Shot of the month: Sequence 1 shot 27

Strap in, it’s another mecha shot, this time showcasing the Scorpion’s memorable reveal, as it unfurls from its compact parking stance.

Animator Guen Goik was our heavy hitter when it came to mechanical-creature shots like this. We’re talking eight legs, two claws, a segmented tail, and a cockpit with independent suspension. It’s a lot! Tech director Bret Bays built us an elaborate animation rig for the Scorpion that affords its legs 360° of rotation, which was critical to allow the sort of sinister arachnid-like movement we were after.

Shot of the Month: “sequence 1, shot 27” · animators: Guen Goik and Jason Dixon.
 

Were the Akira-style headlight streaks really necessary? History will be the judge.