vfxblog

The visual effects of The A-Team

Director Joe Carnahan's re-imagining of the popular 1980s TV series The A-Team sees the renegade soldiers taking on a more modern mission. Overall visual effects supervisor James E. Price looked to both practical and digital means to achieve the characteristically crazy and high action stunts made famous by the series. Check out my article at fxguide where we drill down on some of the major FX sequences from the film.

Speedshape's CG car for Lexus 'Dark Ride'

For a sneak peak of the not-yet-released Lexus CT 200h, director James Brown created an interactive adventure called 'Dark Ride'. With the help of visual effects from Speedshape, users take on the role of the accomplice to Lexus driver Tony and must get the secret car - unscathed - from the Nevada desert to Los Angeles. Here's my interview at fxguide with Speedshape vfx supe Connor Meechan about his studio's CG car work.

The visual effects of Marmaduke

Director Tom Dey called on several FX shops for Marmaduke, the story of a loveable Great Dane who moves to Orange County with his unsuspecting family. Under overall VFX supe Craig Lyn, artists brought to life several talking animals mostly via CG face replacements, although some key scenes featured an all-digital title character. Here's my article at fxguide which takes a look at the work by Cinesite, CIS Vancouver and Rhythm & Hues.

The Visual Effects is presenting its second annual Entertainment Industry Production Summit on October 23rd at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Marina del Rey. More info is available here.

BUF's vfx for Optus 'Secret Training Camp' spot

In 'Secret Training Camp', a commercial for Australian telco Optus released to coincide with the 2010 World Cup, the nation's soccer team takes on a group of African animals under the cover of darkness. Paranoid US Director Thierry Poiraud turned to Paris studio BUF to combine real players with real (and sometimes CG) animals for the spot. Check out my article at fxguide.

The Mill's Tom Bussell talks Nike 'Write the Future' spot

In 'Write the Future', a World Cup themed 3-minute long Nike spot, director Alejandro González Iñárritu called on The Mill to produce 236 VFX shots featuring a CG stadium, Massive crowds and other effects, as a bunch of famous football and sporting stars do their thing. Here's my interview over at fxguide with The Mill's 3D lead Tom Bussell.

Entity FX's Mat Beck on Breaking Bad

For Breaking Bad, the TV series currently airing on AMC, Entity FX was tasked with some crucial VFX shots to help tell the story of high school teacher Walter White as he slowly descends into a suburban drug culture. Here's my interview at fxguide with VFX supe Mat Beck about the creation of a digital fly which torments Walter in one of the episodes.

Oblique FX's Pierre-Simon Lebrun-Chaput on Ben Hur

Montreal-based Oblique FX completed 140 visual effects shots for the two-part miniseries Ben Hur, featuring a naval sea battle, matte paintings of Jerusalem and other set extensions. Check out my interview at fxguide with Oblique visual effects supervisor Pierre-Simon Lebrun-Chaput about the work.

LOOK Effects on final season of Lost

The ever-mysterious television series Lost recently came to an end after six seasons. For the show's last season, LOOK Effects was brought on to complete more than 1000 shots over 18 episodes, 350 of them in the finale. Check out my interview at fxguide with visual effects supervisor Adam Avitabile about some of the key sequences.

Hybride on Assassin's Creed: Lineage films

To coincide with the release of Assassin's Creed II, Ubisoft called on Hybride to create 3 short films as a preamble to the game. In the films, assassin Giovanni Auditore is tasked with investigating the murder of the Duke of Milan in 1476, a role that takes him to Florence, Milan, Venice and the Vatican. Here's my fxguide interview with Hybride president Pierre Raymond about completing 750 vfx shots for the films.

Cinefex #122 covers Iron Man 2, Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans and Splice.

Image Engine's visual effects for The Losers

Director Sylvain White's comic adaptation of The Losers tells the story of a vigilante CIA black ops team hell-bent on uncovering a double-crossing plot against them. Under the overall vfx supersvision of Richard Yuricich, Image Engine completed 147 shots for the film featuring no less than planes, buses, bullets & explosions. Here's my interview at fxguide with Image Engine visual effects supervisor Simon Hughes & visual effects producer Steve Garrad.

Prevising 2012's 'Yellowstone'

A key sequence in director Roland Emmerich's 2012 features the eruption of Yellowstone National Park as the stars of the film flee via a Winnebago and, eventually, by plane. Previs for this 'Yellowstone' sequence was undertaken by Image Engine in collaboration with the film's overall visual effects supervisors Volker Engel and Marc Weigert. With 2012 now out on DVD, Image Engine's previs technical supervisor Cameron Widen and VFX executive producer Shawn Walsh talk to vfxblog about their work for the sequence and about their previs philosophy.