When telling the story of one of the most legendary space missions in history, you need to do it just right. In the gripping new documentary Apollo Thirteen: Survival, launching on Netflix on the 5th of September.
The Glasgow-based VFX studio teamed up with Insight Film, producers Clive Patterson and Hugh Davies, and director Peter Middleton to deliver CG animation, high-level compositing, and effects to enhance the nail-biting story.
The film is a time capsule of rare audio and visuals from the shuttle, NASA’s control center, and the astronauts’ families. Revenant’s task was to enrich this archival atmosphere and support the storytelling in a historically accurate way by blending era-specific visuals with crisp, clean design language. Delightfully grainy infographics reference those used at the time, and image transitions mimic the style of a vintage carousel slide projector.
The result is a flawless fusion of NASA’s extraordinary archival footage with Revenant’s authentic and faithful visual effects package.
“We had access to a wealth of original archives, including interviews, family photos, and detailed information about NASA’s computers. This gave us a deep understanding of the technology from that era and the design elements associated with press campaigns during the incident. These insights provided a strong foundation for building the visual effects package, ensuring it was both authentic and respectful to the story,” said Kev McCrae, Creative Director of Revenant. “Peter Middleton’s passion for the project was a huge driving force for our team, inspiring us to create visuals that were truly bespoke, original, and seamlessly integrated into the film. It was an absolute joy to work on this project with such a dedicated team.”
So, after venturing into space, where will Revenant go next?