Some of my 3D scans of Antarctic icebergs and glaciers, including the very same Canada Glacier scan that I made into the sculpture that the Nevada Art Museum bought, were incorporated into scenes that take place on an icy planet in The Beacon, a science fiction short film (screenshot above). Los Angeles filmmaker Chris Staehler found them through a Google search and reached out to me to use them in the film after trying to create the landscapes from scratch and being dissatisfied with the results (when you see the film, you realize he’s a stickler for creating a convincing world).

After winning a bunch of awards on the film festival circuit, the film is now available for streaming (free!) on YouTube on the platform DUST, which bills itself as “the first multi-platform destination for binge watchable sci-fi. We feature science fiction short films and other content from emerging filmmakers with stunning visual effects, captivating plots and complex character explorations.” I think that’s an accurate description of “The Beacon” and you’ll enjoy it even if sci-fi isn’t usually your thing. It’s won all kinds of awards on the festival circuit. The screenshot above is from about 15 minutes in, and the side of a massive iceberg I scanned in Antarctica is definitely identifiable on the right so you can see where they incorporated it into their artwork. (One of the source photos for my scan is shown beneath the screenshot.) Watch The Beacon.

Also on YouTube, you can view a 5-minute series of clips of a “VFX Breakdown” showing how the special effects were built and the actors inserted into the snowy landscapes that are in the final scenes of the film here.