Amsterdam-based film director and digital artist Tom Gera just dropped us his latest short film, a dramatic power struggle built with live-action choreography enhanced with Unreal Engine, AI-assisted image manipulation, and 3D scanning.

Tom Gera: “The film follows an aging dance master whose ego clashes with his protégé’s emerging creativity, blurring the line between creation and destruction. We aimed to create something visually striking while telling a deeply human story about letting go of control and accepting change.
 

“We aimed to create something visually striking while telling a deeply human story about letting go of control and accepting change.”

 
The choreography was developed through intensive collaboration with professional dancers, translating complex emotional subtext into physical movement. For the visual effects, we utilized an innovative combination of 3D scanning, Unreal Engine integration, and AI-assisted image manipulation through ComfyUI.

“The climactic falling sequence was created by scanning our lead actor and creating a digital double in MetaHuman, combined with cloth simulation and a 3D model of Amsterdam generated from Google Street View data. This allowed us to achieve high-production value effects while working within the constraints of an independent production.”
 
 

 
Writer/Director: Tom Gera
Director of Photography: Stef Kwinten
Producer: Hannah Padding @ Bandit Amsterdam, Tom Gera
Editor: Sam Massenberg
Choreographer: Lo Walther Boer
Casting/movement direction: Nicola Hepp @ The Movers Amsterdam
Casting extras: Sandra Houthuijs @ 4 de Gelegenheid
Steadicam operator: Max Franken
1st AC/Focus Puller: Marjoke Haagsma
Gaffer: Blaine Bradley
Electrician: Rikke van der Heul, Frits Schreefel
Electrician assistant: Abira Wirawan, Jeroen van Ringen
Sound technician: Casper Corba @ SPOOK

VFX: Tom Gera
Additional Visual Effects: Joeri Teijma, Joren van Suijlekom
Grading: Ruben Labree
Assistent 3D scanning: Ana-Maria Cojocaru
VFX supervisor on set: Wilbert van Veldhuizen

Calligraphy: Sabina Kipara

Music: Bertus Pelser
Sound Design: Bertus Pelser
Viola: Yanna Pelser
Sound Studio Facilities: Amp.Amsterdam

Juno: Masao Dae Parris
Sensei: Jorge Nozal