The Rise of Indonesian Animator Sashya Subono Behind the Film KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

THE KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is the latest film from the PLANET OF THE APES story, where Earth is dominated by intelligent primates, while humans are heading towards extinction and marginalized. This film has been shown in theaters since May 8, 2024. 

If you have seen the trailer, it is clear that the visual effects are one of the highlights of this film. Every primate character in it looks real as if they can speak like humans. 

Behind the impressive visuals of these primates, there is the skilled hand of Indonesian animator, Sashya Subono. He works in the Weta FX team trusted to work on the film KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Sashya has been assigned as a facial animator, which means he has to translate the actors' expressions into visually believable primate appearances. 

Sashya mentions that the biggest challenge in working on KOTPOTA is understanding the different facial anatomy between humans and primates. "As a facial animator, the biggest challenge is mastering the movement of facial muscles. So that the resulting visuals can be more convincing. Not artificial," he said. To understand this, Sashya often spends time at the zoo to enrich his references.

Sashya also contributed to the visual effects of AVATAR THE WAY OF WATER, which ultimately earned him the Best Visual Effects Award at the 2023 Oscars along with the WETA FX team.

Sashya's hard work with the team paid off. He was able to enjoy the fruits of his labor by winning an Oscar. Sashya joined WETA after completing his master's degree in New Zealand.

In our conversation, Sashya encouraged young animators to seek a lot of references for their future careers. "Now there are many references on YouTube, so diligently search for knowledge. And a good career doesn't come instantly. It requires a long struggle," she emphasized.

In KOTPOTA, it tells the story of a highly intelligent ape kingdom that is divided into two. There is an authoritarian leader and there are those who choose to embrace humans as equals.

A great war is inevitable. The protagonist primate character in this film wants to learn more about the history of primates with humans in the past.

What are the thoughts of humans and primates who defend them? Watch it in the nearest cinema in your city. Guaranteed you will see the stunning visuals by Sashya and the charming team.