" It was all part of the goal to make it feel integrated - so when Alphie was talking, it felt like parts of her mechanical structure were moving. " complicated component was getting her headgear to feel integrated when Alphie is talking. " ILM modeling supervisor Bruce Holcomb developed Alphie's robotics to emphasize the character's vulnerability by exploring negative space. " We didn't want the headgear to feel like a physical appliqué, " Cooper explains. " Gareth wanted to be able to see through her neck and earholes, and he wanted that to be impactful. It was a delicate line. If we took away too much, it overshadowed her performance, and if we didn't do enough, [the effect was lost]. However, we didn't want the effect to be the only thing you're looking at. Madeleine was such a gifted actress, and she did an amazing job of emotionally conveying the idea of Alphie's humanity as a robot. " Alphie VFX work began with a rigid head track to " lock " robot parts to the performer's skull. ILM then created digital reprojections of skin textures. " Think about the way skin moves around the edges of your ear when you're talking - we locked off some of that motion or dialed it out, " Cooper explains. " We used the face as a starting point and then took animation from elements of her face so the skin stuck to rigid connections. We tied motions Top: Director Gareth Edwards works with actors Voyles and Gemma Chan - the former of whom has small trackers applied to her face for VFX reference. Bottom: Concept art for the mechanics of Alphie's neck and cranial robotics. NOVEMBER 2023 / 57 TOP IMAGE BY GLEN MILNER. BOTH IMAGES COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS.