As part of the global launch campaign for 3%, Netflix’s first Portuguese-language original series, GRAFX Co. was approached by premiere interactive agency RED to bring visual impact to a set of three high-concept promotional teaser trailers. Set in a dystopian future where only 3% of candidates are selected to escape poverty and join a privileged society, the series explores themes of social disparity, control, and resistance.
RED and Netflix needed cinematic-level VFX to ground the campaign in the show’s gritty and speculative worldbuilding, while amplifying its dual perspectives: the authoritarian Process and the rebel movement that aims to dismantle it. Each trailer was crafted to highlight one side of the ideological divide, one from the perspective of hopeful candidates being addressed by the enigmatic leader Ezequiel, and the other from a resistance member’s point of view, calling out government lies and corruption.
Project
3%
Client
Netflix / RED
Our Role
Visual Effects
The Process
GRAFX Co. was tasked with creating a range of custom visual effects sequences designed to blend seamlessly into the live-action footage and reinforce the dystopian tone of Netflix’s 3%. The challenge was to elevate the drama and authenticity of each scene while maintaining visual cohesion with the show’s grounded, near-future aesthetic.
One of the key sequences involved designing and animating a large, dystopian-style LED propaganda screen from scratch. This screen displayed a distorted broadcast of the character Ezequiel delivering a government-sanctioned speech, enhanced with subtle flickers, gritty textures, and glitch effects to reflect authoritarian control through digital media. To intensify the moment when a rebel activist destroys the screen in protest, our team created and composited a combination of practical and CG elements, including shattered glass, electrical sparks, dynamic lighting, stone debris, and graffiti-like wall textures.
Creative Execution
Another complex sequence required green screen extension and intricate rotoscoping work. GRAFX Co. seamlessly replaced and expanded the background environment beyond its original set, adding depth and visual continuity. We also integrated realistic, glowing ear implants, an essential visual cue that identifies characters selected to join the privileged 3%, reinforcing the sci-fi realism of the world. Each effect was crafted with precision to support the emotional beats of the story and maintain the immersive visual language of the series.
Process Images
