Destination Mars

Nicholas Palermo is a recent graduate from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) earning a Masters of Fine Arts in Visual Effects. His thesis studied a new way to execute a novel approach to develop a propulsion tool for SideFX Houdini software. His research included a rudimentary study of rocket science and Newtonian Mechanics to apply toward the Houdini pipeline. The tool proved to become an effective way to advance the time required to set up and simulate a propulsion system producing hyper-realistic results. Experienced and junior artists can intuitively navigate the node groups to customize operations and maximize results.
After serving four years of active duty in the United States Marine Corps, Mr. Palermo changed career paths toward his passion for the filmmaking process. With a primary focus on visual effects, he dedicated his time and resources toward learning the post-production pipeline.
Nicholas’s supporting visual component Destination Mars, shows off his newfound skills highlighting rocket history while presenting the question ”what’s next” to the viewer. The short film leaves the viewer encouraged to contemplate history and question our future, then seek within themselves the always eager explorer. During our current times of uncertainty, Nicholas’s short film focuses on hope towards a brighter future.