An action-packed, catastrophic, and robot-filled future is coming — and Jon Yeo’s gonna introduce you to it.
Yeo, along with Axis Animation, has created an episode of the futuristic Netflix Original show, Love, Death & Robots. The episode, titled “Helping Hand,” is filled with hyper-realistic animations of space and humanity, thanks to the dynamic and imaginative team over at Axis Studios.
Presented as an animated anthology series, Love, Death & Robots presents a cynical technology-dependent future similar to that of Black Mirror, but with the vivid graphics of your favourite cartoons and the NSFW themes of the R-rated films your parents never let you watch.
The show is produced by Oscar-nominated director David Fincher and Deadpool director Tim Miller, which explains the show’s mature way of handling violence and sex. However, those two also add the signature dark undertone running through each episode, even as they range from nihilistic to optimistic, humorous to dreary. Like an animated, explicit, adult, and more sci-fi version of Black Mirror, the show discusses topics from alien invasions, to post-apocalyptic underground worlds, and even futuristic tech and modifications, such as a yoghurt take-over.
Yeo’s episode veers on the more realistic, and slightly optimistic. Taking place in the depths of space, just above Earth, “Helping Hand” is best-described by Wired as “a zero-G rendition of 127 Hours.” The episode centers around an astronaut named Alex, who becomes stranded in space and must decide whether she’ll make a serious sacrifice before her oxygen runs out.
To describe the episode as visually pleasing and exhilarating would be an understatement. Yeo shifts from full shots, close-ups, and point-of-view shots, allowing viewers to not just undergo Alex’s struggle with her, but also understand the true vastness and isolation of space. Coupled with Axis’ stunning CGI animation of space, “Helping Hand” highlights Yeo’s brilliance at capturing the tension and deep emotions.
Love, Death & Robots joins the list of Yeo’s collaborations with Axis, and the even-longer list of Yeo’s own work with visual effects and animation. Yeo’s background in graphic design is apparent in his work, allowing him to develop a confident visual edge and distinctive signature style. It’s that very specific style that’s resulted in Yeo working with big names such as BBC, ITV, MTV, and Disney. He’s also created commercials for Heinz, Microsoft, The Guardian, and Marvel to name a few.
With Love, Death & Robots, Yeo’s aesthetic is at the forefront. Imaginative, futuristic, and groundbreaking, “Helping Hand” evokes the same awe and wonder that films such as Gravity brought, except in animation.
To put it simply, Yeo shows us that him, and his talent, are out-of-this-world.
Check out the trailer for Love, Death & Robots below, and head over to Netflix to watch “Helping Hand”!
