What do you get if you combine kung fu, Hitler, time travel, Vikings gods, anthropomorphic arcade cabinets - a tiny dash of David Hasselhoff - and then cover it in lashings of retro neon? Well there's only one thing you can get, really - Kung Fury .
Inspired by the glorious action movies of the VHS heydey, but with the zaniness and visual flair cranked up to 11 (and then some), the film stars the titular Kung Fury: a renegade Miami cop, part Jean Claude Van Damme and part Dolph Lundgren, with a penchant for Lightning Kicks and a rampant dislike of crime. Now he's got to take down the worst criminal of all time - Adolf Hitler - in a time-traveling flurry of fists.
The near 10,000,000 YouTube views (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72RqpItxd8M) prove that Kung Fury has captured the imagination of viewers across the globe. And then there's the Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $630,000 to turn the original trailer into a 30-minute film. It was that funding that allowed Kung Fury director David Sandberg and his company Laser Unicorns to enlist the talents of Fido, a well-known Swedish VFX and animation studio with 15 years of experience.
Fido's remit was far-ranging indeed, involving the creation of the aforementioned Vikings, dinosaurs and arcade cabinets - stopping just short of a CG Hasselhoff himself.
Fluid Fury
Fido was brought on to the Kung Fury project shortly after the crowdfunding effort concluded in early 2014. Sandberg's plan was specific indeed, and expertly crafted VFX was the only way to bring the appropriate amount of radness to his vision. The film is loaded with hundreds of '80s-tinged VFX shots, comprising everything from greenscreen compositing to characters riding atop a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Then, of course, there were the explosions. Lots of explosions.
Sandberg, a veteran music video and commercial director, had shot the scenes for the initial trailer and executed the effects himself. The look for the film - sending up yesteryear's technology, fashion and filmmaking techniques - was exactly what drew backers to the project, meaning that it was crucial for Fido to recreate the psychedelic neo-noir style with absolute faithfulness.
For the trailer, Sandberg had done more or less all of the VFX by himself, says Nils Lagergren, executive producer at Fido. Those scenes were included in the film, but most of the new VFX shots were produced by Fido. In all, Fido produced about 90% of all VFX in the film - that was in over 400 effects shots, which included the eight shots created for the David Hasselhoff True Survivor' accompanying music video.
A total of 46 people worked on Kung Fury during the seven-month production process, which concluded in April 2015. The final result is an over-the-top 30-minute roller-coaster filled with action, humor and VFX - a blend of VHS visuals and pounding Eighties synths.
It was great to do this project with David - especially given that VFX plays such a crucial part throughout, says Lagergren. David is the kind of director who has a very strong creative vision, but also a deep understanding of the work process. This meant we could discuss the VFX shots from both a creative and technical angle with him. We spoke the same language, so to say.
During post-production, Sandberg and his team moved into the studio to help guide the project to its final mind-blowing state. This arrangement helped us to work very closely with David, for example when finding the proper VHS-style color aberration kind of look he envisioned for the film, says Lagergren. Having him in-house also made sure that no time was wasted on waiting for feedback, which helped the production to keep its forward momentum.
Keeping Fury on ftrack
Having Sandberg so intimately involved in the project - both physically and emotionally, not to mention still tweaking his vision well into production - meant that Fido needed to roll with the kung fu punches.
In any project of this scale, its always extremely important to keep track of the different versions. But Kung Fury demanded even more from us, remembers Lagergren. Much in the same spirit as when doing the trailer, the production of the film had a very organic and flexible nature, with edits, shots and effects changed and reimagined throughout.
This morphing approach meant that Fido needed a tool that could keep the team adaptable in the face of ever-changing production demands - unfortunately, they couldn't just hack time.
Thankfully, Fido have ftrack on their side, and they know the software very well indeed - potentially better than anyone in the world. That's because ftrack started out its life at the studio in 2008 as an internal production tool. It incubated and grew at Fido, eventually evolving into a fully-fledged commercial product available to other studios.
Thanks to ftrack, we can handle projects of all sizes using the same production management and workflow structure, regardless of whether its just one shot in a commercial or a 400-shot project like Kung Fury, says Lagergren. This solid structure also helps us to allow a certain degree of inspired improvisation - that was an absolute necessity in the Kung Fury project.
In addition to scaling between creations large and small, ftrack also lets you see individual projects from macro and micro levels alike. On Kung Fury, which features effects ranging from gargantuan Thor-like giants to the accentuated muzzle flash blasting from a Uzi MP-2 submachine gun, these features came in particularly useful indeed.
ftrack is great because it helps us to see a project on any desired level. In a way, its a bit like being an eagle: you can fly high above the project and keep track of the general progress of it, says Lagergren, noting the benefit of the Status and Time Reports features. Then, whenever you need
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
What do you get if you combine kung fu, Hitler, time travel, Vikings gods, anthropomorphic arcade cabinets - a tiny dash of David Hasselhoff - and then cover it in lashings of retro neon? Well there's only one thing you can get, really - Kung Fury . 
