Framestore’s Post

Shahid - Ramadan At the moment, when we received a brief for this project, we decided that we have to find a way to win this bid and make it happen. Initial idea was to create an interesting commercial to show 7 unique digital environments and Crescent following through them with the main actors for a unique song created for celebration of Ramadan. We received 2 different treatments with different approaches for future implementation: everything would be shot on Chroma Key, or everything would be placed on LED screens and shot as an environment.  Initially, everyone wanted to create everything made of Stock footage and already existing assets, but during the Research & Development stage we realized that it won’t be an option because it won’t fit the idea and expectations from the client and directors. Initially, we have prepared treatment with 7 environments as it was in our production brief: - Space  - Lavender Field - Lantern  - Magical Forest - Desert - Clouds - Storm During the preproduction stage, once we won the project and started the Pre Production stage - we had to reduce the amount of environments in order to be able to fit the production timeline - 28 days. 2 weeks for Pre Production and 2 weeks for Post Production. Our biggest challenge was a timeline, which basically is not enough to plan everything thoroughly and make previz and animatic, we had to improvise on set, as well as directors didn’t want to strictly follow the storyboard, which was only ready by the shooting date. So, at the end we had to create 4 digital Environments: - Lavender Field - Clouds - Storm - Desert Additionally to the Digital Environments, we had to create: - Flying Fish - Butterflies  - Fireflies - Hot Air Baloons - Lizard - Ancient City - Crescent - TV Screen Content - Sails On the Post Production stage we had 64 shots, and all of them were needed to be working in parallel to be able to deliver in time. So, we had to improvise and work during the day as well as overnight, because we loved the idea of the project, and imagined a final result. So, it was a challenge, but we knew that we wanna make it happen. Client: Shahid Production: Bigfoot Films Executive Producer - Aly Seifelnasr Producer - Farah Abdelkader Post Producer - Aya Badr Post Production: High End VFX Producer - Alex Sytnik Art Director - Sergey Nakaryakov CG Supervisor - Sergey Metelsky VFX Supervisor - Alexander Wyatkin CG Environment Lavender Field - David Gobeev CG Environment Desert - Egor Vorobev CG Environment Clouds - Danil Maslov + Sergey Metelsky CG Environment Storm - Pavel Klimov 3D: Sergey Metelsky, Pavel Klimov, Petr Pavshintsev Roto/Cleanup: Egor Zhuk, Stepan Rozhkovski, Yuri Korshunov Compositing: Ilya Igonin, Ilya Kireev, Egor Zhuk, Vasily Rogozin, Dima Vasiliev, Vitaly Gusev  On Set Supervisor - Felipe Suarez Hernandez DI/Editor - Vlad Nazemtsev Color Grading - Evgeny Gvozdev Sound Designer - Dmitri Lobanov Link on Vimeo: https://lnkd.in/gAgdb_Up

Shahid - Ramadan At the moment, when we received a brief for this project, we decided that we have to find a way to win this bid and make it happen. Initial idea was to create an interesting commercial to show 7 unique digital environments and Crescent following through them with the main actors for a unique song created for celebration of Ramadan. We received 2 different treatments with different approaches for future implementation: everything would be shot on Chroma Key, or everything would be placed on LED screens and shot as an environment.  Initially, everyone wanted to create everything made of Stock footage and already existing assets, but during the Research & Development stage we realized that it won’t be an option because it won’t fit the idea and expectations from the client and directors. Initially, we have prepared treatment with 7 environments as it was in our production brief: - Space  - Lavender Field - Lantern  - Magical Forest - Desert - Clouds - Storm During the preproduction stage, once we won the project and started the Pre Production stage - we had to reduce the amount of environments in order to be able to fit the production timeline - 28 days. 2 weeks for Pre Production and 2 weeks for Post Production. Our biggest challenge was a timeline, which basically is not enough to plan everything thoroughly and make previz and animatic, we had to improvise on set, as well as directors didn’t want to strictly follow the storyboard, which was only ready by the shooting date. So, at the end we had to create 4 digital Environments: - Lavender Field - Clouds - Storm - Desert Additionally to the Digital Environments, we had to create: - Flying Fish - Butterflies  - Fireflies - Hot Air Baloons - Lizard - Ancient City - Crescent - TV Screen Content - Sails On the Post Production stage we had 64 shots, and all of them were needed to be working in parallel to be able to deliver in time. So, we had to improvise and work during the day as well as overnight, because we loved the idea of the project, and imagined a final result. So, it was a challenge, but we knew that we wanna make it happen. Client: Shahid Production: Bigfoot Films Executive Producer - Aly Seifelnasr Producer - Farah Abdelkader Post Producer - Aya Badr Post Production: High End VFX Producer - Alex Sytnik Art Director - Sergey Nakaryakov CG Supervisor - Sergey Metelsky VFX Supervisor - Alexander Wyatkin CG Environment Lavender Field - David Gobeev CG Environment Desert - Egor Vorobev CG Environment Clouds - Daniil Maslov + Sergey Metelsky CG Environment Storm - Pavel Klimov 3D: Sergey Metelsky, Pavel Klimov, Petr Pavshintsev Roto/Cleanup: Egor Zhuk, Stepan Rozhkovski, Yuri Korshunov Compositing: Ilya Igonin, Ilya Kireev, Egor Zhuk, Vasily Rogozin, Dima Vasiliev, Vitaly Gusev  On Set Supervisor - Felipe Suarez Hernandez DI/Editor - Vlad Nazemtsev Color Grading - Evgeny Gvozdev Sound Designer - Dmitri Lobanov Link on Vimeo: https://lnkd.in/gzY_kqg4

VFX Supervisor Aaron Wright Dishes On the Time Travel Secrets of 'My Old Ass' https://ift.tt/mVO8evH There are so few movies that come out a year that charm me. Movies with their own charisma and presence are sometimes fewer and farther between than they ought to be. That being said, one of the movies that I connected with its charming charisma this year was My Old Ass. Perhaps it's because I'm nearing the age of the main character in the future, but I saw a lot of wonder, anxiety, hope, and fear in myself, which was also in the movie. It took a lot of work for this indie to come together, and one of the unsung heroes of the film is Aaron Wright, the VFX supervisor who put a lot of care and attention into the reliability of the movie behind the scenes. We were excited to sit down with Aaron to talk about this movie. Let's dive into our interview below. Editor's note: the following interview is edited for length and clarity. No Film School: How did the team go about creating the realistic toe amputation effect for Aubrey Plaza's character? What were some of the key considerations in achieving this effect? Aaron Wright: When we first got a look at this shot, we noticed right away some key components that were going to be difficult, and also some components that would make this one of our star shots in the film. The pinky toe had some green tape on it and was wiggling around a lot, which made the foot's tendons and veins flex and move. Matching our replacement damaged toe area to the existing foot exactly was a key component to achieving believability. Other things were identified, like the flickering firelight, which had to be replicated on the toe, as well as the BG plate behind the toe. Both of these aspects were marked as difficult areas. We moved forward with the 3D foot approach and used a 2D matte painting projection as the base texture for the foot. We tracked and animated the 3D model into place using a technique called rotomation. We then used a couple of other 3D rendering techniques to get the underlying SubSurface Scattering of the skin to look correct, along with animating multiple light sources on and off to achieve the firelight flickering on the surface. All of these components were combined together in compositing to complete the look, and finally, color graded to match the scene. Since this was the main focus of the shot, and the audience’s eyes would be locked on the toe, there was no hiding any mistakes or adding layers of “smoke and mirrors” to make this a passable effect. We just had to rely on the skill and talent of our artists. NFS: How did you enhance the scar on Aubrey Plaza's stomach for the night scene? Wright: This shot was more of a straightforward shot, but it still contained some of the same difficult elements that were present in the toe shot. The flickering light and tracking the new scar onto the body was the focus. We took reference from a couple of different places, such as long-term...

In 1857, Oscar Rejlander created the world's first "special effects" image by combining different sections of 32 negatives into a single image, making a montaged combination print. In 1895, Alfred Clark created what is commonly accepted as the first-ever motion picture special effect.(Source - Wikipedia)   Fast forward 124 years to July 26th, 2019, to Season 1 premiere of Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios #TheBoys. Within the first 90 seconds of Episode 1, "The Name of the Game" you encounter a #visualeffects scene that I can only imagine took weeks and multiple talented artists to create. Of course, the visual effects scene that reeled me into this bloody diabolical and unhinged show happens five minutes and forty-two seconds into the episode. IYKYK. I still remember how I felt after watching it.    I've always heard about special effects and seen hundreds of movies and shows with special effects in them. It wasn't until The Boys that I really gained an appreciation for the behind the curtain creativity, passion and skill it takes to create the absolutely mind-blowing and frankly funny scenes. Blood, Guts and Gore, Oh My!    Reading interviews like this one from Stephan Fleet gleans even more insights into how the visual effects team works, their collaboration with other visual effects teams, and stellar execution of words on a page to screen. Every season shows more and more dedication, excitement, madness, insanity and of course incredible skills from the visual effects team of The Boys.  As one who enjoys learning how things are created behind the scenes, I've started a beginner course on LinkedIn Learning called Explore Motion Graphics and Visual Effects. Looking forward to gaining even more perspective into the minds of these creatives.   As the final countdown to Season 5 has begun, you would think I could fathom what could come next. Of course, there's no point in fathoming because what I imagine will happen, will be a million times better from this team and the entire production team with even more gallons of blood and terror. (still hoping Terror aka Bentley the Bulldog makes a final appearance in Season 5 😉 And I'm always up for being doused in the gallons of blood. 😉 😉) Thank you to the entire Visual Effects department that keeps me re-watching this show over and over again. The Art of VFX Stephan Fleet Tony Kenny Rian McNamara Xander Copp PIXOMONDO CNCPT John Griffith MPC Rocket Science VFX SPIN VFX DNEG Ingenuity Studios Dynamic Effects Collective #opentowork #openforwork #opentonewopportunities #film #television #filmandtelevision #entertainment #passion #recruiters #recruiting #journeyoflearning #projectmanager #projectmanagement #programmanager #employeeengagement #employeeenrichment #storytelling #creativity #momentsthatmatter #culture #businessoperations #marketing #productionoperations #creative #primevideo Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios #amazonmgmstudios #amazonstudios #sonypictures Sony Pictures Entertainment

How a Small Team of Visual Effects Artists Pulled Off 'Godzilla Minus One' https://ift.tt/R7m5gCw There's usually one film every year that breaks through the noise that no one saw coming. And this year, the film rose from the ocean and stomped on everything in its sight was Godzilla Minus One. And it didn't just change perspectives at the box office. Godzilla Minus One is the first Japanese movie to ever be nominated for a Best Visual Effects Academy Award. And it's the first Godzilla movie to earn an Oscar nomination. Today, I thought we could watch a video made by the film's small effects team and then unpack just how they brought this movie to the big screen. Sound good? Let's go! The Visual Effects of 'Godzilla Minus One' When I watched this film, what shook me was just how much scope and scale was packed into every shot. You really felt the magnitude of Godzilla. And that helped increase the tension across the destruction. In an interview with the Academy, writer-director Takashi Yamazaki said of the film, "I think Godzilla, as a franchise, is amazing, and the nomination speaks to a lot of what Godzilla Minus One is doing for Japanese films and Japanese cinema in general," he continued, "This was a very small domestic production. We even did the VFX with a minimal team, and everyone did their best." So how does this minimal team pull off something incredible? The Team Behind 'Godzilla Minus One' There were 35 people who worked on this movie, creating 610 shots in just eight months at Chōfu studio, and under the supervision of Yamazaki and direction of Kiyoko Shibuya. That's a staggering amount of work to do by that many people, and that fast. But before that happened, there was a script. When asked about how he manufactured the VFX in his head while putting the story onto the page, Takashi Yamazaki said the following: "Given our limited resources, we knew we had to maximize what we could do to put the best possible interpretation of Godzilla on this screen. From a VFX perspective, there was some degree of taking inventory of what the team was capable of. Having said that, I never let that distract me from writing a good story, which is the most fundamental component in making a good film. Once we have a good story, we think about what VFX we can do that would put the best spotlight on that story. In this instance, though, there were some exceptions to your point about the story informing the VFX or vice versa. "We had a very young compositor—that was his role inside the company—but it turned out he loved VFX. He did some water simulations at home and brought them to the office one day. We said, 'Oh wow, this is some pretty high-quality water simulation!' That allowed me to write in more scenes that took place on the ocean. But it didn't fundamentally change the story, just the ratio of different shots we took. It also helped that I was the writer, director, and VFX supervisor. That meant there were a lot of ef...

The Evolution and Impact of Visual Effects in Film Visual Effects (VFX) have revolutionized the way stories are told on the silver screen, from enhancing environments to creating fantastical creatures. Over the decades, advancements in technology have pushed the boundaries of what's possible, allowing filmmakers to bring their wildest imaginations to life. In the early days of cinema, practical effects dominated the industry. From miniatures and matte paintings to stop-motion animation, filmmakers relied on ingenuity and craftsmanship to achieve their desired visual effects. Classic films like "King Kong" (1933) and "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) showcased groundbreaking practical effects that captivated audiences. However, it wasn't until the late 20th century that computer-generated imagery (CGI) began to revolutionize the industry. With the advent of films like "Jurassic Park" (1993) and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991), audiences were introduced to seamless integration of CGI characters and environments alongside live-action footage. These milestones marked a shift in filmmaking, paving the way for a new era of visual storytelling. In the 21st century, VFX have become an integral part of nearly every blockbuster film. From the superhero spectacles of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the epic worlds of "Avatar" (2009) and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, VFX have enabled filmmakers to transport audiences to unimaginable realms and breathe life into unimaginable creatures. Moreover, advancements in technology have made VFX more accessible to independent filmmakers, allowing for greater creativity and experimentation in storytelling. With the rise of affordable software and hardware, aspiring filmmakers can now create visually stunning effects from the comfort of their own studios. However, the proliferation of VFX has also raised questions about its impact on filmmaking and storytelling. Some critics argue that reliance on VFX can overshadow strong narratives and performances, leading to spectacle over substance. Additionally, the demand for ever-more-realistic effects has raised concerns about the exploitation of VFX artists and the erosion of practical effects craftsmanship. #snsinstitutions #snsdesignthinkers #designthinking

🚨 BREAKING: Saturday Night Live Visual Effects Workers Unionize, Winning Voluntary Recognition with Unanimous Support NEW YORK, NY — Visual Effects (VFX) workers for Saturday Night Live (SNL) are unionizing with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), and have won official recognition of their union, IATSE announced Monday. The group includes sixteen VFX Artists and VFX Leads who unanimously signed cards indicating their support of unionizing with IATSE and whose labor is central to making Saturday Night Live’s pre-recorded digital shorts pop. Saturday Night Live (SNL), is a television program in its 50th season that blends sketch comedy, satire, and music performance and has become a cultural institution for its humor and social commentary. While SNL is known for its live televised segments, it also features several pre-recorded "digital shorts" which require editors and VFX Workers to work under extremely tight time constraints and deadlines. SNL VFX workers are following in the footsteps of SNL’s editors, who similarly began their unionization campaign in October 2022, ultimately resulting in the editors ratifying their first agreement in May 2023. The editors had their union officially certified through the voluntary recognition process after an independent arbitrator confirmed support for the union through a card check. This week, NBCUniversal management agreed to a similar process for recognizing SNL VFX Workers’ union after SNL VFX workers presented signed authorization cards demonstrating 100% support for unionization. The effort to unionize VFX workers at SNL is part of a broader campaign by IATSE to bring representation to VFX workers across the entertainment industry that’s decades in the making. While positions like Production Designers/Art Directors, Camera Operators, Sound, Editors, Hair and Makeup Artists, Costumes / Wardrobe, Script Supervisors, Grips, Lighting, Props, and Paint, among others, have historically been represented by IATSE in motion picture and television, workers in VFX classifications historically have not. IATSE has made significant strides in recent months, securing union recognition for VFX workers at companies like Marvel, Disney, Avatar, DNEG (Canada), and AppleTV. As the campaign to ensure VFX workers have access to the same rights and protections as other workers in the film and television industry, those interested in joining the movement should visit vfxunion.org for more information and to get in touch with IATSE organizers.

As a video editor, I have a great appreciation for the amount of work and skill that goes into creating visual effects, especially for big-budget films like "Godzilla vs. Kong." The VFX teams behind these movies often push the boundaries of what's visually possible, and they play a crucial role in bringing fantastical creatures like Godzilla and Kong to life on the big screen. From what I've seen, the VFX in "Godzilla vs. Kong" are truly impressive. The level of detail in the creatures' movements, the destruction of the cities, and the overall scale of the battles is breathtaking. The seamless integration of CGI with live-action footage is crucial for maintaining the audience's suspension of disbelief, and it seems like the VFX teams have done an excellent job in that regard. One thing I particularly appreciate about the VFX in this film is the sense of weight and impact they convey. When Godzilla and Kong clash, you can really feel the power behind each punch and roar. This is a testament to the skill of the animators and the technology they're working with. Of course, as with any film, there will always be some nitpicks or areas where improvements could be made. But overall, from what I've seen, the VFX in "Godzilla vs. Kong" look top-notch and are a major selling point for the film. They elevate the spectacle and excitement of the monster battles to a whole new level, and I think audiences are going to be blown away by the visual experience.

Agora had the opportunity of collaborating with Paramount on the Knuckles series, where we provided both Previz and Postviz services. These processes are fundamental in the realm of visual effects, yet they often remain elusive to many. Here's an overview to clarify their importance in the production sequence preceding animation. Previz (Pre visualization):  This is the process of creating preliminary versions of shots or sequences, typically using 3D animation tools, before actual filming begins. Previz helps directors and cinematographers plan out scenes, understand spatial dynamics, and experiment with camera angles, movements, and timings. It's particularly useful for complex action sequences, visual effects-heavy scenes, and for integrating CGI with live-action footage. The goal is to establish a visual reference that guides the production team during filming, helping to make efficient use of time and resources on set. Postviz (Post Visualization): This occurs after the principal photography is complete and involves creating temporary VFX shots that integrate filmed elements with CG components. Postviz helps editors, directors, and VFX supervisors get a better sense of how the final scene will look and is used in the editing process to make decisions about timing, pacing, and storytelling. While postviz effects are not of final quality, they provide a more complete version of the scene for further editing and decision-making, guiding the final VFX work. Both previz and postviz are crucial in planning and executing visually complex projects, allowing for creative exploration and problem-solving early in the production process, and ensuring that the final vision is achievable and clear to all team members. We can't wait for the series release on April 26th, exclusively on Paramount+ Watch the Knuckles series trailer here 👇 https://lnkd.in/ei9vafV2 . . . . . #agorastudio #vfx #previz #paramount #paramountplus #sonicthehedgehog #cg #sega

CG Supervisor on Set! Sometimes, we receive projects for post that were shot without the involvement of a CG supervisor on set. Why wasn’t one invited to the shoot? Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are at least two reasons: budget savings or confidence in one's own abilities to shoot the project independently, relying on experience and knowledge. This can be the case, and sometimes producers, operators, or directors do have sufficient knowledge in the field of visual effects. However, unfortunately, this isn't always the case, and it genuinely pains me to see it. Attempting to save on a supervisor during the shoot can ultimately lead to a much larger budget during post-production, when VFX artists start grappling with shots, unsure of how to approach them. Consequently, the budget increases due to the complexity of the work arising from additional problems. And what about cleanups? Without adequate knowledge of how certain things are done technically, scenes might be shot in a way that cleaning up the footage could take a significant chunk of the budget, for work that no one will ever see. Alternatively, the operator might discard a good shot, thinking there will be problems removing an object, although in reality, that's not the case. If the project isn't graphically complex, producers might not invite a CG supervisor to the shoot, but at the very least, they could consult with one on various issues before filming. Advice costs nothing! My point is that it would be genuinely great if the budget is used appropriately, rather than on correcting unnecessary mistakes. Neither the creators nor the project benefits from this!