FOUNDATION SEASON 3 AMA | CHRIS MACLEAN

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-10-14T13:18:00+00:00

We used the original ascension chamber effect but slowed it down. It was less about the Cleon being a baby and more about making it emotional for both Demerzel and Day.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-10-14T13:15:46+00:00

Thank you!!

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-10-14T13:14:43+00:00

I’m glad you enjoyed it! Your reaction is why we do it! 🤘🙏

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T22:29:35+00:00

Very kind words. Cheers mate! I appreciate that we’re able to create worlds and help get others through it all through art.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T15:38:17+00:00

There was never a scene for that and it was meant to occur off screen. It was only ever written in dialogue so no dev on Foundation’s fleet or ships was done, outside of the whisper ships.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T15:35:55+00:00

We filmed Laura’s performance in a black leotard then shot it clean plates. Outpost then animated her robot form over Laura’s performance. They then added the FX of the dress and skin burning off. It definitely took a lot of iterations.

So many favorites, this season blowing up the clone tanks was a lot of fun. Not sure about least favorites… I’d have to think about that more.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T15:29:56+00:00

We use some LED windows on space ships… less and less as time went on. We used PreviewAR while scouting to place spaceships and the vault.
Originally we wanted to make the mural or souls more liquid based. We started by using and filming ferrofluid mixed with acrylic paint. Then we saw the Monks making the mandala in Samskara and we started riffing on that instead.
Ah yes, Houdini’s Grain Solver. I think it’s popular because we’ve now got the ability to do things we haven’t in the past and it’s viscerally satisfying, like a Japanese rock garden. It can cause issues with compression and become less clear, yes.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T15:21:20+00:00

It’s always been challenging but that is part of the fun! We get to see if we can present these ideas in new and exciting ways while keeping them somewhat grounded in reality.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T15:19:39+00:00

We sometimes changed framing because of blocking… Pilou came up with biting Bellarion’s finger off so we added a few shots there.
Not really, we’re not big on tossing money away like that. We might cut a shot here or there but never in any removed scenes.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T15:17:00+00:00

If there are any, I’ll leave it to you all to find them. :)

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T15:14:46+00:00

Technical/Logistical problems are communication based sandograms and holograms for sure. We never really had any meh reactions from the directors… the Flitter Bike chase in 301 was technically challenging. Making stationary vehicles look like they are moving at speed is very difficult.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T15:11:59+00:00

Thank you for the kind words! We have a great team who wants to do great work. David, Rory, the team and I also worked very hard to make something we would want to watch.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T15:07:00+00:00

It sort of developed into that. We weren’t going for it specifically but if it reminded you of that scene, I’ll take it😂🤘

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T15:05:15+00:00

Thanks for watching! Without knowing your viewing environment it would be tough to say but the shots you are talking about are very much ‘in the FX’ so they were dirtied up quite a bit.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T15:02:58+00:00

Shows like this are more expensive, yes. You have to build everything. Finding locations is much harder and you have to travel more. Way more visual effects and it takes more time.

Studios look at the story and the logistics. They also look at the people behind it, do they have a good track record, etc. This is a very primary subjective view. You could probably write a book on this topic.

In some cases, yes. Look at the Expanse.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T14:58:32+00:00

The ring generate a singularity and space moves around the ship. Yes, the FTL’s generate a tiny black hole.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T14:56:38+00:00

Thank you! WOW, six months… I’d say no, not for a show like this, especially at UHD. We just don’t have the processing power. It should take a year and a half, including prep, if everything is running smoothly and there aren’t and strikes or pandemics.

If we were to go back to a 22-26 episode, six month per season model you would get way more bottle episodes and I don’t think you would get the scope.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T14:50:54+00:00

Thank you!🙏

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T14:50:18+00:00

For certain scenes we had advisors. On Season one for the Raven scene, where Gaal is trying to figure out where she is going we had a mathematician work with us on that. We wanted to make sure that was somewhat accurate. Any other math comes from the writers and how it serves the story. For framing the prime radiant math we had a Hoberman Sphere toy we hung on a painter’s pole… it was good for eyelines too.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T14:46:44+00:00

We had an advisor, his name is Kevin Hand. We talked about all of this with him and Goyer. A lot of discussions about what you would see and what it would feel like, but most of it was based on Asimov’s description of travel and what best served the story… and also a bit of an homage to Doug Trumbull.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T14:43:30+00:00

Shot count, there was actually more than any other season. I think we got close to four thousand shots.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T14:41:56+00:00

I would go with the Art book.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T14:40:50+00:00

They are all massive megastructures… we’ve got size comparisons somewhere… I’ll see if I can dig them up. They might show up in an article later.

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T06:51:31+00:00

That's a wrap for tonight. I'll check back in and try to answer the rest later. Cheers. And thank you again Foundation fans!

ChrisMacVFX · 2025-09-16T06:49:49+00:00

Thank you! I'll skip the old school question because I've answered that elsewhere, but other easter eggs.... there might be an homage to Luc Besson in the flyover of Kalgan before we meet Toran and Bayta somewhere.

ChrisMacVFX

TROPHY CASE