Inside A$AP Rocky’s ‘Helicopter’: Real Stunts, Volumetric Capture, and Dynamic Gaussian Splats

Read Articleadded Jan 18, 2026
Inside A$AP Rocky’s ‘Helicopter’: Real Stunts, Volumetric Capture, and Dynamic Gaussian Splats

A$AP Rocky’s “Helicopter” uses volumetric capture and dynamic Gaussian splatting to turn real stunts into flexible, relightable 3D video. Evercoast’s RGB‑D array captured over 10 TB of data, processed through Houdini and Octane, with Blender previs and WildCapture tools for temporal consistency and physics. The result looks AI-like to some, but every action was real—radiance fields enabled the freedom to recompose and relight without losing authentic human performance.

Key Points

  • The video’s human performances were captured volumetrically and rendered as dynamic Gaussian splats to enable radical post-production freedom.
  • Evercoast’s 56-camera RGB‑D system recorded over 10 TB of data, yielding ~30 minutes of splatted footage (~1 TB PLY sequences).
  • The pipeline centered on Houdini (with CG Nomads GSOPs) and OctaneRender, whose maturing splat support enabled relighting and shadowing.
  • Blender was used for layout/previs with proxy caches, and WildCapture’s tools provided pose-based temporal consistency and physics-ready interactions.
  • Despite looking synthetic to some viewers, all stunts were physically performed; volumetric capture preserved real motion while allowing free camera and scene recomposition.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment of the Hacker News discussion is highly positive and enthusiastically curious. Users express excitement and appreciation for the innovative application of Gaussian splatting in a major music release, recognizing its potential to revolutionize filmmaking and creative workflows. While some questions regarding technical aspects, aesthetic choices, and cost-effectiveness are raised, these are generally met with informative and supportive explanations that underscore the technology's advantages and artistic merit, rather than outright criticism.

In Agreement

  • Gaussian splatting provides radical post-production freedom, allowing for novel camera angles and seamless transitions that would be impossible or prohibitively expensive with traditional methods like drones or robotic arms.
  • The technology demonstrates significant maturity, transitioning from a research concept/tech demo to a viable and powerful tool for professional production workflows, especially in high-profile content like music videos.
  • The ability to relight, shadow, and manipulate the captured volumetric data in post-production, as enabled by tools like Houdini GSOPs and OctaneRender, unlocks immense creative possibilities for artists and directors.
  • The unique 'lo-fi, glitchy' aesthetic that can result from dynamic Gaussian splatting, including temporal inconsistencies, is often an intentional artistic choice that suits specific genres, such as hip-hop.
  • This technology has the potential to democratize advanced video production, akin to how digital audio workstations made music production more accessible, empowering creators without massive traditional studio budgets.

Opposed

  • The visual aesthetic of the video, despite being intentional, was perceived by some as resembling an 'old version of Unreal Engine' or generally 'bad' outside of its specific artistic context, raising questions about its inherent realism and fidelity.
  • Concerns were raised regarding the practicalities and cost-effectiveness of the Gaussian splatting setup, questioning if alternatives like camera drones could achieve similar results more cheaply, given the extensive hardware (50+ cameras) and data requirements (10TB) for volumetric capture.
  • One commenter suggested that the perceived 'synthetic feel' of the video might be attributable to its framerate, rather than solely to the post-production freedom afforded by volumetric capture.
  • Some users found the technical jargon surrounding Gaussian splatting and radiance fields to be largely inscrutable, highlighting a barrier to entry for understanding the technology, despite the efforts to provide ELI5 explanations.