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Tag: Visual Effects

King Kong – What Does it Take to Make a Movie of that Magnitude?a

In the early 1900’s, every adolescent minds all over the world had but one obsession, THE KING KONG movie. This tall mighty creature ruled the fantasy of many as he went about living his own life on an island protecting in a rather daunting manner his blonde infatuation. Borrowed from a comic, this character went to fascinate the world so much that a movie just had to be made. The first one to do any justice to the character came out in the year 1933. The only adjectives that seemed to do justice to the movie were that of excitement, romance, danger, and impending doom plus the superlatives of the same.

It wasn’t until this movie, that the world actually saw the truly limitless nature of film making. And the endless trickery that can be employed to create an escape route from the real world that you so desperately seek. How was King Kong 1933 made? So many techniques were brilliantly sculpted into the making that it was hard to notice yet very quick to inspire. Stop motion was needed to bring the 18ft giant to life, miniatures we used to great effect in some shots involving the jungle creatures and the actors but the one that is least spoken of are the matte paintings. The very story of the Kong would be nothing without the dark, scary, and haunting jungle that he lives in. Could there be a real location in the world were this movie could have been shot successfully yet safely? Most unlikely. So how do you create the illusion of being at a location without actually being there? Matte paintings! But what make these matte paintings truly special is not that they just give a backdrop to the King Kong movie but they make the movie stand out even today.

Before we get into the different matte paintings that made the movie, don’t you want to know how King Kong movie was even conceptualized? Back in those days, around 1933, the great depression was hitting the film industry hard as it got tougher and tougher to attract audience. Radio-Keith-Orpheum was one of them. To dig themselves out of near bankruptcy, they brought on board the highly regarded producer David O. Selznick from Paramount pictures to revive the creative structure. He was the one who first noticed the dying project creation and was fascinated by what trick cinema can do! This project was then remade into the might KING KONG. Now that you know whom to thank for King Kong movie, let’s move on the topic in focus, the matte paintings.

Matte Paintings from the Kong

This composite photo of many layers of glass art/shot or as we know it, matte paintings, was put together for the purpose of publicity. And it worked like a charm. This image of the men being forced to cross the log after coming face to face with a rather scary dinosaur certainly got the attention of the masses!

It is very much suspected that this shot of New York from the movie’s introduction was, in reality, a matte painting!

Skull Island. This painting authenticated the crew’s arrival at the location and provided the perfect backdrop for the native drum beating and Max Steiner’s near-perfect musical cues

Can’t you see the trouble brewing? This scene is most probably the result of a combination of matte art and flaming torch elements into a rear projection.

This scene of the Kong arriving is a result of Williams travelling matte process. Kay on a very limited set is matte into a miniature environment!

All this is well and good but here are a couple of matte shots of what you have been waiting for! The jungle that is home to the Kong.

And here is a peak at the men at work who made all these wonderful matte paintings happen!

The King Kong VFX and matte paintings are among the best I have ever seen.

December 8, 2014
Milestones In Visual Effects: What Came Before Star Wars

Since the Star Wars we have seen many wonders on the big screen. But what happened before?

Ever since the very first moving picture, Star Wars special effects have amazed the audience. Over time, they have grown from the early basic tricks to computer spectacles. We witness the magic of various advanced techniques like stop-motion and performance capture on the screen almost every day. But where did it all begin? That is what we aim to bring out here.

Movies That Set The Foundation To The Best Visual Effects Of Today

1. The Lost World: 1925

Credits: sammoroniesentertainmentfunhouse

The Lost World established a new genre of movies of feature length dinosaur oriented sci-fi movies. Following the creation of the life sized giants in this movie many followed like Gojira, Jurassic Park and Godzilla. Wills O’Brian pioneered the first use of the primitive stop motion animation, especially in the scene where the brontosaurus knocking down people with its tail on the streets of London.

2. King Kong: 1933

Credits: 3.bp.blogspot

Wills O’Brian’s masterful use of detailed stop-motion animation and the best visual effects on King Kong and the dinosaurs makes this movie still one of the best effects ever created. King Kong also employed a combination of matte paintings, miniatures, rear projection, and stop-motion through many different scenes to create a more realistic effect.

3. Snow White And The Seven dwarfs: 1937

Credits: cartoonpapers.com

Snow white and the seven dwarfs was the ground breaking 83 minute film that was built on hand drawn animation entirely. It was the first ever movie to use rotoscopy for the entire length of the feature.

4. The Wizard Of Oz: 1939

Credit: bioskop24

The Wizard of Oz made considerable use of matte painting projections to make the audience believe the actors where in a different location all together. But the best visual effects from the 3 different angles on the twister takes the cake and the cherry on it!

5. Fantasia: 1940

Credits: yug.me

Fantasia was the first artistic animation movie with classical music. This was also the first film ever to use a multi-channel stereo sound called fantasound.

6. Citizen Kane: 1941

Credits: kamikong

This master piece from Orson Welles used a combination of cinematic and narrative techniques with experimental innovations to create the title character like putting such as putting together puzzle pieces

7. The Ten commandments: 1956

Credits: tmbd.org

When the red sea parted, our jaws dropped! This scene is till date one of the most miraculous and expensive scenes in the making of visual effects. Some of the other scenes in the movie that used special effects are the burning bushes and different plagues. Compositing was also used to multiply the number of extras in the scene.

8. 2001: A Space odyssey: 1968

Credits: hdwallpaperbase

The Star Gate and Star Child sequence, along with other special effects, helped create this movie, which later pioneered several such films in this genre. This was the first movie to have such a realistic image of space. Miniature models of spacecraft, timer or manually guided pre-motion control cameras, rear projection, full-sized props or models, and other early techniques were used.

9. A Clockwork Orange: 1971

Credits: wallpaper.com

A Clockwork Orange was the first movie to use Dolby technology to record sound. A technology that has now become a staple.

10. The Exorcist: 1973

Credits: fanpop.com

The Exorcist, a horrifying story of a girl possessed by the devil and later the exorcism was a result of some really stunning effects. A lot of the nauseating scenes like the appearance of the words “HELP ME” on the girl’s stomach and also the 360 degree head rotation could not be done without the more basic technology and the ingenuity of the team.

These 10 wonders paved the way to the development in technology of best visual effects that started a revolution in the form of Star Wars and eventually led to the making of Gravity!

November 7, 2014
From Star Wars to Gravity: Milestones in Special Effect
There was once a time when some things simply could not be done. That was before special effects. Advances in this segments demands that we pay a tribute to the milestones that have influenced the special effects. After all, most of the movies of today would be nothing without them. Let’s begin with the Star Wars and trace the path that has led to movies in the league of gravity.

Most Significant Moments In Special Effects Between Star Wars

Star Wars: 1977

All kinds of techniques were refined and motion control cameras were pioneered to lend new degrees of realism, making it possible to create some of the best special effects movies that captivated audiences with their stunning visual innovations.

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind: 1977

The stunning sequence of the landing of the alien mother ship. Do we need to say more?

Superman: The Movie: 1978

This movie featured some very innovative 3D like effects in the title sequence that was never seen before. Not to mention use of streak photography technique and zoptic camera. All this together, won this movie an Academy Award! It’s often considered one of the best special effects movies of its time.

Tron: 1982

It wasn’t the first movie to use the CGI imagery but it was the first to adopt it at such a large scale!

Terminator 2: Judgement Day 1991

Morphing became the buzzword in the industry with creation of the T1000 that could change from the human form to a murderous metal. This unique effect revolutionised some of the best special effects movies of the era.

Jurassic Park: 1993

The CGI creatures in this movie marked the beginning of all the great things that was to come in the world of visual effects.

The Matrix: 1999

This is where the world first saw the amazing slow motion bullet scene. It was recreated so many times after, that it became a little corny.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: 2001

This was the first feature film ever to used motion capture and create digital human beings.

The Lord Of The Rings: 2001- 2003

Gollum made history in visual effects. To produce the character, they combined the forces of CGI imagery and motion capture.

Spider Man 2: 2004

Spider Man made a mark by winning the Oscars for the best special effects movie, beating even Harry Potter And The Prisoners Of Azkaban. Remember that epic struggle between Spider Man and Doctor Otto Octavius by the side of the tower?
The best special effects movies often combine stunning visuals with gripping storytelling, and Spider-Man is a prime example.

Superman Returns: 2006

The second in the Superman series used a body double of the character Superman along with a digital cape that was recreated using visual effects.

Beowulf: 2007

This movie is an adaptation of an epic English poem made possible only by motion capture technology. This technology, widely recognised in some of the best special effects movies, turns live-action into animation.

Spiderman 3: 2007

The third in the series, this movie saw all-new visual effects, with the scene where Sandman is born and all the scenes that showcase his shape-shifting abilities.

Watchman: 2009

Motion capture attained all new standards with the creation of the character Dr. Manhattan in this movie based out of a graphic novel by Alan Moore.

Avatar: 2009

In this one movie, the very standards of realistic CG creatures, 3D effects and performance capture technology was raised. We know that it can be done now and we want nothing less anymore.

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1: 2010

The movie lost its place to Inception at the Oscars, but many of the scenes blended in with the story seamlessly, which was only possible with highly advanced special effects comparable to those seen in Star Wars. The most noted of the many are:

The scene where Harry’s friends drink the Polyjuice Potion to make it look there were seven Harry’s leaving Privet Drive at the same time

The illusionary vision Ron experiences when trying to destroy the locket-horcrux with the sword of gryffindor

The stunning animation witnessed during the narration of The Tale of Three Brothers

The CGI characters of Kreacher, Dobby and Nagini-the python are all also a result of some spectacular special effects.

Inceptions: 2010

This suspense thriller on invading people dreams to implant ideas deserved every one of the four awards that it won. The entire movie is a scene after another of perfect integration but there are a few that stand out. They are:

The zero gravity fight scene in the corridor of a hotel room

The image of the Ford van falling of the bridge ever so slowly with the actors suspended inside

The destruction of the hospital fortress into a ball of fiery

None of these could have been imagined as even remotely possible without the advanced techniques and special effects available today.

Gravity: 2013

Set in space and about a woman’s struggle to get back to Earth, this movie combines such advanced special effects techniques that it leaves everyone stunned!

Here is a salute to all the visual effects advancements that have made these amazing contributions a viewing treat!
November 5, 2014
Outsourcing is the ‘In thing’!

Vfx Outsourcing In India

Life of Pi and Prometheus thrilled one and all and were nominated for the Academy Awards. But what would be more thrilling is to know that these movies owe a good deal to the work done by a Bangalore-based firm. Many Hollywood movies with spellbinding effects have been nurtured overseas in countries like India and the Philippines. Animation giants like Walt Disney, IMAX and Sony are outsourcing animation to India on a large scale. Cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore and Trivandrum are emerging as animation hubs. Let’s have a glance at the benefits of animation outsourcing.

Let’s have a glance at why global entertainment firms are flocking to India.

a) The cost of animation outsourcing production in India is one-fourth that of North America and about 35 per cent lower than in countries such as Korea and the Philippines. A report states that the key countries outsourcing animation production work to India include the US, the UK, France, Italy, and Spain.

b) India has the second largest entertainment industry in the world. Animation outsourcing studios in the country provide a large pool of low-cost, high-quality artists and technical support. A number of Indian Best VFX Outsourcing Company have set up hi-tech studios (equipped with state-of-the-art hardware and software) to execute overseas projects.

c) Large English speaking workforce which effectively overcomes the language barrier. Several animation companies in the country are also creating skilled manpower for the animation market through various training programs.

Indian studios today boast a state-of-the-art setup, highly skilled artists and cost-efficient services. But the question is…is this enough to consider a studio to outsource your ambitious project?
A lot needs to be considered while zeroing in on the studio you want to work with. First, you need to look for a studio that shares your passion and looks at your project from a creator’s point of view, not merely as someone who is supposed to provide you with technical expertise. It’s essential to go through the previous work of every studio and analyse their work from an audience’s perspective and a critic’s perspective. This helps you know the strengths and weaknesses of that studio, and then you know exactly how much you can expect from that studio and where it stands.

For instance, looking at Toolbox’s portfolio, which boasts of award-winning work in rotoscopy for major Hollywood studios and projects such as Mumbai Indians Promo, L’OREAL, Chintoo, Pune 52, Time Please, Tata Sky VOD, Yamaha, Samsung Galaxy S2, Bournvita and, you instantly know that you will be handing over your project to someone who has a proven track record of delivering the best and you can expect the same too. What makes Toolbox stand out from the rest is its passion for offering services and creative solutions that culminate into a cutting-edge product that you would identify with.

Its passion for animation, the Best VFX outsourcing company, and Digital Videos, its ultra-modern infrastructure—a 5000 sq. ft. facility, an in-house chroma floor, a 24-track sound studio—and its dedicated team of VFX Supervisors, Productions, Animators, Motion Graphics Artists, and Sound Designers make Toolbox an obvious choice for outsourcing animation.

You have the right concept and the right country; all you need to do is find the right studio, and then you will have nailed it perfectly!

April 8, 2014