Feature Film Sequence
Together - Body-Merge
Framestore
framestore.com
Written and directed by Michael Shanks, Together is a surreal body-horror film that explores the darker side of love, dependency, and connection. Starring Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a fractured couple drawn together by a mysterious supernatural force, the film blurs the boundaries between intimacy and terror. Under the supervision of VFX Supervisor Josh Simmonds, Framestore delivered the film’s pivotal transformation sequences, culminating in a haunting climax where the couple physically merge into a single being.
Designed to be both beautiful and deeply unsettling, the final body-merge sequence required our artists to seamlessly blend live-action performances with intricate anatomical transformations. Using highly detailed digi-doubles, custom rigs, and layered simulations of bone, muscle, fascia, and skin, the team crafted a transformation that balanced scientific realism with surreal body horror. From limbs fusing together to an intimate close-up of the couple’s eyes and eyelashes merging, every effect was carefully designed to feel emotionally grounded while pushing the limits of physical possibility. The result is a visually arresting sequence that transforms a grotesque fusion of bodies into a powerful expression of love, loss, and surrender.
CREW
Production VFX Supervisor: Genevieve Camilleri
VFX Supervisor: Joshua Simmonds
Head of Sudio: Lara Hopkins
Animation Supervisor: Melanie Plett
CG Supervisors: Jeremy Pronk
Head of Rigging: Jon Kouros
Head of Layout: Luke Flanagan
Compositing Supervisor: Darcy George
Head of Assets: Ray Leung
Lighting Lead: Andrew Dunkerley
FX Lead: Steve Oakley