Documenting Malaysian VFX breakdown practices in Air Force The Movie Selagi Bernyawa

This study investigates the underrepresentation of Visual Effects (VFX) breakdowns in Malaysian cinema through a case study of Air Force The Movie: Selagi Bernyawa, the award-winning film from the 32nd Malaysia Film Festival (FFM). Employing a qualitative approach, it combines semi-structured interviews with four experienced VFX professionals and visual analysis of selected scenes. Thematic analysis reveals that time and resource constraints, legal and intellectual property (IP) restrictions, and a limited perceived return on investment are major barriers to producing VFX breakdowns. However, the findings also demonstrate that breakdowns provide substantial value by enhancing studio visibility, supporting educational use, promoting creative problem-solving, and strengthening industry communication. The study documents the VFX workflow, tools, and production timeline, and reconstructs three scenes using illustrative breakdowns developed under legal constraints. These reconstructions offer an alternative model for generating breakdowns in restricted production environments. By bridging practical documentation with academic reflection, this study contributes to both media scholarship and industry practice, offering actionable strategies to improve VFX transparency and literacy in Malaysia.