Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab
← Work

Film

Obsidian

Obsidian is an in-house film built to pull together techniques we’d developed across other projects into something entirely our own. It’s a study in opposites, dark and light, stone and gold, rigid and fluid, and a chance to direct purely for ourselves.

A Study in Contrast

The whole film lives on tension: the hardness of stone against the liquid flow of gold, deep shadow against sudden light. Every frame plays two opposing forces off each other, holding them in balance, letting them collide. There’s no product and no brief, just a controlled exercise in making opposites share a frame and feel inevitable together.

Liquid gold flowing against hard dark stone

Why We Made It

Obsidian was a way to consolidate what we’d learned and prove we could carry a piece on craft and mood alone. The kind of work we make between client projects to keep the studio sharp, push the pipeline, and remind ourselves why we do this. It exists because we wanted to make it, which is exactly the point.

Process view of the obsidian build, form taking shape
Obsidian — still 1Obsidian — still 2Obsidian — still 3Obsidian — still 4Obsidian — still 5