WeFX offers a glimpse into the meticulous process of crafting the horrifying creatures in American sci-fi horror drama FROM in their newest breakdown reel. The team led by VFX supervisor, Ryan Ng and head of creature development, Cesar Dacol Jr., built upon lessons learned in Season 2 to navigate the fine line between realistic gore and fantastical horror. Pushing the boundaries, Season 3 highlights how realistic creature transformations can feel like they belong, not as standalone horrors, but as integral parts of the storytelling.
Kimono Woman, debuted late in season 2, became a central figure in the third season’s storyline. Her design posed unique hurdles, demanding a careful fusion of elegance and menace. “Female faces are inherently more delicate,” Dacol says, “Maintaining that subtlety while making her monstrous was a fine line to walk.” “We had to move beyond linear morphs and introduce more dynamic transformations. The goal was to make these creatures feel alive, deeply rooted in anatomical realism.” For VFX Supervisor Ryan Ng, the Kimono Woman was a technical and creative triumph. “She had to perform, emote, and interact seamlessly with the actors on set,” Ng explains. The team used the facial action coding system (FACS) to capture her nuanced expressions, which allowed them to layer intricate, musculoskeletal details under ethereal skin textures. Her hands did, however, pose a small challenge, “We had to strike a balance between functionality and believability,” Ng says. “If we leaned too far into skeletal designs, it could break the audience’s immersion.” The solution involved minor liberties in her anatomy, ensuring her interactions—whether cradling a baby or stalking her prey—felt natural within the narrative. Every step of her creation was marked with collaboration, live creative sessions with the showrunners allowed for real-time feedback and ensured her design resonated with the story’s emotional beats.
In season 3’s premiere, a cow’s brutal demise required a blend of anatomical precision and artistic restraint. “It was about finding the balance between shocking the audience and keeping them engaged,” Ryan recollected, “we’re always pushing the technology further, but ultimately, it’s about serving the story.” Optimizing quality and streamlining the pipeline helped to build upon the success of season 2 and push it even further. Using classic visual effects software(s), Zbrush was optimized for digitally sculpting the creatures, rigging and animation were accomplished in Maya, while Houdini created the dynamic hair simulations, everything was composited in NUKE, bringing the creatures to life with the final renders completed in Arnold.
The visceral horror of FROM owes much to the team’s ability to merge realism with grotesque creatures. The symbiotic relationship between the WeFX team and FROM’s production team was key to the show’s success. The visuals often inspired the story to expand its narrative. Creating a trickle-down effect where what is designed helps shape the story itself. As the storylines in FROM continue to evolve, one thing is clear: its creatures, are equal parts terrifying
and mesmerizing, will remain the beating heart of this dark and twisted world. Production on the 10-episode season 4 begins in 2025, with new episodes dropping in 2026.
