How do you visualise the thoughts of a machine learning to be human? That was the central creative challenge for FIN Design + Effects and Supervixen on Murderbot – a collaboration that moved beyond typical sci-fi spectacle to represent an artificial consciousness on screen.
The partnership began with a straightforward brief for show identity work but quickly expanded into developing a bespoke visual language for the AI’s “inner world” – what became known as The Datastream. This boundless digital realm, where Murderbot operates with instinctive ease, blends motion graphics, screen design, and abstract data sequences that evolved into key storytelling tools.
The Datastream needed to function as both a tool and sanctuary for Murderbot – a place for hacking, hiding, and observing away from human interaction. FIN and Supervixen collaborated to build a layered, immersive environment: data-rich yet surreal, technical but psychological – reflecting a mind that is logical, lonely, and searching for autonomy.
One of the most distinctive elements was Murderbot’s obsession with human entertainment, particularly The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon. Supervixen developed this show-within-a-show using vibrant, retro-inspired aesthetics – a melodramatic space opera filtered through an AI’s imperfect interpretation of emotion and meaning. Working alongside other VFX partners, the team built a fictional universe that added humor, contrast, and unexpected emotional weight.
The visualization of Murderbot’s consciousness demanded a flexible toolbox of design and effects. Supervixen created a multi-panel HUD interface—more diorama than dashboard—that delivered narrative context while feeling grounded in the character’s logic. Meanwhile, FIN handled physical enhancements across action scenes, layering debris, sparks, and environmental effects into stunts to make each impact feel brutal and real.
Memory and system functions presented their own challenges. For the pivotal moment when Murderbot severs its control module, FIN crafted a visual cascade of failing protocols – like code bleeding out. In the “Seven Seconds of Chaos” sequence, Supervixen manipulated corrupted memory into a visual fever dream: warped footage, glitch textures, and data-moshed edits created a visceral, fractured recall.
The worldbuilding extended beyond Murderbot to other characters, like Gurathin. His Datastream was designed with a more organic, analog sensibility – hinting at his different relationship to tech and identity. Every digital touchpoint, from terminals to holograms, was crafted to feel like a functional part of the world, always in service to character and story.
Together, FIN and Supervixen didn’t just depict artificial intelligence – they gave it texture, contradictions, and a visual heartbeat. The result is a digital character whose inner world feels as emotionally resonant as anything human.
Murderbot now streaming on Apple TV+