EXCLUSIVE: Interview With Mo Flint, Director Of Sculpting At Ultimate Source

We recently had the unique opportunity to interview Mo Flint, the Director of Sculpting at Ultimate Source, the company developing the highly anticipated Killer Instinct figure line that was announced in July at EVO 2015. Read on to learn about Mo and his role in the development of the figures, how the figures are created, and much more!

Killer Instinct Central: Mo, can you give us a little background on who you are and how you ended up working on these KI figures for Ultimate Source?

Mo Flint: I got my start in the toy business back in the early nineties sculpting and building models for a model shop out in California. After a few years, I decided it was time to try my hand as an independent sculptor, and I opened my own studio. I spent the next ten years or so working on collectibles, garage kits, and toys. When I heard I could give up my life on the beach and move to a place where winter lasts for 5 months, I jumped at it! I’ve been in Chicago for twelve years now, working with this great crew of really talented sculptors. We’ve sculpted hundreds of toys for dozens of licenses. When Chris Nicolella came on board, he brought a wealth of experience in the video game industry. Now we’ve combined our strengths to bring this great license to life.

The before and after scene of Chris and Mo in a Killer Instinct line review meeting. However, we can’t confirm which pic is the before or after shot.

KIC: What decisions went into choosing the pose for each figure? Did you start out with a bunch of poses and then whittle it to one from there?

Mo: It all starts with the game. Each character is so unique, and we want that to come out in the figures. We’ll go through the game and talk about how to capture the physicality and attitude of each fighter. It’s not just about picking a frame out of the gameplay. Sometimes we’ll combine different moves or take a pose and push it in a way to bring out the energy of the character even though it might not be an exact scene match. Then we sculpt it in 3D so we can view it as the collector will see it. Sometimes we just nail it on the first go, but then there are the times that we see our sculpts blocked out (in 3D) and they just don’t have the same feel as the character in the game. With our team, that doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, we continue working on our design until we get the coolest possible sculpt that we’d want to be a part of our personal collections.

KIC: When creating the figures, were you trying best to match the models in game or using inspiration from the in game models and their concept art/designs?

Mo: Like a lot of fans, I love the behind the scenes work that goes into producing a property like KI. I’ve got the Ultimate Fan book on the shelf right next to my desk. However, when it comes to the figures, we really want to focus on the look of the scenes and characters that the players see in-game. We try to stay true to that.

KIC: How did you decide on the layout of the bases? How closely do they match what we see in-game?

Mo: The base is an important part of every sculpt. It helps set the mood. We want to show off each fighter in their own environment. That really isn’t done by making an exact copy of what you see on screen. A lot of thought goes into what we should include in the bases. Since the spaces in the game are so big and all of the cool details are spread out, we have to make artistic calls on what to include. For example, we can’t include every piece of equipment in Saberwulf’s lab. If we were to slice out a spot on the floor, we’d miss things. So what we do, is find a spot that represents the environment well, then pull in elements, even if they are from another part of the scene. In the end, I think that serves the figure better.

KIC: What materials do you use when you’re sculpting these? Do you use clay or wax?
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Mo: All of our sculptors have experience working in traditional materials, but our team actually went digital way before most of the studios out there. We’ve been an all-digital house for 13yrs. That wasn’t the easiest thing to do back in the day, but digital was the future, and we embraced it. And it’s worked out pretty well. There are still some very talented sculptors out there who don’t want anything to do with digital sculpting, but just like my favorite wax formula isn’t going to make an accountant into a sculptor, neither is my computer. It’s just a tool. The hands and eyes of the sculptor are what makes the difference.

KIC: You aren’t sculpting all of these figures yourself. You mentioned your team. Who are they?

Mo: No, I’m definitely not sculpting all these figures. We’ve got a great team of sculptors from all over. Jay Bicknell was actually our very first sculptor. He’s been here longer than me. We’ve also got Jason Benner, Brian Baity, Ian Shen and Todd Hone. Last, but not least, is Brando Bai. Each one of these guys is an important part of who we are as a team. They’ve all got something special that they add to the mix. They’re doing a great job. If you run into them on the street, be sure to slap them on the back and tell them “nice work!”.

KIC: Is there anything about sculpting collectible figures that most fans wouldn’t expect or think to ask?

Mo: I think the biggest thing that most people don’t understand about sculpting collectible figures is that it’s not a straight path. From the very beginning, there is a lot of planning, with questions to ask and decisions to make. Which characters should we sculpt, and which poses should we choose? Everybody has a favorite, but we can’t do them all. Then we get into the technical issues of manufacturing, packaging and pricing. Most of the characters have a ton of great accessories. We need to determine if it is better doing a whole set of hands so we can add another weapon, or would it be better to add more paint to their costumes? We might love a certain pose, but molding would require that the figure would be difficult to assemble. The good news is that we’ve got a team with so much experience and passion for the work that we always come up with some way to make it work.

KIC: Is there anything that stands out, or is different about sculpting the Killer Instinct figures?

Mo: Sculpting these figures has been great. As sculptors, we love to dig in and work on all these unique characters with all of their cool costumes and weapons. But the one thing that most stands out for me has been the fans. When Chris and I announced the figures at EVO, people actually came up and thanked me. I wasn’t expecting that. You know, we are really trying hard to come up with something that the fans will like. I hoped people would tell me that they liked the sculpts as much as I did, but I didn’t expect a “thank you”. The Killer Instinct community is so strong and committed. The fans really believe that KI should have it’s own line of figures, and now it does! Chris has been a part of the KI community since the beginning, but it wasn’t until the reveal, when we got such a warm reception, that I truly felt it too.

A huge thanks to Mo for the privilege of being able to conduct this interview! For more information on the development of the figures, read our previous interview with the Ultimate Source Senior Project Manager, Chris Nicolella.