A new VFX Reel breakdown for Halo season 1 features Cortana actress Jen Taylor in her mo-cap performance. Taylor has voiced Cortana, the AI system represented in human form, since the very first Halo game. The voice actress returned to the role for the live-action show on Paramount+, wearing a full mo-cap suit for her portrayal. This is something Taylor didn’t always do for the games, previously simply recording her voice in a booth.
Taylor is joined by Pablo Schreiber in the Halo series, who plays Master Chief. Cortana is attached to the spartan soldier in order to help him best The Covenant, a group of aliens banding together to decimate humanity. Cortana has multiple abilities as an AI, able to hack computer systems of any type, and also help control Master Chief to make him more effective. In Halo season 1, Cortana is installed directly into Master Chief’s brain, rather than being uploaded to his armored suit, as it is done in the game. It becomes evident that Dr. Halsey, the creator of Cortana, intended for Cortana to take over Master Chief’s consciousness completely, giving her full control of him and later the rest of the spartan soldiers.
In a new video released by PIXOMONDO, the VFX crew behind the special effects of Halo season 1, Taylor can be seen in her full mo-cap suit performing as Cortana on set. This shows that the actress was able to interact with her co-stars and give a real-time performance as Cortana, which wasn’t always the case when playing the character for the games, and certainly not as intricate or involved. The video also explores the creation of the Halo digital environments, vehicles, and Covenant aliens of the show, including Elites, Jackals, Brutes, and Grunts, as well as visual breakdowns of some of the FPS action sequences. Take a look at the full video below:
Click here to watch the video on YouTube
Halo season 1 received a mixed reception in terms of its execution, but the VFX and overall designs for the live-action adaptation were largely praised for their accuracy to the original game. However, as the show has been greenlit for season 2, the creators now have time to address some of the bigger complaints. These included the lack of Master Chief in full costume for much of the show and a focus on too many side characters, but mostly came from the backlash against Cortana’s live-action design. When the initial Halo trailer was first released, fans of the games were quick to point out that Cortana was missing her iconic blue-colored skin and original design, creating the version seen in this video. Despite this impressive mo-cap and VFX work, Cortana’s depiction has remained a sticking point for many critics of the Halo series.
Despite the criticisms of Cortana and other elements, Halo‘s attention to detail when it came to adapting the mythology of the game was overwhelming accurate. While some minor tweaks were made, the elements that fans were looking for in a TV adaptation, from the armored suits, to the vehicles, weapons and key locations, were embraced in Halo. Perhaps the series’ somewhat meandering plot attempted to tell too many stories at once, forgetting that Master Chief was the big draw. However, as made clear in this new video, the series has its VFX nailed down, and a renewed focus on the story could help elevate Halo season 2.
