Kingsman: The Secret Service VFX Reel Will Make Your Head Explode

Buf, has released a video showcasing the work their team of digital artists created for the [...]

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Buf, has released a video showcasing the work their team of digital artists created for the exploding heads scene in Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman: The Secret Service.

When Merlin (Mark Strong) and Eggsy (Taron Egerton) are put in a no-win situation during their assault on Valentine's mountain bunker, Merlin activates the explosive chips that were implanted in the heads of Valentine's loyal followers. Their heads explode, synchronized to "Pomp and Circumstance."

This effect is mostly condensed in one sequence where the explosions occur one after another in a musical choreographic manner. Within 9 shots, 216 heads explode. The challenge was to propose a particular explosion design highlighting the ballet look of the sequence while avoiding the "gore" moments of a head exploding.

Making sure a scene with a bunch of heads exploding came off as humorous and not gory required some creative use of visuals. "We proposed inventive 2D designs such as fireworks, confetti, paint, sparks, mini mushroom clouds, and different color propositions for the blood as a means of avoiding the 'gore' effect (from blood-red to golden orange)," BUF visual effects supervisor Geoffrey Niquet told FX Guide.

Check it out in the video below.

A super-secret organization recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program just as a dire global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius. A phenomenal cast, including Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Caine, lead this action-packed spy-thriller directed by Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class).

(via artofvfx)

A sequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service is currently in development at Fox.

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