. It also enabled me to better support other artists, as a producer with practical knowledge can bridge gaps and offer more effective guidance. What truly stood out, though, was the teamwork. The project’s culture was incredibly open, seniority didn’t matter, and everyone was eager to help each other. The open sessions on Discord were a highlight, anyone could join, watch others work on different parts of the movie, and learn in real time. It was a collaborative atmosphere that made the project not just productive, but also enjoyable. TAOS has been a rewarding experience, blending my production skills with the creative energy of an open, supportive team. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:21:09 +0100 https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2583-production-managers-view-i-building-up-taos-departments-for-success https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2583-production-managers-view-i-building-up-taos-departments-for-success From the very beginning of the production, we knew that building a strong team would be essential to bringing The Alchemy of a Storm to life. That process started early on, with establishing a solid production structure built around three main pillars: Creative Direction, Director’s Support, and Recruitment & Outreach. These areas were divided between the project’s three main Producers, Rebekah Hartwig, Fernanda Nevitiv da Costa, and Ines Coimbra, each taking ownership of a different part of the production. While every pillar comes with its own responsibilities and challenges, the production team remains closely connected every single day, assuring a shared creative vision for the show. This structure allowed the team to collaborate more efficiently and ensured that every aspect of the project received the focus and attention it needed throughout production. Here’s a closer look at how that process unfolded throughout the pre-production of The Alchemy of a Storm. Rebekah - Creative ProducerDuring the pre-production phase of The Alchemy of a Storm, my primary focus was on story development, coordinating the delivery of rigs and assets to Goodbye Kansas (TAOS’ motion capture partner) and establishing clear systems of communication and production tracking. The story was initially conceived before the formation of the production team, so a priority of mine was to make sure everyone unified around a shared vision. The biggest hurdle was incorporating our layout team’s previsualization into a cohesive edit. Building the edit was crucial, because it allows the team to see the shots and assets in context, helping us quickly identify what was and wasn’t working. The edit also was a keystone for our motion capture shoot, because it helped determine what actions and dialogue to capture. Once we had the first pass, we went straight into review and iteration, breaking the edit down and sculpting it into something better. This process included candid reactions during review calls, late-night discussions about character dialogue and getting input from outside perspectives. Thanks to people’s honesty and collaboration, our direction and writing teams were able resolve many issues and strengthen the narrative. Of course, refinement and polish will continue throughout production, but establishing the foundation was a central focus of pre-production. Another significant component of pre-production was coordinating our delivery to Goodbye Kansas. Our team assembled character rigs, prop rigs and environments to support their motion capture stage setup ahead of the shoot. This effort required collaboration not only among the producers, but also the supervisors, who helped navigate the more detailed technical requirements of the rigs and environments. Because this delivery ran in parallel with story development, flexibility was needed. As the edit evolved, certain story elements were cut, which meant some assets our team already built were no longer needed. In spite of these changes, the previs and asset teams were exceptional and adapted quickly. With motion capture now complete, the artists have moved into layout and are starting to build our final assets for the project! During pre-production, a considerable amount of our effort went into developing strong communication systems such as documentation, calendars, tracking tools, meetings and onboarding processes. Given that our team is globally distributed and includes both senior and junior artists, we prioritized clear, accessible written communication. Since not everyone is able to meet synchronously nor share the same level of knowledge and experience with our pipeline, having well-documented information was essential. My goal is to ensure that the team remains aligned on our objectives, timeline and priorities. This is an area of production I continue to actively refine and improve! “Key Insight: Be open to critique and feedback. Humility and being servant-hearted is often an overlooked quality in a team leader, but it can make all the difference!” Fernanda - Project ProducerI was one of the first people to join the project, and from the beginning I felt excited by the opportunity to work alongside the THU community and grateful for the trust placed in me to help shape something so ambitious. One of the most rewarding parts of production is seeing how naturally things start to move when you bring together the right people. There is something almost magical about creating an environment where talented artists and creators feel supported enough to collaborate openly, share ideas, and build momentum together. This project also came with a unique challenge: every person joining the team is at a different stage in their career and driven by different motivations. Part of my role has been understanding what inspires each individual, while creating space for them to learn, contribute, and shine in their own way. The goal of this project is to create a final product that truly reflects what a community can achieve together, and it is important that everyone feels their contribution helped bring the project to a stronger place. We believe productions become stronger when people feel that their voice and growth matter as much as the final result. Since the project brings together people from different countries, disciplines, and levels of experience, one of the biggest challenges was creating a workflow that felt both organized and welcoming. Production became a balance between structure and flexibility: building communication systems, onboarding new collaborators, tracking progress, and making sure people always understood both the creative vision and how their work connected to it. Watching the team slowly find its rhythm together has been one of the most fulfilling parts of the experience. Another layer of complexity - and also one of the most rewarding aspects of the project - has been the open approach of sharing the development process in real time with a worldwide community. Building a production while simultaneously making the process accessible to others requires an extra level of organization, communication, and adaptability. Seeing more people engage, learn from the process, and eventually become part of the project has made that challenge incredibly meaningful. “Key Insight: Strong production is not only about organization and schedules, it is about creating an environment where people feel supported, connected to the vision, and empowered to contribute their best work.” Inês - Recruitment & Community ProducerTaking on the opportunity to produce another THU project was an easy decision for me. Having already worked with Delcio Gomes and the THU Team before, I understood all too well from the very beginning, the challenges that would come with producing a second short. While Everlasting taught me what it means to carry the weight of a large-scale team, The Alchemy of a Storm made me completely change the way I approached my production work. In Everlasting, I was the main producer of a team of more than 80 artists, which was an intense and incredibly rewarding experience at the same time. On TAOS however, I have the chance to share that responsibility with Fernanda and Rebekah, which has changed everything. Not only did it create a stronger support system within production, but it also allowed us to learn, adapt, and problem-solve much faster as a team. Dividing the workload meant each of us could actually focus more deeply on specific areas of the production. In my case, I have been focusing my time mainly on recruitment, which quickly became one of the most rewarding aspects of the project for me. Most of my time has been spent networking and having 1-1 conversations with very talented artists from around the globe, and learning about their work, their goals, and how they would like to contribute towards TAOS. While recruitment at this scale can feel overwhelming due to the big volume of applications, I strongly believe it’s important to personally connect with everyone who shows genuine interest in joining this project and try to include everyone that has applied. I also feel very blessed that some of those connections have now grown far beyond the work on the project, turning them into close colleagues and friends. Alongside recruitment, I also oversee the THU platform and its content on the TAOS space. Building the project’s dedicated space has become a major part of the film’s marketing and outreach strategy, so it’s an essential part of this huge machine we are trying to build together. It’s designed not only as a place to share information about the short, but also as a living archive of the project itself, highlighting the artists behind it, documenting key production milestones, and publishing in-depth articles like this one. As the team continues to grow and the scope of the project expands, building and maintaining the platform space has become increasingly more complex, requiring constant coordination between the THU team, production, marketing and the artists, through many meetings and constant ongoing communication, to put together all the content. I’m incredibly proud of what this team has accomplished so far and of how much bigger and bolder this production has become. More than anything, The Alchemy of a Storm reflects the strength of the global artistic community, and how artists from completely different backgrounds and skillsets can come together to create something far greater than themselves. “Key Insight: Sharing responsibilities across the team is essential on a project of this scale, to allow artists to focus more effectively, collaborate more efficiently, and maintain a sustainable production pipeline in the long run.” Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:20:41 +0100 https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2538-producer-s-view-i-building-the-foundation-of-taos https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2538-producer-s-view-i-building-the-foundation-of-taos https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2538-producer-s-view-i-building-the-foundation-of-taos#comment_thread_2839 I originally met Delcio Gomes (Director of TAOS), at THU’s Storytelling Event in Japan, September 2025. I was one of the Talent League Finalists (2024) and as a result, received a free ticket and accommodation to the event. Delcio explained that he was looking for a female writer for the next animated project at THU’s upcoming Main Event in 2026 in Portugal. And the rest, we say is history! We began discussing and working on the project online from November 2025 over multiple times zones and continents – all the way from San Francisco, California, Bogota, Colombia, Porto, Portugal to London, UK! Initially, story building was based around the themes of resilience, confidence and community. These were drawn from the geopolitical climate that we currently live in and to help distinguish from THU’s last animated project, Everlasting (2024). We were also provided with the brilliant artist Katsuya Terada’s sketch of what is now both the manifesto and main character of the film – Lavina. When I initially saw the dramatic yellow background and the colour of her eyes, as well as the intensity of the vibe of the sketch, I was instantly reminded of Tarantino’s Beatrix in Kill Bill. Another character that came quickly to mind was Furiosa from George Miller’s Mad Max Furiosa. There is no doubt that these pair have had a large influence in the making of Lavina’s character. [Beatrix [Kill Bill] and Furiosa [Mad Max Furiosa]] Other discussions included references to the Demon Pope and how he should be conveyed as a character drawing inspiration from major political figures and other mystical and biblical figures. What also aided us in character development and dialogue were useful image references from the TAOS Miro Mood Board. [From TAOS Miro Board] There have been many sessions needed to craft and flesh out the storyline, helping perfect and clarify the vision for TAOS. The first draft of the script was provided in December 2025. After - not one, or two but several re-writes – in fact, we are continuing to change the script as of March 2026. In retrospect, the very first draft of the TAOS acted as a template which we continued to expand and build on. I also highlight that the experience of script writing and editing (not just for this project) is an ongoing process and can change right the way up to filming; especially in TAOS where the script has changed enormously, depending on a multitude of factors; from a change of the director’s (Delcio) vision, to collaborative discussions and meetings in other departments (namely layout and character artists in this instance) to once viewing the preview. The profound themes of TAOS are some of the main reasons why I have enjoyed working on this project. The process of writing was, is and continues to be very collaborative: From working together in story meetings with Joana Vale (co-writer/co-story), Delcio and Fernanda Nevitiv da Costa (producer), to collaborative script readings with the character and layout artists over Discord, to speaking to producers and other members of this project. I am honoured to have been chosen to co-write and co-story TAOS. I truly believe like since joining this project that I am part of a global community, with belonging and a fire to transform the chaos, magic of collaboration in film making and multiple time zones into a hell ‘a great storm. 💫 Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:20:08 +0100 https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2516-a-writer-s-perspective-where-it-all-began https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2516-a-writer-s-perspective-where-it-all-began “The Alchemy of a Storm” is in full speed: 485 people have already joined our Discord server to be a part of our short animation film (and you can too!). Today, I want to look back and write about the movie before the movie. How it all started. The pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-production. Buckle up! How it all beganEvery edition of the main event has a theme and a poster created by an artist that is meaningful to THU’s story and legacy. The theme always relates to what THU, the industry, and the Tribe are going through, and once it’s defined, the artist is briefed to come up with a visual piece that represents that feeling. I usually create a handful of theme options and bring them to Andre Luis (CEO of THU). But this year, I came in with one. I was pretty set on “The Alchemy of a Storm”, and André was instantly on board. We really wanted this edition to celebrate the chaos of creating and how much courage it takes to be an artist right now, nurturing and protecting your craft. After deciding on the theme and writing the manifesto (that you can read here), it was time to brief the incredible Katsuya Terada. He came up with a striking artwork that personified the message of the manifesto into a badass sci-fi hero of epic proportions. And so Lavina was born. Creating the story: the birth of LavinaAt this point, Delcio Gomes and I had already been talking for a few months about bringing the poster to life in a movie, as we did for Everlasting. When we got the final version of the poster from Terada, we did a deep dive into the manifesto and tried to develop Lavina (the name we gave to the woman on the artwork) as the main character for this movie. What’s her story? Why is her arm broken? What’s her mission? What happened to her horn? We studied the image with obsessive attention to detail, asking every question and trying to come up with answers. Through all the questions and ideas, one word kept coming back: resilience. She represents the resilience of artists who protect their work and preserve the soul and human side of art. The word “resilience” continues to be a guiding light in this process, even now. [DSCF1304.jpg] Turning the story into a scriptAfter we had a clear idea of the character's motivations and the message of the movie, it was time to start developing the script. We invited Elena Samia, a fellow writer, to join our meetings and bring her unique vision to this story as we developed the script with Délcio under the careful eye of our day-one producer, Fernanda Nevitiv da Costa. The script went through many versions and, even now, it's still a living, breathing thing (I’m actually convinced it has a life of its own). The core message hasn’t changed, but everything else did. Writing is usually a lonely endeavor for me, so it was great to do it collaboratively and in conversation, for a change. It gave me a different kind of joy in the work I hadn't felt before. When we were working on the dialogues, I was also lucky to have the support of Rebekah Hartwig, Luna McKee, Daniel Smith, and our actress Kika Magalhães. We’d read lines out loud and dissect how natural they sounded. We were all in different time zones, and it was often 3 am for me, but those were some of my favorite moments of the whole process. Holy sh*t, it’s getting realIt’s been six months since the journey began, and it still feels surreal to me. A theme and manifesto I wrote became a poster by an extraordinary artist, which became a story, which is now becoming a film. And I get to watch all these talented creators from all over the world pouring themselves into it just for the sake of creating something together. I just got back from an intense week of mocap shooting for the movie (more about it soon!), and after countless hours of online meetings, we were finally not rectangles in video calls or “anonymous alligators” on a shared Google Doc. We were real people in a real studio doing a real movie. I think this was the moment where it really clicked that all it takes for an idea to become a thing is a bunch of cool people who really believe in it. And we are lucky to have found them. The movie will premiere at THU Main Event 2026, and it can’t come fast enough. It will be the moment where our passion for the craft (and collective madness) finally hits a screen and becomes real for everyone. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:19:08 +0100 https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2518-the-movie-before-the-movie-the-spark-that-started-the-alchemy https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2518-the-movie-before-the-movie-the-spark-that-started-the-alchemy When working with a team full of artists, one of their first questions when they start to work is “Where is the file?” or “Where should I save?” For our team at TAOS, the very first challenge in the production was a big one - meeting the deadline for our Motion Capture Shoot in early March. For our team, it was an honor to have a partnership with the Swedish studio Goodbye Kansas, based in Stockholm, who supported us tremendously during the entire preparation process. Here you will find in detail how our team put together a pipeline to meet this challenge. Pipeline Set UpOn TAOS, we started the project by creating a very organized structure that is built to support a USD publishing workflow and that works with a tracking system. In the future we will use Ayon and Maya USD. At the moment, it is manually set up to mimic those systems. This becomes very important when versioning and publishing so that the area for other disciplines to reference from is isolated away from the working areas. This is the difference between versioning up a file that is referencing many elements or redoing things from scratch when there are changes. StoryboardThe storyboard team works hand in hand with the layout team to plan camera angles, content, and functionality. How does something work? How should something move in camera to keep momentum moving in the right direction? These storyboards feed into boardomatics so that we can figure out timings. This means that the early edits are part 3D previsualization and part 2D drawings. [storyboards.png] Asset Build - Characters and PropsSo, what do you do when characters and props must wait to be defined but you also need to deliver for a shoot with accuracy? There are parameters set in place that make the structures and bones consistent and viable for future use while still allowing for flexibility. For example, the drone has completely changed from an egg shape to a sleek hard surface model with vials that feel like spoilers. The layout team was able to update all shots with the drone in a day because the pivots and proportions stayed the same. Similarly, the characters we are sending to the shoot have the requirement set that the joint positions where the character will move cannot change. They can, however, change clothes, accessories, textures, and styles around these base proportions. [Lavina_explo_005.jpg] EnvironmentsSimilar to characters and props, the basic proportions of the set should stay the same so we can send basic locations of walls, floors, and furniture, to the mocap shoot. For example, a character can not run completely left to right if there is a narrow alleyway or hallway. They would run through the wall. On set, the closer you get to recreating the environment you want to interact with later, the more accurate mocap animation data you will receive. It will look more purposeful and physically believable if it is not random. In the next phase, these simple structures will have set dressings and more detail. What is important in planning is proportions, placement, and functionality. [env.png] RiggingWhen rigging for mocap shoots, it is important to include a joint that has channels for timecode. When the layout team receives the mocap data from set, they will use the timecode to match a mocap tech edit and sync the characters and props to the action that the director wants to see in each shot. For rigging a prop like a door, the functionality and design becomes very important for capturing the correct action of the actors. Is the handle on the door a turning knob or a handle that pivots up and down? Typically, props should have a root control and a handle control so that the artist can move the character around globally and then, also, animate underneath that. For characters, the rigging team decided to go with a Metahuman face which works really well with motion capture data. Previsualization and LayoutIn the previsualization phase, we had the pleasure and freedom to read the script and animate the characters actions to what we believed the story was aiming to achieve. Since previsualization starts very early on, the layout team uses downloadable free rigs and props to get going in storytelling right away. When published with a rig, that prop geometry can easily be replaced and versioned up in multiple Maya files across many artists. Clean and clear setups keep the pipeline efficient and smooth. The temporary character rigs will later be replaced with the final character rigs with mocap data applied. The previsualization files are also the basis of the layout phase because right from the start, the layout team is designing frame ranges, actions, lenses, and camera angles. The editor uses these playblasts inspired by the storyboards and script to make an edit. After the shoot, there will be a mocap edit made and the layout team will conform their previsualization files to the timings and timecode defined in that edit. The cameras will also be adjusted to work with the new actions. [previs.png][previs2.png][previs3.png] EditorialTAOS has a previsualization edit that is sent to Goodbye Kansas before the shoot so that the physical prop team can understand the actions, sets, and story. This lets the mocap team know what they need to have ready on shoot day in terms of props to interact with and how to set the limitations of the environment. Since the actions and stunts become clearer when there is a visual representation of what is desired, the team can decide if a stunt actor is needed and if it is required to use wires, cages, and mats. The edit is also an integral part of cutting down the story to the most intriguing content within the guidelines of the film length. The edits are also a feedback guide to the layout team. [artdirection.png] Goodbye Kansas DeliverablesThere are guidelines to delivering to set and a shoot doc to help keep it all in order. The TAOS team has prepped all props and characters as skinned fbx files that match the requirements: 1. There should not be groups in between joints. 2. There must be a timecode node. 3. The joint rigs should be able to directly drive the control rigs later to not sacrifice any mocap data quality. This means joint positions and namings should not change later. 4. Environments are sent as fbx files as well. There is a color coding system where if something is touched, it is marked red, and if something is to be an eyeline object, it is marked in teal. The next challenge we have ahead of us is to plan every take that we aim to capture on shoot day. By looking at the previs edit, we can determine which actions we need to capture in sequence, which actor will be marked to play them, and which environment that action will happen in. Ready, set, go! Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:18:36 +0100 https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2517-workflows-and-layout-prep-for-the-gbk-motion-capture-shoot https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2517-workflows-and-layout-prep-for-the-gbk-motion-capture-shoot What started seven months ago as just an idea slowly evolved into something much more tangible. An idea became a poster, a poster became a story, and a story is now becoming a film. All of this led our team to Stockholm, to the Goodbye Kansas Motion Capture Studio, for a 3-day shoot, where the data captured during the session will  become the solid foundation for our film’s animation. Groundwork - The days before the shootBefore the cameras rolled, the groundwork was already in motion. Our layout team prepared all the files necessary for a handover with the GBK team. These files had to be carefully built so that when shooting, all the objects and actions from the actors would align with the worlds we had built digitally. We also established two different teams to work on the shoot: The internal TAOS team - Director: Delcio Gomes; Writer: Joana Vale; Producer: Fernanda Nevitiv da Costa; Character Supervisor: Christin Walther; Layout Supervisor: Christina Sidoti; Animation Supervisor: Guilherme Martins The team at the Goodbye Kansas Motion Capture Studio - Motion Capture Supervisor: Samuel Tyskling; Shoot Producer: Axel Gärkman; Shoot Coordinator: Isabella Nilsson; Shoot Coordinator: Kim Seefried; Stunt Coordinator: Johan Lindqvist; Mocap Operator: Oskar Olsson; Mocap Operator: Ed Reeler; Props Master: David Sagesen; Facial Capture Operator: Eva Lindgren We set ground rules and a clear shooting schedule - All shots had to be done within the same day they were scheduled for. Start Time: 8AM, Wrap Time: 5pm. There was a strong emphasis on approving A takes as soon as they hit the mark. Delcio, the Director, did not do alternate takes unless it was absolutely necessary. [TAOSxGBK_1.jpg]Day 1 - Bridging Two WorldsAfter all the preparation, it was time for action: While actors suited up and facial capture scans were underway, the TAOS and GBK teams began aligning their vision for the shoot. Stunt choreography discussions took place early, ensuring that action beats were based on physical feasibility. Our digital environments were translated into physical space, using floor markings on set. Key locations of our short - the Lab, Nest, Alley, Rooftop, and Apartment - were laid out at full scale, giving the actors a clear sense of space, distance, and movement boundaries. Props like doors, tables, drones, and obstacles were carefully placed on set to match the animation we wanted to achieve. Key Insight: Motion capture doesn’t begin on the day we step into the set: it starts months before, with lots of preparation and coordination between departments. Before actors can even step on stage, our world has to be constructed digitally, to guarantee the success of a shoot. Every shot and environment is planned out in the Previsualization Process using real world scale and stepped animation to block out the actions. The fight scenes were planned in depth with the stunt coordinators professional insight based on years of experience in virtual battles using their on set rigs. [TAOSxGBK_2.jpg][TAOSxGBK_3.jpg] Day 2 - Performance, Narrative & DiscoveryDay 2 was solely focused on capturing the core narrative of the film. The Magic Moment Each take we did on the shoot followed a precise rhythm. The actors began in A-pose for calibration, while the mocap, sound, and camera teams ran their final checks. Only then would the call for “Action” reset everything into motion. One of the most powerful aspects of the process was the immediate feedback loop. Performances appeared instantly on screen as 3D characters - this allowed for real-time direction, where small adjustments to hand poses, posture, or timing could be made on the spot, often adapting the performance to better fit the proportions and behavior of the digital character, rather than the actor alone. The performance is also captured on camera with 3 witness cameras and a main view camera. The witness cameras are to capture still views of most angles so animators can later see exactly how the movements were set. The main camera is meant to feed the edit from the view closest to the previs or desired edit angle. It can show the 3D characters in action on set or the live action actors. Establishing the Villain The shoot opened with the Demon Pope in a control room setting. This performance relied heavily on the actor’s imagination, with no real screens, buttons, or interfaces, only the digital markings of the environment. The Director and Animation Lead worked closely together to adjust the actor’s gestures to ensure readability and accuracy in the digital character. Subtle actions helped define the Demon Pope’s character: by having controlled movements, we were able to create a sense of rising tension and explosive intent from the character. Building Lavina The alley sequence was key in defining how Lavina moves through the world. Her performance was built as a progression, from disoriented to cautious, to reactive, and finally into a full run, establishing a clear physical language for the character. We paid close attention to corner checks, shifts in pacing, and the tension carried through the actor’s body. This sequence also introduced her interaction with the drone, shaping eye-lines, timing, and emotional beats. Early stunt elements were integrated as well, including her entry through a window and jump off of a balcony. Since Lavina would throw off her arm and magnetically draw it back in, the actor had to imagine this was happening and leave pauses for the action. When the actor picked up the unicorn with two hands in the previs, Delcio immediately could see that this made an uneven platform with the bionic hand next to the human hand and asked the actor to use only one hand instead. That is the benefit of being able to watch the 3D characters on the large screen while shooting the human actors. [TAOSxGBK_6.jpg] Main sequences The Lab sequence marked a clear shift in tone, moving into a space defined by curiosity and unease in the story. Lavina’s interactions became more deliberate. This sense of exploration quickly gave way to conflict as the Demon Pope entered, tightening the space and escalating the tension. The performance focused on distance, pressure, and controlled movements, using proximity and pacing to build a palpable sense of threat. The Rooftop sequence marked the first take at the film’s climax, capturing an early version of the final confrontation between Lavina and the Demon Pope. Before introducing wire work, the team focused on the fight choreography and the emotional progression of the scene, moving from the moment Lavina gets injured to the setup for her transformation. Key challenges By lunch, the production had fallen 7 scenes behind schedule. Until then, performances and stunts had been captured separately, slowing the workflow with constant resets. To recover time, the team shifted to recording both performers simultaneously, creating more dynamic interactions and a faster production rhythm. The result was a major turnaround: 35 scenes completed by the end of the day, with stronger and more connected performances overall. Key Insight: Recording performers simultaneously not only accelerated production but also created more reactive, natural performances through shared timing and energy. Day 3 - Stunts & Controlled ChaosIf day one focused on performance and story, day two brought physicality and impact into the process. The rooftop confrontation was revisited with full stunt integration, introducing wire rigs and aerial choreography that expanded the scale and intensity of the fight. Lifts, throws, and suspended movements allowed the action to become faster and far more aggressive, requiring close coordination between performers, stunt riggers, and the safety team throughout the shoot. [TAOSxGBK_5.jpg][TAOSxGBK_4.jpg] Key stunts The Lab confrontation was done with a strong emphasis on physicality, transforming the scene from dialogue-driven tension into full-impact combat. Throws, and collisions with props brought weight and resistance into the performances, while the environment itself became part of the action through dynamic interactions with tables, windows, and surrounding space. Alongside the combat work, the team also focused on traversal and vertical movement, capturing how Lavina navigates the world using her mechanical arm for grappling and aerial pulls. The Apartment chase quickly became the most complex sequence of the shoot, combining performance, stunt work, and spatial choreography into one continuous action block. Lavina moved through tight corridors while unlocking doors, reacting to obstacles, and rapidly changing direction under pressure. The introduction of the 404’s added another layer of chaos into the shoot, with multiple performers flooding the hallways and creating timing and spacing challenges across the stage. The Close-Quarters combat sequences captured dodges, tackles, slides, and the tactical use of Lavina’s mech-arm, including a standout moment where she slid beneath an enemy before pulling them down. As the tension escalated, the sequence evolved into a claustrophobic escape scenario, with doors barricaded by props and enemies breaking through barriers. Throughout the day, complex stunt actions were carefully split between performers and reactions, allowing the stunt team, riggers, and actors to safely execute high-impact moments while maintaining the intensity of the scenes. Key Insight: As the action intensified, the challenge extended beyond performance, evolving into the complex coordination of movement, space, and stunt choreography. In between the chaos and creation Across the three days of the shoot, a clear contrast emerged. Day 1 focused on preparation and setting up; Day 2 focused on intent - performance, emotion, and narrative clarity; Day 3 focused on stunt work, bringing physicality and force into the process. Motion capture is an amazing and unique process, where reality and imagination mix together, allowing actors to perform inside a set, while their movements are instantly translated into usable digital data. Through constant iteration, direction, and collaboration, that raw energy gradually takes shape, transforming the disorder of production into something cohesive and meaningful. Key Insight: Motion capture lives at the intersection of live performance and animation technology, where chaos, iteration, and collaboration are essential parts of shaping believable stories. The Finish LineThis shoot is something our team will carry with them for a long time. Across 3 intense days, our team faced technical challenges, constant adjustments, physical exhaustion, and the pressure of bringing an ambitious vision to life. But somewhere within that chaos, the team grew stronger, more united, more resilient, and even more committed to seeing The Alchemy of a Storm through to the finish line. What happened inside the studio was much more than just a capture session: it was trust, collaboration, and hundreds of creative decisions unfolding moment by moment. Every challenge pushed the project forward, shaping not only the film in itself, but also the people creating it. When we all went back to our various homes, we remember the dinners, the whiteboard with a game plan, the sketch books, the fight scene planning in the middle of the restaurant, the walks around Stockholm, and the new friends we made. The shoot at the Goodbye Kansas Studio was at the center of our great adventure on a creative project we will all never forget. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:17:01 +0100 https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2566-capturing-the-storm-our-3-day-mocap-shoot-at-goodbyekansas https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2566-capturing-the-storm-our-3-day-mocap-shoot-at-goodbyekansas From the very beginning of the production, The Alchemy of a Storm has been a very collaborative project. As Assistant Directors, Daniel Smith and Luna McKee have been under the wing and guidance of the director, Delcio Gomes in learning and collaborating on the direction of the film. Daniel and Luna have both experienced a lot of learning, growth, and excitement in “riding the waves” of the production on The Alchemy of a Storm. Here’s a personal look at their conversation about how their experiences have unfolded throughout the first half of making The Alchemy of a Storm. “When joining TAOS and jumping into the project under Delcio’s wing, what were each of your perspectives in the beginning?”Daniel My reaction when jumping into it was, first of all, shock that he asked me, I was very surprised by that, and it was also a little overwhelming, but I felt very honored for him to be reaching out and asking us two specifically out of everyone, I'm very grateful that he saw something in us that maybe we didn't necessarily see in ourselves, and giving us assistant director positions, It means a lot and it was overall just very exciting Luna I totally agree. It was definitely a lot of excitement as we learned about the project, because it felt like an incredible opportunity to make an impact in the industry and in a community. It was a lot to wrap my head around at first, for sure, but it was also so much excitement to see it all unfold and to be a part of such an impactful project, and meeting the team was like a really exciting moment for me personally. Daniel 100% I think any nerves were outweighed by the excitement, especially a year post grad from SCAD, and being able to get this opportunity to come into this community of amazing artists that are all having the same collective mindset of “we just want people to succeed in this industry and have great careers”. We want people to make awesome art at the end of the day. You know  that's what matters. Luna Absolutely, and I personally had come from a previous production that gave me a huge sense of community and meaning with the team on the film, and being able to make something cool together, I had missed that. Then TAOS brought that full force, and now to look back and know that we have almost 600 people in the Discord now that are actively making art and interacting is insane, and it's also like a really special and proud moment for both of us to know that we've been able to be a part of this amazing community and story. Daniel Oh, I definitely agree, you know, it brings some hope for what the industry really should be. It should be people coming together, and making lifelong connections. In every project I could work on, I'm going to meet new people, and have so many more connections. That is just awesome to think about. “What has it been like learning from Delcio’s perspective as a director and working as a team of directors throughout the project so far?”Luna We talked about this before, but it's been very meaningful to be able to learn from someone who values community feedback and the creativity of each one of our individual artists so much. To be able to be under his wing and see him give that freedom to the artists to make decisions to run with it, and really put in their entire heart into what they're working on is a very meaningful perspective to get as a young director. Daniel Yeah, I definitely agree. I think it's just great being able to have an open connection with him. I feel like if we were in a studio setting, I'd be scared, and kind of a timid to have interaction with someone of his status in a studio, where as here, he's brought us to the same level as him, and he's passing on wisdom that he had to learn the hard way in the industry. Luna  Agreed, it's really fun to be as a team of three directors and be able to hop on a call and have a discussion about things as a team instead of it being one decision, it's an open dialogue. It’s been a blast to make jokes and laugh about things, and be like, oh, let’s explore this more, or let’s go another way, and have this collective excitement in making decisions about the production. It's like everybody can dive in and kind of put all that love into it and support each other. Daniel I completely agree. Being able to bounce ideas off of each other and have that support system is such a great aspect of it, especially like you mentioned, with us being a team of three, you know, if Delcio were having a rough week, he knows that he has us there to support him, or if one of us are struggling, with an idea or a concept for the project, you know that  the other two are there to help back you up. Even if you fall, you're not going to fall on your face the rest of the team is there to catch you and support you and uplift you. “What has it been like navigating larger milestones in the production? Any highlights?”Luna I think a big hurdle for both of us was that neither of us had worked with motion capture shoots before, so to have the opportunity for the first time to see such a huge milestone with GBK was very exciting. BUT also knowing there was no turning back, was kind of a huge learning moment for both of us and seeing the setup and immense work that went into preparing for the mocap shoot. Daniel Yeah, I feel like the pressure of needing to meet the GBK Deadline and it having to be done, there wasn't an alternative, and we were going to do it to the best of our abilities, and if something goes wrong, it's okay. No one was saying, if this doesn't work, it's the end of the film, and you know, I think that leans on this community and how we support each other, and In the end, the shoot went amazing, and was a great success, and I feel like you could sense a weight lifted off of everyone's shoulders. There was that stress, and then once it happened, everyone took a breath, and we went, "Okay, now on to our next milestone". Luna Definitely. The weeks leading up to that, it was also so awesome to be a part of the script writing calls, and to collaborate together to try and nail down dialogue, knowing that after that shoot we wouldn't be able to backpedal on Lavina's lines. It was definitely a huge milestone, and in being able to kind of go, okay, we've done it to the best of our ability as a team, and now this is the moment where we have to put it down and move forward. Daniel I feel honestly, for me, and I don't know how you feel, but so far that's been one of my favorite moments on this project was that, whole week we spent every night together, just rewriting the entire script, basically from scratch, and knowing, Delcio  was getting on a flight in, the next however many hours to go to the GBK shoot after our last session. and we agreed, this is it, it's out of our hands now, but you know, we trusted each other, and we knew it would be okay. That sense of team work and comradery we had is what makes this community. So yeah, I'd have to say it was probably one of my favorite parts of the production so far. Honestly, at the end of the day, there is  no other production that is going to give the opportunity for someone who just, decides that, I want to put myself out there today, I want to join this Discord, and, oh, I just contributed to deciding what the main character of this film is going to look like. There's no other production out there that's going to give you that opportunity, We want everyone here to feel that they matter. “What, if any, challenges have you faced so far while working on this project, whether personal, professional or production-based?”Daniel We both graduated a year ago, you know. We've had that struggle of, having your breakout in the industry, getting your foot in that door. We've both had lots of close calls with getting a job and just barely missing it, and that stuff can weigh on you as an artist, you know? I mean, it would weigh on people, I'm sure, even at the senior level, but, I feel like there's... you give yourself more pressure, I think, as a junior, because you're like, "Oh, I have to do this, like, I have to break out if I don't. What's gonna happen?  And there's always that constant fear, but TAOS has given. I feel hope, almost. Luna Absolutely, I think TAOS is definitely a reminder that this industry it's not about LinkedIn job applications, and all of the kinds of metrics that go into the struggle of the industry. At the end of the day, the people really make it matter, and TAOS has been kind of a beacon of hope and light, in reminding us that there is so much positivity, and there's so much opportunity in our industry to get involved and to be able to contribute to incredible things, a part of a team or as an artist. Daniel Yeah, I agree, like coming into this, the imposter syndrome is something that always rings in my head, you know, I feel like sometimes you forget that the artist are the people that make the industry, they're the ones that are creating the art, and sometimes I feel like you get a mix up in your head, they're what makes the industry the industry. “If you had to give yourself wisdom when you first joined the project, what would it be?“Daniel You know, just take that leap. Don't be scared. I know, even you and I have talked.. like our friends will message us about joining the server and want to be a part of it, and they'll be like, you know, I'm scared to do this or that, or I don't want to say the wrong thing. In TAOS, there's not a wrong thing, you're not going to say anything wrong,  just take that leap and become a part of the community. Luna For sure, that’s so important. I also would say, don't be afraid to make mistakes, and know that this is a safe space to learn and have that community, like we were saying, but also trust your artistic instincts and put yourself out there. Daniel Once everyone's really getting involved and just sharing their ideas, you feel the energy in the room building, and things start to really get done, and you create truley amazing things, you can't be scared, if you're scared, you're not gonna reach that next level. Luna Absolutely fire, Daniel. Those are our final closing words. Thank you all for reading! We hope you enjoyed our conversation about our experiences with the TAOS production as assistant directors. Please come and join the community in the TAOS server, and follow The Alchemy of a Storm on Instagram! Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:16:25 +0100 https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2549-assistant-directors-view-i-a-conversation-on-the-storm https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2549-assistant-directors-view-i-a-conversation-on-the-storm Over the course of pre-production, the TAOS Team decided to throw a big challenge at the community in Discord - come up with a 2D or 3D concept art for the film! The challenge was clear - start with an idea, create a concept for a character or environment, and submit. Sounds easy at first, but as the weeks went by, our contest participants got to feel the pressure and difficulties of a real production setting. Thanks to Ivan, Gosia, Cezar, Rein and Renan, we got to see beautiful work being developed for our film, and we got to enjoy their process along the way. We couldn’t be happier or prouder of their submissions and commitment towards this project! But something else magical happened alongside the contest, something that was unplanned, and truly struck us all in supervision. Outside of the contest, Raquel created a beautiful piece of work, dedicated to the main symbol of the THU Universe, Uni - the THU Unicorn. The TAOS team is incredibly grateful to each and every one of these artists, we are very lucky to have you all onboard with us! Here’s a first look at these artists work: Characters ContestIvan ReberI’m Ivan Reber, a Swiss artist living in Berlin. My career has taken me across a range of industries, from advertising, industrial, and interior design to the world of game development. When I’m off the clock, I’m likely at a life drawing session, wandering through an art gallery, feasting on good food, headbanging at a metal concert, or tucked away at home building my 'last' Gundam model – which we all know isn't actually my last one. I crossed paths with Delcio in Japan last year, so when he asked for volunteers for his new short film, I jumped at the chance. Having been dedicated to the same project at work for the last five years, I was starving for something new and saw this as a perfect opportunity to break up my daily routine. For the competition, I took part in the character design challenge, conceptualizing characters like the '404s,' the 'Mysterious Man,' the drone, and the one I had the most fun with: the 'Demon Pope.' While I initially envisioned him piloting a mecha to create a stark contrast with the protagonist, Lavina, I eventually toned it down to armor with a mecha aesthetic to keep the production manageable. Even though that specific design didn’t make the final cut, the creative process itself was a lot of fun. During preproduction, I was assigned with taking the 'Mysterious Man' from initial sketches to a final concept design. Since character design is my daily bread, this task felt very natural to me. However, every time I thought I had settled on the final outfit, a new idea would pop up, so I ended up iterating through a wide range of variations before landing on the final version. [D1_Ben_Ivan_Reber_final.jpg][B1_404_Ivan_Reber_final.jpg][A3_Pope_Ivan_Reber_concepts_2.jpg] Working on TAOS was a great opportunity. The creative freedom was very liberating, and Delcio’s encouraging feedback really kept the momentum going. I found myself looking forward to working on it every single day after my shifts. It was a perfect escape from my usual studio routine and a great refresher on why I love to create. Whether you're a student or a veteran, I think we all need projects like this to grow, sharpen our tools, or simply remember why we started in the first place. Gosia KmiecMy name is Gosia Kmiec, and I’ve been working as an artist in the games industry for over 11 years. Working professionally for this long is a huge privilege, but it also comes with its caveats. When we take our first steps in production, the excitement is immeasurable, we finally made it. But after many years in the corporate world, it became increasingly difficult to find that excitement that made me fall in love with creating in the first place. Around that time, I had the chance to meet Delcio at THU Storytelling 2025 and learn about the project he was cooking up.  I knew that being part of something driven purely by passion, something more about the craft than OKRs and investors, could help me find my spark again. This movie came into my life at exactly the right moment, and the opportunity to be part of the concept art team has been a huge honor. I felt quite rusty when I first started working on submissions for character designs. You know that feeling when you sit in front of your tablet and physically can’t force your hand to do anything? That’s where I was. But the longer I was part of the discord group and saw everyone’s enthusiasm and engagement, the stronger the urge became to contribute something meaningful. On top of that, Delcio’s excitement is so infectious that after talking with him, you just want to start sketching. We got to know the characters and the setting inside and out, and the work began. [gosiakmiec_taos_404s_concepts.png][gosiakmiec_taos_demon_pope_concepts.png][gosiakmiec_taos_drone_uni_concepts.png] Together with other artists I took part in the exploration for the Demon Pope, the 404s (which are my personal favorites), Uni, and the Drone. That’s a lot of creative input that we were entrusted with, and opportunities like that are rare. After the initial exploration phase, I had the chance to work further on Uni’s design and collaborate with an amazing group of artists to push it in the right direction. The task isn’t easy. The simpler a character is, the more impact every subtle change has. But everyone involved is incredibly hands-on and committed to making this little unicorn shine. I can’t wait to see the final result on the screen at the THU 2026. Sometimes, when I have the chance to mentor younger artists, I get asked how to get a foot in the door. This is exactly how. This is an open project. Everyone can contribute, whether it’s drawing a silly little sticker, creating a piece of concept art, or simply offering a word of encouragement. It’s important to recognize these opportunities and make the most out of them. In today’s world, building connections is more important than ever. No action is too small, what matters is taking it. We were given the opportunity to build something together. We have people from different backgrounds and skill levels, all working side by side and exchanging ideas. And we do it all with a healthy dose of chaos and an enormous amount of love for art. I’m not exaggerating when I say that working on this project completely revived my desire to create simply for the joy of creating. _________________________________________________________________________ Environment ContestCezar Loureiro aka HevonMy name is Cezar Loureiro, I currently live in Portugal and work as a Game Artist at Studio Bravarda, a game development company that I also co-founded. Throughout my career, I have primarily focused on creating art for video games, contributing to various stages of visual production and helping bring the creative vision of our games to life. I first heard about TAOS from a longtime friend, who had collaborated with Delcio on previous projects. Participating in TAOS' open dynamic is an incredibly rewarding experience. I had the opportunity to create concept art for the Slums Zone, which gave me the opportunity to reconnect with an area of art that I have always been passionate about: concept art. After spending approximately six years focused mainly on game art and asset creation for games, I had been somewhat disconnected from concept design focused work. This project was a great opportunity to sharpen those skills again while also learning new aspects of animation production pipelines, a field I had not previously worked in. It was also fascinating to collaborate with such a diverse group of artists and contributors, each bringing their own unique ideas and experiences to the project. [TAOS_Slums_Balcony_Board_CezarLoureiro.jpg][TAOS_Slums_Apartments_Board_CezarLoureiro.jpg][TAOS_Pathway_concept_CezarLoureiro_V4.jpg] I am very glad to be a part of the TAOS community and being able to contribute with the project, and really grateful for being selected as one of the contest's winners, which will give me the opportunity to attend THU later this year. I am excited to see how everyone's efforts come together in the finished production. Additionally, being able to attend the premiere represents a unique opportunity to meet new people, exchange experiences, and further expand my connections within the creative industry. I can't wait to see which new aspects of the project I can collaborate with in the upcoming months. Thank you so much Delcio Gomes, Fer Costa, Inês Coimbra, Maria Gorbacheva and all of the TAOS team for giving us a chance of working on something truly fun and creative. Renan “Bari” AmorimHello, my name is Renan Amorim, I’m a Concept Artist and Illustrator from Brazil!! I'm a recent grad in Animation, and my experience consists mainly of animation projects and illustration for advertising!! However, despite having had many great opportunities, my biggest dream has always been to create worlds. I've been creating worlds since before I could properly hold a pencil, because, being neurodivergent, one of my characteristics is that I've always been absent-minded and scattered. I think and create stories all the time, and over time they've become more and more a part of me, an extension of my being, where my imagination, besides being a refuge, has also become a beautiful strength of mine, which, despite being rebellious and hindering me at times, has also allowed me to experience many good things! I'm passionate about Concept art and Visual Development, and also about writing! However, up to this point, despite evolving and studying a lot to improve my art, I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to work with it! And that's when Delcio and TAOS came into my life!! My story with TAOS started at the last Career camp when Delcio gave us a talk about the process of making Everlasting with the THU community! It was such an awesome talk, and it was beautiful to see how much Delcio truly believes in the power of community! What Delcio said inspired me a lot and made me very excited to participate in the next production he mentioned he would be doing and invited viewers to participate, in this case, TAOS! Since that day, when I talked to Delcio, I've been very excited to have an opportunity to contribute to the project! And since I joined the discord server, I participated in a script reading, which was incredibly fun, and I loved the experience, and also participated in the Concept Art Contest designing some environments for "The Slums" area, and it was wonderful! During the contest I was able to wander and conceptualize through places like the Dark Alleys, the balconies, and the apartments of this incredibly rich world. I was so happy that several times a day I found myself thinking about ideas of what to put in my environments, the props I could create, how to properly represent the mood from and how to meet the production needs. It was magnificent when I discovered that not only had I done a good job, but I could also go to THU main event, and have the amazing opportunity to work on the project as an Environment Concept Artist!!  [4 Dark Alley Explorations 3.PNG][7 Balconies Explorations 1.PNG][10 The Apartments Exploration.PNG] It was magical for me; this project has ignited a powerful and warm flame in my heart that makes me increasingly certain that I chose a path that makes me extremely happy!! Hearing Delcio talk about the project, about his vision of the artistic world and art, about everything, is extremely inspiring, and being able to work alongside such incredible and wonderful people, both as artists and as people, makes me think I'm living a dream!! I'm loving meeting other artists, I've made wonderful friends, and I feel I'm growing enormously as a person and as an artist!! I believe strongly in this project, and for me, it's a pleasure to be guided by the incredibly talented and kind hands of Delcio and the other artists who coordinate the production to finally do what I love and help create the incredible world we are building!! I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to the entire TAOS team, to Delcio for his wonderful feedback and care, to Fer Costa and Ines Coimbra for all their support, to Maria Gorbacheva for her guidance, and to my friends Fernando Viana and Soup for their partnership and encouragement, and to all the other incredible artists!! It might sound cliché, but THU and this beautiful TAOS project made me feel what it truly means to be part of a tribe and grow as a group! And I think that's what we need most right now!! Rein Peñaflor My name is Rein Peñaflor, and I'm a concept artist, storyboard artist, narrative designer, and game developer from the Philippines. My work is heavily inspired by film, animation, games, and world-building, and I enjoy designing environments that tell stories and reflect the lives of the people who inhabit them. I joined TAOS because of my twin brother, who introduced me to the community and encouraged me to join the contest with him. From the beginning, it felt like a unique opportunity to collaborate with artists from different backgrounds while contributing to a larger creative vision, what immediately drew me in was the script and the world behind the project. I had the opportunity to work on environments for the Slums Zone, exploring a grounded yet futuristic vision influenced by dense urban spaces, layered communities, and cyberpunk themes. I wanted the environments to feel lived-in and relatable while also hinting at a future shaped by rapid technological change. One of the most rewarding parts of the experience was seeing how many talented artists came together to interpret the same world from different perspectives. It was inspiring to be part of a community that shares ideas, pushes each other creatively, and collaborates toward a larger vision. [TAOS_Environment_Ideation_Alleys.jpg][TAOS_Environment_Ideation_Balconies.png][TAOS_Slums_Environment_Ideation.jpg] I'm incredibly grateful to the TAOS team for the opportunity and honored to have been selected as one of the contest winners. Attending THU later this year is something I'm very excited about, and I'm looking forward to learning from other artists, meeting new people, and continuing to contribute to the project in the months ahead. Thank you to Delcio Gomes, Luna Mckee, Fer Costa, Inês Coimbra, Maria Gorbacheva, and everyone involved in making this opportunity possible. _________________________________________________________________________ Community ProjectsRaquel-Agnieszka Szmaj LlácerI'm Raquel Agnes, a hobbyist 2D animator with a knack for hand-drawn animation. If you were in 2024's THU Portugal and saw a gal with a flour sack flipbook, that was me! I've learnt about TAOS through last year's online talks, and since that moment I had very clear I wanted to be part of the project. My moment came with the first Call for Contributions: a contest where anybody could submit their vision for the characters in the film. Ideas are evaluated over technical skill, and the guideline submissions were intended as starting points rather than limitations. Now, I'm not a professional by any means, but I knew I wanted to make an animation whenever I got the chance, and this was it. The director, Delcio, wanted to portray Uni as this embodiment of creativity, and to convey that, he wanted him to shift art styles every frame. I wanted to bring that idea to life through a short animation loop as a way to test it out and foresee any potential obstacles along the way. I set myself something manageable yet challenging: I have never animated a four-legged animal before, and I do it by flipping paper sheets like in the old times. I started doing this as a way to give my art more options, and make it less dependent on technology - and I'm very grateful TAOS has allowed me to do this. [unifinal.gif] After all the frames were drawn, I took it as a personal challenge to paint each frame with a different material, most of them continuing the traditional theme. I went for everything that was already laying around in my house and then some: acryllics, crayons, markers, colored pencils, watercolors; but also clay, stamp markers, colored salt, eggshells, and even toothpaste - yes, toothpaste! It just goes to show the freedom given for this contest and how crazy and creative you can go. Of course, even if I painted all the frames on my own, the idea for the final iteration was for them to be painted by different people. In the spirit of that, I offered my frames to the TAOS community, so they can paint them themselves, and compile them together once again to see them in motion. We even got children of the community members to paint the frames, which is an honor for me. The best part of this project is that you don't need to be a professional to leave your mark in the film. The community has people from all walks of life, and they're all very, very welcoming. Whether you're deep in the pipeline trenches or making stickers for the film, there'll be very few projects that allow you to express yourself the way TAOS lets you, no matter if you have 30 years of experience in the industry or 30 months in this world at all. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:15:26 +0100 https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2550-concept-contest-action-the-power-of-the-taos-community https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/village/spaces/129-taos-movie/stories/s/789-project-journal/articles/2550-concept-contest-action-the-power-of-the-taos-community