Outcome

Delivered vehicle and scanner designs that lock a physical location-based attraction to its VR counterpart — install geometry and controller proportions first, intentional design language after — so players could trust what they sat in and held while the story carried them through Isla Nublar.

Key Takeaways

Treat physical install and virtual design as one system; seats and proportions must match or immersion fails.
Controller-proportioned props close the gap between touch and vision.
Designing the vehicle from scratch was how conflicting constraints (seating, suspension language, double-tire hubs, VR FOV) got solved in one package.
Lock constraints early; use remaining surface freedom for product character.

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What changed

The production needed a machine that survived extreme scrutiny, story pressure, and pipeline reality. Not a pretty concept — a system that could carry the film’s central relationship and threat without breaking belief.

Visual differentiation between the nurturing Mother and the aggressive Military unit strengthened narrative clarity. The design approach delivered mechanical detail that held in close-up and under animation. Production received direction that integrated into practical suit work and VFX without late reinterpretation.

The process was the means. The outcome was a machine the film could trust.

The production

In 2016, director Grant Sputore contacted me for early conceptual development on a sci-fi thriller in pre-production. The project evolved into I Am Mother, green-lit by Penguin Films and Netflix. My role focused on the design of two distinct droid variants: the nurturing "Mother" robot serving as caretaker for the infants, and a later-revealed "Military Droid" unit. Both required mechanical detailing with organic proportions to withstand close-up cinematic scrutiny while delivering believable functionality and stylized character.

This is my interpretation of the Mother version — intentionally beefier to accommodate performer Luke Hawker within the practical suit built by WETA Workshop. A 3D body scan of Hawker provided the ergonomic foundation. The design combined precision CAD elements with softer organic components, creating visual and functional contrast. Ultimately, WETA adhered more closely to Christian Pearce's conceptual work for the practical Mother suit, which enhanced differentiation from the Military Droid and strengthened overall visual narrative contrast. I remain proud of the collaborative outcome and the film's strong reception.

The Design Brief

Netflix and Penguin Films needed a hero robot asset that could hold screen presence across dialogue-heavy scenes, action sequences, and wide environmental shots. The design had to communicate personality through silhouette, surface detail, and material language alone. The functionality had to be held to a much higher standard and be functional and believable, especially with some brief close-ups during the film.

How the geometry was built

1. Early Concept & Ideation

I Am Mother — torso structure and proportion studies

I Am Mother — thermal padding wire pattern detail

Initial involvement in 2016 centered o