During a behind-the-scenes seminar at sTARTUp Day, special effects specialist Iris Müntel and video streaming manager Andres Jakovlev shared the fascinating journey of building KIP, the film’s alien-like creature. The process involved international collaboration, thousands of hours of craftsmanship, and an unexpected lesson in problem-solving under extreme time pressure.

“It had to look slimy but cute.” Why practical effects over CGI?

In an era where CGI dominates, why create a physical animatronic monster instead of a computer-generated one? According to the film’s director, there were two key reasons.

"Everything CGI tends to look too perfect," Iris explained. "Moonika wanted KIP to feel real, with imperfections that made it more lifelike. A bit slimy, but cute."

The second reason was to enhance the performances of the actors. "It’s much harder for actors to interact with an imaginary creature on a green screen," she added. "They needed something tangible—something they could touch, react to, and truly believe in."

The idea for KIP was born in early 2022, and the first designs were drafted in January. However, as the team prepared to start building, the war in Ukraine broke out in February.

"It felt surreal," said Iris. "The world was in chaos, and here we were, making a monster for a film. For a moment, we didn’t know if it was the right thing to do."

Despite the uncertainty, the project moved forward. It took nearly two years from concept to completion, with the build itself condensed into just a few intense months. All this became possible thanks to team effort. There were more than 20 people involved directly in this process. Even the really talented DOP, Ivar Taim, participated, providing really good advice and solutions, especially for the KIP’s lights.



An international effort: Estonia meets Spain

Liisi Põllumaa was the movie’s makeup designer. “She asked my help for other SFX makeup in the movie and asked if we could build such an alien in Estonia. Of course I said yes!” recalls Iris. “Actually, I said that I don’t know, but we will figure it out,” she specifies. Since Estonia had no prior experience in building animatronic film creatures, the team turned to international experts. The first design came from the movie's production designer (Jari Kankaanpää, Finland), the final 3D design was done by Fito Dellibarda (Spain), and the animatronics were created by Spanish animatronic designer Javier Coronilla, who had previously worked on Star Wars.

"Making the movements lifelike was the biggest challenge," said Andres. "It’s one thing to make something move. It’s another to make it move in a way that feels natural."

Unlike Hollywood productions, where multiple animatronic models are often used for different shots, the Estonian team had to make one version of KIP that could do everything.

"In Hollywood, they might build three separate models—one for walking, one for close-up facial expressions, and one for stunts. We had to make KIP handle it all," Andres explained. "At one point, we even joked that the only thing missing was a smoke machine inside it."

To make matters more complex, the same creature had to play three different alien characters in the movie. Instead of building additional models, the team relied on creative solutions—changing KIP’s color, adjusting details, and even designing a removable head cover that could be swapped out in just five minutes.

KIP’s head alone contained 35 motors, with a total of 50 motors throughout its body. The inner skeleton was built in Spain while the outer shell was crafted in Estonia. The two parts only came together in the final two weeks before shooting—leaving almost no room for error.

Sculpting a creature from scratch

The process of physically building KIP started with a Styrofoam model to test whether a human could fit inside. "In the digital model, everything looked great, but when we put it together in real life, we realized—oops, it’s too small," Iris recalled.

Once the proportions were corrected, sculpting began. "Every detail was done by hand," she explained. "Every single scale, every wrinkle. It took nearly a month just to sculpt the body."

The team also had to think through movement constraints. "If you add too much clay to a certain area, it becomes too heavy, and then the motors can’t handle it," Irissaid. "Every decision had to be precise."

Breathing life into KIP—lights, slime, and a puppeteer

Bringing KIP to life wasn’t just about movement—it was also about emotion.

"We installed almost 6,000 LED lights inside KIP, allowing it to change colors based on its mood," Andresexplained. The lights were crucial because KIP was playing multiple roles, and color was a key differentiator. "One alien version had a soft green glow, another had an eerie blue tone."

Another key element was slime. "We had an entire team member dedicated just to pumping slime onto KIP during the shoot," she laughed. "That was their job—make KIP look gooey!"

But for the close-up shots, technology wasn’t enough. A puppeteer, Riho Rosberg, manually controlled KIP’s hands, ensuring ultra-realistic movements for key scenes.

While KIP looked impressive on screen, operating it was a completely different experience. Inside the 150-kilogram suit was a dedicated actor who controlled the bigger body movements.

"We had multiple people try out for the role, but two of them quit on the first day," Iris admitted. "It was hot, claustrophobic, and required incredible endurance."

The final performer, a model-turned-actor Ilja Toome, handled the job without complaints—despite the fact that, at times, the crew literally forgot he was inside.

"There was one moment where we were rushing between scenes, and suddenly someone asked, ‘Did we let him out?’" Müntel recalled. "We ran back, opened KIP up, and there he was—completely silent inside. Turns out, he had been waiting for us to remember."

"Would we do it again? Absolutely."

Creating KIP was one of the most ambitious film projects Estonia has ever undertaken. But despite the challenges, the team wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.

"Unfortunately, there aren’t many opportunities for practical animatronics in Estonia right now," Iris said. "But who knows? Maybe this film will change that."

With AI and CGI becoming more affordable, many productions are moving away from physical effects. However, Iris believes that practical effects will always have a place.

"When everything is digital, a real animatronic creature becomes a special experience," she said. "That’s what we wanted with KIP—something you could feel was really there."

As The Black Hole prepared for its 2025 premiere, one thing is clear: Estonia’s first movie monster has set a new standard for special effects in the country’s film industry. And for those who got to witness the process firsthand, it was nothing short of movie magic.

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