Transformers 3 Almost BROKE ILM

For Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), VFX powerhouse @ILMVFX created the Driller, an insanely complex Decepticon that pushed the limits of what VFX computing could do at the time.

To create the shot of the Driller constricting a building, ILM had to dedicate its ENTIRE render farm to simulating and rendering the elements of the shot. With around 80,000 individual parts in the Driller alone, not to mention the added elements of the building and environments, they processed the equivalent of 400,000 hours on an average high power computer of the day, in just 2 days.

No wonder these shots still hold up to today’s standards, even after 15 years.