Rodeo FX has shared with AWN and VFXWorld a VFX breakdown reel highlighting some of their great work on Paramount’s recent comedy adventure, Sonic the Hedgehog 3. In the film, Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, an all-new villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. And yes, Keanu Reeves joins the franchise as Shadow.
Jeff Fowler directs; Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Idris Elba, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub, James Wolk and newcomers Alyla Browne and Krysten Ritter star.
Rodeo FX took on the challenge of bringing Sonic 3 to life, animating Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and their formidable new adversary, Shadow. With plenty of high-speed action and destruction, the film made ample use of the studio’s visual effects expertise, which included the creation of a sparking Test Track chamber and a massive, all-consuming black hole.
All told, the studio delivered 265 shots across 10 sequences, generating 54 digital assets with a crew of 470.
Enjoy Rodeo FX’s work:
You can also check out the trailer:
Critical in a live-action / animated hybrid film like Sonic 3 is the realistic depiction of digital characters within live-action scenes. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles needed to maintain their signature cartoony expressiveness while seamlessly integrating into the live-action world. The team carefully refined animation rules, from the proportions of their heads and eyes to the nuances of their brightly colored fur, which posed unique challenges in lighting and compositing — especially in darker sequences. Sonic’s movement focused on energetic expressions, while Shadow’s presence required controlled, stoic animation, highlighting the diverse skill set of the team.
One of the film’s most complex sequences involved the destruction of the Test Track Chamber. As Eggman (Jim Carrey) and Shadow (Keanu Reeves) triggered a black hole, everything — from tiny pebbles to an entire mountain — was pulled into its gravitational force. Using Houdini Solaris and Rodeo FX’s USD pipeline, the team simulated destruction with extreme detail, accounting for various material properties like concrete, metal, and vegetation. The black hole’s final effect saw an entire mountainside collapse, with secondary simulations of dust, debris, and vegetation adding scale and realism.
This project stands as one of Rodeo FX’s most ambitious animation achievements, with the four main characters appearing throughout the film, displaying a full spectrum of emotions — fear, joy, anger, and determination.
Rodeo FX notes that whether it’s Tails’ heartfelt warmth or Shadow’s chilling intensity, each character adds depth to the story, and the team is immensely proud of the final result.
Source: Rodeo FX
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
