We created numerous VFX for the film, including screens for TV's, adding more background signs during a protest and a full CG helicopter that appears above a neighborhood to quell a demonstration.
VFX breakdown Layla M.
3D CG police helicopter A police helicopter appearing above a city's neighbourhood couldn't be realised in real life, so the choice was made to create a fully digital 3D (CG) model of the aircraft. Dust and debris was added to create a more convincing result.
Other examples of visual effects for Layla M. include alterations of backgrounds and environments. The shot shown was taken in Jordan, but has to look like a different country in the Middle East.
Layla M. Title Sequence
Planet X Title Design created the title sequence for this engaging film. We placed the titles on the right, which refers to the reading direction of the Arabic script. The background is black, only through the letters you see a picture as if you see the world through a veil. At the same time, this filling of the letters reflects to Arabian decoration. The titles sequence starts at the top and fade in every time a line lower. Just like Layla who is going deeper into what seems a nightmare. In a minimalist and abstract way, we show the story of the film in a typographic way.
18-year-old Layla, a Dutch girl with Moroccan roots, joins a group of radical Muslims. She encounters a world that nurtures her ideas initially, but finally confronts her with an impossible choice.
Layla M was the Dutch entry for the Academy Awards (Oscars) in 2018.
Director
Mijke de Jong
Release
17-11-2016
Duration
98m
Genre
Drama
Producer
Topkapi Films
Frans van Gestel
Arnold Heslenfeld
VFX supervisors
Stefan Rycken
Dennis Kleyn, NVX
Compositors
Walid Ben Henda
Guilia Tirelli
Stefan Rycken
VFX producer
Katrijn Steylaerts
Title Design
Planet X Title Design
Donald Roos
Roel Meijering
Director of photography
Danny Elsen, NSC, SBC
Editor
Dorith Vinken, NCE
Facility
The Post Republic Berlin
Grading
Peter Bernaers
Music reel / clip
Alexander Desplat - "Ammar" form the OST "Zero Dark Thirty"