Blockhead's altered images

After bagging silver in the 2022 shots Asia Pacfic Awards [VFX category] the Sydney-based Blockhead took the gold as Post Production/VFX Company of the Year 2025 for its stellar work on the likes of In a Pickle [below] for Toyota HiLux, and Stay Normal for Heaps Normal alco-free beer. 

From the poetic wonder of Murmuration for Sky through the creepy, dystopian thriller I Am Mother for Netflix, to an array of brilliant Telstra spots (Founders and Creative Directors Stefan Coory and Nigel Mortimer pick out Scamageddon and The Shoemaker as their favourites) Blockhead stands at the intersection where craft meets VFX, goes forth and then multiplies. 

"That constant challenge is exactly what makes this work one of the best jobs in the world.” 

A whole lot of love for craft, tech and artistry emanates from the Blockhead studios in Paddington, Sydney. Here, talking as one entity, the dynamic duo of Coory and Mortimer talk to shots about the true story of Blockhead, and their take on the evolution and future of VFX in the age of AI. 

Above: Toyota Hi-Lux's In a Pickle helped propel Blosckhead to being names Post Production/VFX Company of the Year for 2025.

The story begins in the late 1990s, when they were runners at a post house in Auckland. “This was back in the early days, when one-inch machines and Grass Valley mixing desks ruled the room,” they say. Hundreds of hours of retail ads came their way, spread over tens of thousands of working hours, letting them hone their skills and expand their technical repertoire of tools. “There’d always something new to learn, a better way to approach a shot, or a clever trick to discover. And that constant challenge is exactly what makes this work one of the best jobs in the world.” 

They would soon go on to work as VFX artists and supervisors at studios across New Zealand, Australia, the UK and US. “These were experiences that showed us the kind of studio we wanted Blockhead to be: creatively-driven and artist-led. In the end, after years of travel, we both returned home to make it happen.” 

“There were bigger budgets and more projects in Australia, which meant bigger competition.”

They opened a studio in Auckland, intent on bringing the level of craft they were used to seeing on the world stage back to the Antipodes. “New Zealand has always been a hub of creativity, and we cut our teeth there alongside many of the talented directors we still work with today.” Ideas, however, were often more ambitious than budgets. Cue the true mother of invention: “That challenge required creative solutions and taught us to squeeze the very best out of what we were given.” 

In 2017, they opened a second studio in Sydney. “There were bigger budgets and more projects in Australia, which meant bigger competition.” A lot of the New Zealand directors they’d already built up relationships with also worked “across the ditch” in Australia, so their first Australian projects were largely with familiar faces. 

Above: One of Coory and Mortimer's favourite recent spots, Scammageddon, starring Steve Buscemi, for Telstra.

Blockhead has since shifted most of its work to Sydney, while retaining a footing in the Auckland scene, and over the past decade, there has been a lot of growth and a lot of change chez Blockhead. “Different types of projects started going through the studio very quickly.” That included their first feature film, I Am Mother for Netflix, as well as episodic work for Apple and others. “Bigger commercial budgets also started happening, with some pretty incredible directors from Australia, Europe and the US. We love commercials – one day you’re reading a script with CG animals, the next you’re building entire sci-fi worlds. The variety keeps every project full of challenges and opportunities, and that’s what makes the VFX industry so exciting.” 

"One day you’re reading a script with CG animals, the next you’re building entire sci-fi worlds. The variety keeps every project full of challenges and opportunities."

Today, that excitement is being turbocharged by AI’s continuing evolution. Some see it as akin to the invention of fire, or electricity. What does it mean for Blockhead? “Over the years, we’ve embraced developments such as real-time engines, cloud collaboration and AI/machine learning that have completely expanded what’s possible. But we never see new tech as a gimmick; it’s a way to push creative boundaries, streamline workflows, and explore ideas that would have been impossible just a few years ago.” 

In times of change, the worst thing to do is freeze. Survival is about adaptability. “Stop experimenting, and you risk falling behind,” they say. “For us, embracing tech as it emerges is part of the thrill of making VFX. Tools may change, but the fundamentals of craft remain constant and we believe VFX artists will always drive the vision.”

Among their own pick of personal favourites, The Watch for Sky may be the sweetest, with its sassy, smart-talking farm animals, while Rollin’ for IAG blends funky downtown vibes with a giant furry orange ball that raps and turns out to be everybody’s friend. It’s human, familiar, but out there, too. It’s VFX that’s not about novelty but recognition. “When crafted VFX meets clever ideas that are beautifully directed, you sense a ripple happen in the industry,” they say. Sometimes, that ripple is a wave, and you have to ride it. “VFX has seen continuous change, from render technology to new creative platforms, but prior to last year nothing really jumped out as a transformational development in how we do things.” 

Above: Blockhead worked on the feature film I Am Mother. 

That period of new tech inertia has changed. “The biggest shift lately has been AI. It’s a powerful addition to the pipeline, fundamentally changing how we tackle tasks without replacing the artist’s hand.” But they see it more as  an upgrade than an all-singing, all-dancing one-click solution. “It’s handy for repetitive tasks like rotoscoping, matchmoving or object removal,  freeing artists to focus on higher-level creative decisions.”

But sometimes, they add, clients have other ideas. “Almost every conversation, clients want to know if there is a solution using it. Often they’re using off-the-shelf tools back at their office. They can get a pretty good result but struggle to get something actually finalled. “Turns out that last bit requires a tonne of work.” 

To illustrate that point they take me through the funny, surreal, eye-popping but curiously grounded The Future spot [below] with FINCH for investment company MLC. From its classic sci-fi opening, through various fourth walls to a tarot card ally that conjures a range of exotic retirement futures, Blockhead fully utilised AI tools and VFX to novel and convincing effect. 

“From what we’ve seen so far, AI is likely to become an indispensable tool in our industry."

“The key is controlled, artist-led integration,” they explain. “While off-the-shelf AI solutions can get you some great, fast results, achieving nuanced results and consistent quality requires custom solutions. The futuristic city opening is a strong example of how we blend AI with a traditional VFX pipeline. We began with a simple CG model to block out composition, camera movement and light direction, establishing the creative intent. From there, AI was used to design and generate the city itself – handling up-rezing, texturing and final lighting – while staying within those established parameters. We then layered in fully animated CG flying cars, with the final composite of the filmed plates completed in Flame.”

The question of AI and its integration into VFX is a burning one, especially as its capabilities expand. “From what we’ve seen so far, AI is likely to become an indispensable tool in our industry,” they say, “allowing us to do more with less, much like every major technological shift before it. So, as the tools grow more controllable and efficient, complex shots that once felt out of reach will become achievable.” 

Above: Blockhead used AI combined with VFX in its recent work on The Future, for MLC.

As technological shifts go, the fear is that AI is shaping up to be an off-the-Richter scale earthquake of a shift, with a mega-tsunami attached. That’s if its own makers’ predictions come true. It’s a technology that inspires both fervent belief and deep paranoia. No one knows what the borders are. 

So, the question isn’t if AI will integrate into VFX, but by how much, and will it then devour its host? Here are the positives: “It’s proving incredibly useful for automation and analysis. AI is incredibly useful in the early conception of ideas. It can happily hallucinate for hours, throwing out endless visual directions and possibilities.” But one of the current limitations is the ‘black box’ nature of some AI tools, where control and predictability are not on the menu. “That’s where human judgement remains essential – VFX artists will always shape the final image, and that input is what elevates the work.” 

"The challenge is ensuring we don’t contribute to the growing tide of AI slop. Preserving the humanity of the craft is essential."

The other side of the equation is what clients and the viewing public think about it. “The initial wave of paranoia around AI does seem to be easing”, say Coory and Mortimer of public perceptions around machine learning. “But there’s been a noticeable public backlash toward brands that have gone all-in on AI. Audiences are left feeling that the advertiser didn’t care enough to create something thoughtful or genuine – and that reflects poorly on the brand itself.” 

Recent fails include the McDonald’s Norway Most Terrible Time spot from TBWA/Neboko that was so hated it was pulled like a rotten tooth. Blockhead aims for the centre ground, a middle way that stitches together human contact with AI’s never-ending sleights of hand. 

“People are already stepping away from social platforms because they’re tired of being fed AI-generated content,” they say. “While the tools and capabilities will only continue to improve, the challenge is ensuring we don’t contribute to the growing tide of AI slop. Preserving the humanity of the craft is essential – because humanity in the work is what ultimately makes brands feel authentic too.”