vfxblog

Titanic stories

We all know the story of Titanic – the making of James Cameron’s Titanic, that is. The $200 million production, released in December 1997, was perhaps the most ambitious film of its time. The enormous project incorporated a dive to the wreck of the real ship by the director, full-scale sinkable sets constructed in a massive purpose-built water tank, large-scale practical effects, intricate miniatures and cutting-edge digital visual effects – ushering in the realm of digital water and extras. And all this with Cameron’s trademark attention to detail.

Titanic won 11 Oscars, including for visual effects (Robert Legato, Mark A. Lasoff, Thomas L. Fisher and Michael Kanfer) and has made more than $1.8 billion at the box office globally. Now, with the release of a stereoscopically converted version of the film, Titanic 3D, we take a look back at the groundbreaking visual effects work by publishing some personal stories from the production you might not have heard before. Leading the enormous effects effort was overall VFX supe Rob Legato, who championed Digital Domain and a host of other vendors to what has become a milestone in the history of visual effects.

fxguide podcasts update

the rc #109: New Phantom camera and new 4K-ready Sony cam - We discuss the new Phantom Miro camera and the new 4K NEX-FS700 Sony camera and in the Red Room we speak to filmmaker Jim Geduldick about his recent Phantom shoot.

fxguidetv #141: Cinesite and John Carter - Cinesite production director Courtney Vanderslice discusses the moving mining city of Zodanga in 'John Carter' and Cinesite's stereo conversion work.

fxpodcast: The Hunger Games - This week we talk to The Hunger Games visual effects supervisor Sheena Duggal about the Gary Ross film, which looks set to become a blockbuster hit based on the Suzanne Collins novel.

fxguidetv #140: Future parkour, by Mirada - We go behind the scenes with Mirada on their work for the Wrigley's 5 Gum 'Choose Your Energy' TVC - a futuristic parkour-inspired piece directed by Jon Favreau.

The making of L’Odyssée de Cartier

We go behind the scenes of L'Odyssée de Cartier with Digital District.

Comic effects: 21 Jump Street

Effects veterans Richard Edlund, ASC and Helena Packer break down duMonde's VFX for '21 Jump Street'.

The Walking Dead: Season 2 – walk harder

Behind the scenes with Stargate Studios' VFX for the second season of AMC's zombie hit 'The Walking Dead'.

Speaking for the trees: The Lorax

Animation director Lionel Gallat discusses his work on Mac Guff's latest animated adventure: Dr. Seuss' The Lorax.

Around the world in six ads

fxguide breaks down six recent TVCs with visual effects work from studios around the world – Mikros Image, Fuel VFX, Zoic Studios, Glassworks Amsterdam, Mothership/Digital Domain and MPC.

A world away: John Carter

Edgar Rice Burroughs’ early 1900s tales of a fictional Mars (known as Barsoom) have been brought to the screen with modern day visual effects in John Carter. The film, directed by Pixar’s Andrew Stanton, sees the titular Civil War character, played by Taylor Kitsch, transported to the red planet where he meets the nine feet tall Tharks and all manner of civilizations. Visual effects artists from Double Negative, Cinesite, MPC, Nvisible, Legacy Effects and Halon Entertainment all collaborated on the alien world and its inhabitants. Read the fxguide interview with Dneg.

Infrared tracking: ingenious innovation for WWF

The Ambassadors in Amsterdam have just finished work on a beautiful non-profit spot for the World Wildlife Fund. Their R&D team ‘The LAB’ made an innovative tracking tool for precise on-the-set object and camera tracking. They tracked a supermodel’s body using infrared tracking markers in a dual Phantom camera rig. Mike Seymour from fxguide reports.

Spirit of Vengeance: a grittier Ghost Rider

Johnny Blaze returns to rid the world of the Devil in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. This time around, famed Crank directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor helmed the stereo follow-up to the 2007 film which also stars Nicolas Cage as Blaze and his fiery alter-ego Ghost Rider. fxguide talks to visual effects supervisor Eric Durst, visual effects producer Jenny Fulle and lead vendor Iloura.