From translucent bubbles to lava, rock and flames, this ever-changing figure transforms before your eyes. The further it walks, the more it moves through primal forms – its colossal realism makes it seem as if these geological building blocks are constructing life right in front of your eyes. Its continuously shifting surface and tactile textures were created with CGI (computer-generated imagery) and Houdini, a procedural visual-effects program used by Hollywood studios.
But the movie-making magic that went into Transfiguration isn’t all digital. If you listen to the footsteps as the figure morphs, you’ll hear the responsive sound design. That was created with Foley, an analogue technique that uses recordings of everyday items to create sounds on screen. To give the footsteps their sonic features, Universal Everything recorded rocks, spoons, rubber bands and more!
Curator Notes
As the name suggests, Transfiguration has evolved a lot too. Originally created in 2011, this latest iteration incorporates more textures, smoother animation, higher definition and some satisfying new ASMR sound design, thanks to advances in technology.
At the bottom of the page you can also see early concept sketches of the figures.
The above video shows the 2020 version of Transfiguration and below is a video artwork called Walking City, which demonstrates how Universal Everything take an iterative approach to continually refine their ideas and creative approach.
Creative Director: Matt Pyke
3D Generative Animation: Chris Perry
Sound Designer: Simon Pyke
Discover the story behind Universal Everything in this video featuring key members of the collective.
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