Behind the Scenes of Psi Cops

INTERVIEWING THREE PEOPLE AT ONCE! LET’S START WITH THE BASICS,
PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELVES

Phil: Hi, I’m Phil (he/him) and I worked as the first assistant editor on the show. 

Larissa:  I am Larissa Baroboskin (she/her), I worked as a designer, layout and animation artist.

Skye: Skye Freeman (he/him) and I was the 3d Generalist. 

Tell us what you did on Psi Cops

Phil: Thank you for asking. There’s a lot of unseen work that goes into editing… and it’s not always actual editing. I took care of that.

As a first assistant editor, I designed and facilitated a smooth editing environment for the editors and handled all of the departments’ in-and-out needs.

I managed tasks like breaking down the animatic into shots for downstream and integrating animation from our vendors into our edits.

And to satisfy my creative soul, from time to time, I’d move some of our editors’ monitors to make them think ghosts were haunting our office. 👻 Very on-brand for Psi Cops.

Skye: I created custom assets and props, developed a rendering system for character expressions, and crafted a 2D compositing treatment for our 3D renders.

Larissa: I started as a designer, developing characters, props, and environments. Midway through the project,

I also took on layout and eventually animation, thanks to my experience with After Effects and Daz3d.

Working across multiple departments broadened my perspective on the production process and helped me grow as an artist.

 HOW WAS PSI COPS DIFFERENT TO OTHER PROJECTS?

Larissa: Psi Cops was almost exclusively built on Daz3d and although we had a library of pre-made 3d assets, not surprisingly, the library didn’t always have the assets we needed.

So, as designers, we got creative, adapting and “frankensteining” different assets to craft something unique.

For example, the contraption Shirls use in “Alien Autopsy” to open the Alien’s chest is made out of rulers, a wood saw and bolts from a diner table. 

Skye: We used Maya, Daz3d and After Effects primarily. The process was unique because we animated faces using a 2d library of expressions within a 3d pipeline, which is quite different from other 3d shows.

Which is how we achieved that 2.5d look which Psi Cops is now known for. 

Phil: Because its such a fast paced show, there were shots, shots, shots! Some were only a handful of frames long.

The creative energy Bart and Chris brought was so refreshing. They really made you feel like part of their process.

It was great working with them and watching them do their thing.

Which sequence were you most excited to see the final product of?

Phil: I was excited to see the serial killers Battle Royale scene in the “Murder House” episode. Matt, our storyboard artist and director for the episode, was obsessed with the Puke Thief character, and the final result was diabolically perfect.

Skye: The “Mutant Snake” episode stands out because the 3d animation was intentionally done poorly, which is one of my favorite subgenres – bad 3d animation. It was fun to lean into that and see it work so well in the context of the show.

Larissa: The car scene in the “Bloody Mary” episode was a highlight. Kydd and Felixx run over a dog and this was my first scene as a layout artist, it was pretty challenging.

We had to find a functional way to set up the scene in the Psi Cops’ car using Daz3d, a program we were all still learning.

The tutorials were limited, so we relied on trial and error. After a lot of back-and-forth with Bart, Chris, and other designers, I finally managed to get good renders and set up the car poses used in future episodes.

Another favorite was the fight scene in the “Illuminaughty” episode. Apart from handling the layout, I worked on the Rich Overlord’s design through his different phases—old, adult, and young.

It was gratifying to explore his visuals and bring him to life through layout.

The mask he wears was designed by Henry Vargas, who did an incredible job combining various Daz assets to create that futuristic Illuminati mask.

DO YOU HAVE Any funny stories from behind the scenes?

Larissa: Sometimes characters would look like people from the crew, and Bart and Chris would, most of the time, be more than happy to add them as easter eggs. One example is the character Old Man, he looks like an older version of our director, Paul Furminger!

Phil: Myles Verhelst (drops mic*) 

Skye: After Bart and Chris saw me eating chicken from a can I never lived it down. It amused them so much that Stone Faceman can be seen eating canned chicken in one of the episodes, and I got the nickname of “Young Stone Faceman”.

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into your field?

Skye: Stay open-minded and prepare for endless revisions. Early on, you might work on tasks that seem minor, but with patience and persistence, more inspiring projects will come your way.

Larissa: Keep practicing and update your skills to match industry needs. Networking is crucial—your connections can take you further than you might expect. Don’t hesitate to ask for help; seeking references and advice is part of the industry, so there’s no need to be shy about it.

Phil: Develop a routine that works for you, and don’t rush—rushing leads to mistakes. Remember, the creative process is a journey; enjoy watching everything come together.