Beacon 23 - Ryph Alien

In our galaxy far away is a beacon, a sort of remote space lighthouse that guides interstellar ships as they make their way through the unpredictable corners of the cosmos. So goes Beacon 23, the sci-fi thriller series based on the short stories of author Hugh Howey, who tapped us for their second season to design an alien.

In 2023 we were approached by Boat Rocker Studios to collaborate with Showrunner Glen Mazzara and VFX Producer Tony Meagher on designing the Ryph creature that appears in the last scene of season 2. Following the lighthouse-in-space analogy, they wanted this creature to reference marine creatures, in particular, cephalopoda such as a squid and octopus.

The artwork displayed covers some of our initial sketches through to the developed 3D concept model for the Ryph creature. Additionally, we were asked to explore the reveal of the Ryph creature in a sequence of key scenes.

Art Director - Vaughan Flanagan
Production Manager - Brooklyn Dineen