Our team won the VFX in TV / OTT / Web Series award at the FICCI BAF Awards 2026 for our work on Twisted Metal Season 2, the Mesquite Productions series. And yes, we set a lot of things on fire to get here (digitally, of course).
“We came in for prep and invisible FX, and ended up setting the screen on fire. Winning at FICCI BAF for Twisted Metal Season 2 is a big moment for our team. It proves that when you earn a show’s trust, the work can grow far beyond the original brief.” — John Joseph Britto, VFX Supervisor, BOT VFX.
From Clean-Up Crew to Full VFX Show
We joined Twisted Metal Season 2 initially for prep and invisible FX. Under VFX Supervisor Joshua Spivack and VFX Producer Alex Schade, the show scope grew across FX, Lighting and CG, which is just what they had in mind. Some skepticism about BOT early on turned into trust, and the shot count climbed past 800!
The Love Scene That Lit Up the Room
The standout was a satirical love scene set in the middle of fiery chaos. It ran to 30+ shots, and it needed fire, smoke, embers and spreading flames that matched the practical elements on set. The look, speed, wind and rhythm all had to sit seamlessly in the live-action plates.
We built it all in Houdini:
- It started with a pair of flame-throwers. We had complete creative freedom on these.
- Then the fire spread, in rhythm with the scene’s pace, until it engulfed the space around the actors.
- A couple of shots became a dozen. Fire-spread was planned for only a few shots. The director and supervisor liked the results enough to expand it to over a dozen.
- Late additions kept coming – Sparks, fire bursts and embers were added close to delivery, and they went in smoothly even on tight deadlines.
- CG creations: a water tower, glowing LED strips on car wheels, an extended knife and a torch flame.
- 2D enhancements: continuity fixes including blood splatters, lip corrections and black-eye adjustments.
- Green screen: around 13 shots needed a 2D background plate adjusted for perspective shifts and varying lenses. We simulated depth using a 2D approach to keep it natural and cinematic.
- John Joseph Britto — VFX Supervisor
- Hetal Jain, Rajesh Babu — VFX Producers
- Simran Jain — Line Producer
- Vikram L, Benedict Joseph, Amirtha Varshini Sathiya S, Mounitha N — Production Coordinators
- Meenakshi Sundaram, Elanchezhiyan, Ramakrishna Medi, Manoj Kumar G D, Ganesh Karthikeyan — Department Supervisors
- Shanmugaraj P, Satish Kumar V, MuthuKumar P — Department Leads
To manage the complexity, our team mapped fire elements shot by shot on contact sheets. This mock-up guide became the creative blueprint that carried FX from concept to final render.
Beyond the Fire
Fire got all the glory, but the work went well beyond it:
A Win for the Whole Team
Delivering 800+ shots took 260+ artists, and this win belongs to every one of them.
A big thank you to Sony TV, Mesquite Productions, Joshua Spivack and Alex Schade for the trust and creative freedom. What started as a clean-up, ended with an award!
