Houdini explosions - DIGITAL PRODUCTION https://digitalproduction.com Magazine for Digital Media Production Fri, 31 Oct 2025 08:18:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 236729828 These Are the Clones You’re Looking For: Hoplite VFX Fires Up ‘Star Wars: The 212’ https://digitalproduction.com/2025/08/18/these-are-the-clones-youre-looking-for-hoplite-vfx-fires-up-star-wars-the-212/ Mon, 18 Aug 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://digitalproduction.com/?p=196058 A digitally rendered scene featuring a clone trooper crouching on a battlefield, with explosions and laser fire in the background. The image includes a compositing steps label at the bottom.

Hoplite VFX trades stormtrooper aim for clone trooper precision in Star Wars: The 212. Producer Maurine Fauvert reveals how a two-artist side project turned into a full-blown studio production, complete with Move AI mocap, Blender’s GPU power, and some very unlucky troopers.

The post These Are the Clones You’re Looking For: Hoplite VFX Fires Up ‘Star Wars: The 212’ first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

]]> A digitally rendered scene featuring a clone trooper crouching on a battlefield, with explosions and laser fire in the background. The image includes a compositing steps label at the bottom.

Clone troopers, not stormtroopers. That’s the first thing producer Maurine Fauvert clears up when talking about Star Wars: The 212, a fan film by Hoplite VFX that swaps Imperial inaccuracy for prequel-era precision. Born from the combined skills of two friends: one animating, one rendering, and the project snowballed into a full indie studio operation. With a lean, open-source-heavy pipeline, the team used Blender, Maya, and Houdini to craft a high-energy tribute to the 212th Clone Trooper Legion, led by Commander Cody. The result? A GPU-powered, blaster-filled short that proves you don’t need a galaxy-sized budget to make something worthy of the Star Wars legacy.

DP: What is The 212 and why a Star Wars fan film?
Maurine Fauvert: Like many people in our industry, Star Wars is what inspired countless artists to get into VFX. We wanted to pay tribute to this franchise that we particularly love and that has shaped the history of our craft.

A 3D animated character in a dynamic pose amid a digital landscape. The character is aiming with a weapon indicated by a red laser. Green lines show motion paths and animation controllers. Background features gray structures and a blue sky.

As for the 212th, it’s a fairly well-known legion in the Star Wars universe, especially from The Clone Wars. We decided to put this legion in the spotlight because it has only ever been portrayed in a feature animation style and it’s a fan favorite.

Close-up of a robotic character's head and upper body, featuring a skeletal design, metallic elements, and large eyes. The background is a simple gray with horizontal lines.

DP: Let’s talk teams: A little Mynock told me this all started with just two friends noodling around—zero studio, zero big boss. How did this grow from “Hey, want to make a fan film?” to a real crew? 

Maurine Fauvert: Exactly, the whole project started with two artists creating Star Wars images and renders on their own: Arnaud, a modeler / rigger / animator, and Vincent, who handles texturing, lighting, and rendering. Their skill sets complemented each other so well that they decided to build a project together. Over time, friends joined in to complete the team. The synergy between the members worked so well, and production was running so smoothly, that we decided to create the studio. It happened quite naturally, the team and the pipeline took shape during the project itself. 

A side view of a digital model of a heavy trooper wearing armor. The armor features orange accents and a backpack. The background is gray, with text on the left indicating asset details.

Pascal Blais mentored us tremendously on the production and budgeting side during the studio’s development. The team is truly passionate about what they do, and without their dedication, none of this would have been possible. We were also lucky to be surrounded and supported by the right people.

DP: How did working with zero “clients” influence your workflow?
Maurine Fauvert: We didn’t have clients but we had fans. The main goal was simply to get the project out there. We worked on it for about a year and a half as a side job, so part of the challenge was to avoid spending years on a personal project. The aim was to create images we were happy with, without nitpicking over every tiny detail.

A scene featuring robotic figures amidst electrical effects and lightning with a blue energy pulse in the background. The text overlay indicates the shot attributes, including 'Final Shot' and the brand 'Hoplite'.
An abstract visual representation showing blue and black swirling patterns, suggesting motion or energy. The image includes white lines resembling electrical currents and the text 'Shots breakdown' and 'Compositing Steps' at the top and bottom.
A robotic figure is seen walking amidst a dramatic cloudy sky, with electrical sparks around it. A stormtrooper is partially visible in the foreground. The image includes text reading 'Shots breakdown' and a logo for 'Hoplite'.
A robotic figure holding a weapon, surrounded by blue lightning effects and a stormy background. The image includes a text banner at the top and bottom with compositing steps and a logo.

Once the teaser was released, we received a lot of messages from fans, which meant we didn’t really have the option of being too late. We had to find a balance between managing the renders and not exhausting the artists on a volunteer project. Of course, we went through iterations, mainly to explore the style, but as soon as something felt convincing and matched the Star Wars universe, it went straight to render.

DP: Why are the Stormtroopers suddenly competent?
Maurine Fauvert: The 212th is a legion of clone troopers, not to be confused with stormtroopers. Clone troopers have always been highly trained soldiers, loyal to the Republic and led by the Jedi. Stormtroopers, on the other hand, are indeed more numerous, but far less accurate in their shooting.

A character with multiple arms wielding different colored lightsabers in a dark environment. The background is dimly lit, highlighting the lightsabers. Text at the bottom reads "Shots breakdown" and "Grading".
3D rendering displaying a breakdown of a scene with a cloth simulation. The central figure has an orange cloth element, set against a dark background, with various geometric shapes surrounding it. The image is labeled with "Shots breakdown" and "Hoplite."
A 3D animated character with elongated arms and a cloak, shown from the back. The character is in a dynamic pose against a black background. Text at the top indicates "Shots breakdown" and the bottom reads "CFX - cloth sim".
A 3D model of a figure with a skeletal appearance wearing a flowing orange cape, displayed against a black background. Text on the image includes 'Shots breakdown' and 'CFX - cloth sim'.

DP: Did the first guy in the hangar really get stomped by General Grevious?
Maurine Fauvert: Grievous weighs about 350 pounds, so it’s not actually that heavy.  The trooper is still there, we didn’t cheat and he didn’t vanish; he’s just dead in the shadows.

A robotic character wielding two lightsabers, one blue and one green. The character has a humanoid shape, with exposed mechanical parts and a flowing cape. The background is dark, and there are indicators for 3D asset rotation.

DP: How did you choose what Star Wars references to use?
Maurine Fauvert: When it came to references, what really helped us narrow things down was the decision to feature one specific character: Cody and, by extension, his legion, the 212th.  We also decided to focus on a single era: the prequels, and more specifically The Clone Wars.  Within that framework, each artist picked the elements they personally wanted to bring in.

DP: You come from big studio backgrounds. So, how did working “small, scrappy, and open-source” compare? Did you find yourselves thinking, “Why didn’t we have this at [Insert Mega Studio Here]?” Or was there stuff you missed from the blockbuster pipelines?

Maurine Fauvert: One of the great things about being an indie studio is that we don’t have to go through a hundred approval steps to integrate a new tool into our pipeline. We test it, we approve it, and we use it — it’s as simple as that.

A 3D animation breakdown featuring a close-up of a man with a shaved head wearing an orange and black suit, alongside two stormtrooper helmets in profile view against a dark background.
A male character in a futuristic uniform stands in profile, flanked by two stormtroopers in shiny armor, with a dark background. The image is part of a shot breakdown titled 'Final Shot'.

For example, we’ve used Move AI and Motorica. Back when we worked at a larger studio, we tried to integrate both tools, but the process required so many R&D approvals and authorizations that it never happened. Being a small team also means we can communicate fast. We’re close-knit, and everyone contributes their knowledge to problem-solving or finding new tools.

At our core, we’re 3D animators, so we do face certain challenges like working across multiple continents. This pushed us to set up cloud-based file management and external storage to secure our projects with proper backups.

Close-up view of a 3D character model wearing a helmet with visible facial features. The background includes details of a cloth simulation, with wires and textures visible. Branding from Hoplite is present in the corner.
A 3D model of a character with a cloak and mechanical limbs, posed in a slightly tilted stance. The background is a solid gradient, and the model is shown in a turntable view. Branding includes 'Houdini' and 'Hoplite'.
Close-up of a robotic character's face with glowing eyes. The character has a weathered and cracked surface. There are elements of mechanical design visible. Text overlays include 'Shots breakdown' and 'Compositing Steps'.
A close-up of a character's face with distinctive features, including two yellow eyes and a skeletal white face. The background contains various mechanical elements. The image includes text at the top indicating 'Shots breakdown' and a logo at the bottom.
A digital layout displaying animation controllers for a character model from an animated project. The layout includes geometric shapes in red and blue, and labels for 'Shots breakdown' and 'Animation Controllers'.

We’re agile, but we’re still building our expertise in infrastructure. Right now, we’re working on solutions to build powerful, scalable servers. It’s a lot of time and research, but it’s an incredibly valuable learning process.

Close-up view of a 3D model depicting eyes with red and green textures. The background showcases a gray grid pattern with letters and numbers. The image includes a logo and text in the corner.

DP: What was the most challenging shot or character?
Maurine Fauvert: The most complex shot is the one where Cody uses his jetpack.  The biggest challenge was the sheer richness of the visual effects: blaster shots, smoke, fire, jetpack effects, and more all of which led to very resource-intensive render times.

A clone trooper in a dynamic pose, preparing to shoot while navigating an outdoor environment during a skirmish in the _Star Wars_ universe.
A humanoid figure in white armor, holding a sword, is depicted leaping over a black crate. The background features soft pastel-colored clouds and shadows of structures, giving a sense of depth and movement.
A 3D animated Clone Trooper jumping over a structure during a sunset, showcasing prelighting effects.
A character with a jetpack ascending into the sky, emitting bright orange beams. The background features dark industrial structures and a cloudy sky during sunset.
A character in a dynamic pose, jumping against a backdrop of clouds at sunset. The image includes branding of 'Hoplite' at the bottom right and text indicating 'Prelighting' at the bottom left.
A clone trooper in mid-air, wielding a blaster rifle, with a vibrant sky in the background, during an action sequence from the Star Wars fan film 'The 212'.
Image showing a breakdown of animation shots with four panels. The top left panel features a character in mid-air, the top right shows a silhouette of a character, and the bottom panels display rendered layers from different angles.
A dynamic scene featuring a clone trooper in action, firing a weapon amidst a chaotic background of explosions and blaster fire, showcasing VFX and compositing techniques.

Another challenge, which applied to the entire project, was rendering across different layers. We used Blender, Maya, and Houdini to render the frames, and certain parameters — like motion blur — were tricky to manage because each render engine processes them differently. This sometimes caused slight differences between outputs, making compositing more complex.

A stylized CGI scene of a soldier wearing armor, aiming a weapon. The background is a snowy landscape. Some other figures are faintly visible in the distance. Text in the upper left reads "Shots breakdown" and a logo appears in the lower right.

For this shot in particular, we had to handle a large number of layers for the characters, visual effects, and other elements, which made the rendering process especially meticulous.

A clone trooper mid-action in a battle scene, with explosions and visual effects emanating from a blaster shot in a vibrant blue sky.

What we’re most proud of is creating a pipeline capable of handling renders from different software. But if we had to pick our favorite shots, it would be the jetpack scene… and the exploding ships both of which are pretty badass!

A dynamic action shot from the fan film _Star Wars: The 212_, showcasing a clone trooper in red armor attacking a droid while blaster fire illuminates the scene against a dramatic sky.

DP: Why Maya, Nuke, Houdini, and Blender?
Maurine Fauvert: The goal was for everyone to work with the software they know best.  We rendered most of the shots in Blender, as it’s free software that delivers renders about five times faster than Maya. We kept Houdini for complex VFX renders, since transferring VDB files from certain simulations isn’t optimal in Blender.  The face was the only element rendered in Maya, simply because it made texture management easier.

A breakdown shot of an animated scene showing characters and mechanical elements on a stage. Two humanoid figures are positioned on the left, and machinery is visible on the right. The background is gray, and the outlines of structures suggest a dynamic environment.

In the end, there wasn’t really a “superhero” software, it was more about optimizing each tool for what it does best.

A split-screen image showing a robotic arm on the left and a humanoid figure on the right, both in 3D modeling form. The left side features a beige robotic arm, while the right side displays a gray humanoid figure with cloth simulations in various colors.

DP: How long did a frame take to render in Cycles, in real-world artist terms?
Maurine Fauvert:  The advantage of Cycles is that it runs on the GPU and is very fast, on average, Cycles is 2 to 5 times faster than Arnold depending on the shot.  That said, automation in Blender is not yet optimal, so we understand that this workflow might not be suitable for larger studios. We didn’t consider Eevee because it’s a real-time engine, and at the time, we had no plans to train for real-time production on this project.

A collage of four frames from a visual effects breakdown. Top left shows a spacecraft, top right displays a space structure, bottom left features a planet with clouds, and bottom right depicts particle effects. Text labels on each frame.

DP: What advice or resources helped you most?
Maurine Fauvert: We don’t spend much time on forums instead, most of our exchanges happen on the studio’s internal Discord.  As I mentioned earlier, tools like Move AI and Motorica saved us a lot of time on animation. I believe our real “secret weapon” isn’t a tangible resource, but rather passion and motivation for our craft. Without that, we would never have been able to complete this project.

A space scene depicting two spacecraft flying near a planet. The planet has blue and green hues with visible landmasses and clouds. A detailed spaceship structure is in the foreground with a logo in the corner.

DP: Why “Hoplite VFX”?
Maurine Fauvert: Hoplites were Greek citizen-soldiers. We like the idea of being a tight-knit army, ready to take on any challenge.  Some English speakers think our name is pronounced hopelight, which also carries a nice meaning.

A 3D model of a humanoid robot standing, facing forward against a gradient background. The robot features mechanical limbs and antennas. The logo of 'Hoplite' is visible in the lower right corner.
A 3D model of a robotic figure shown in various animations against a gradient background. The model has mechanical arms, legs, and an antenna on top.
A 3D animated robotic figure in a neutral pose against a gradient background. The robot has a simplistic design with articulated limbs, and is shown performing various movements.
A digital 3D model of a humanoid robot with articulated limbs in a neutral stance against a simple gradient background. The robot model features a simplified skeletal structure.

DP: Will there be a 213, or what’s next?
Maurine Fauvert: Right now, we’re working on a video game cinematic, a format we truly enjoy. We hope to continue collaborating with game studios and also plan to develop our own IPs in the future. In the meantime, our first cinematic will be released at the end of September, so make sure to follow us on social media! :)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoplitevfx/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/hoplite-vfx-studio

The Team

Maurine Fauvert / Co founder & producer 

Arnaud Layé / Modeling, rigging & animation

Sylvain Vermesse / Animation

Elisa Drique / lighting texturing & compositing (IMDB)

Vincent Levrero / lighting texturing & compositing: 

Kenny Serane / Sound & music

Studio

Hoplite studio
https://hoplitevfx.com/

Mail : hoplitevfx@gmail.com

The post These Are the Clones You’re Looking For: Hoplite VFX Fires Up ‘Star Wars: The 212’ first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

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