Thursday, November 12, 2020
'Gods of Mars' Is First Feature to Fully Embrace Virtual Production
Variety: Filmmaker Peter Hyoguchi will be fully embracing virtual production for “Gods of Mars,” a science-fiction epic that he promises will include the type of action and special effects usually seen in big budget blockbusters, but for a fraction of the cost.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
I am not very knowledgeable about digital effects, but I know that in most movies nowadays utilize these digital techniques to enhance storytelling. I thought it was interesting how using this technology actually allowed the creatives to expand their storytelling and not settle for less. The concept of the movie is no easy task, and I am sure that consumers will demand high quality because so much of the story takes place in these Mars environments. I am interested in finally seeing the actual shots, since much of the footage provided was green screen mock-ups; but I do know that this technology has been used in other successful capacities (such as The Mandalorian) so I’m feeling hopeful. It will be interesting to see how the creatives reflect on the process once God of Mars is released, because although this seems like an effective way to make this movie happen under COVID conditions, it is definitely not the same culture and process as traditional movie making.
I think half of this article is the featurette that comes at the end. The in depth interview with all the creative members of the team helps give context to some of the things in the written section.
It was a little detail at the end of the video where they are going over the hardware and they talk about the camera lenses. They addressed the thing I was looking to hear about which is that the camera is able to talk information from the digital background and replicate thee virtual camera settings on the live actor. This is why the background looks photo realistic with a live performer. I know that they can use the tablets as 3d viewfinders (Cameron did that in "Avatar") but I would like to know if the walls of photo realistic background can be updated with info from the real camera. If they change the focus point are they able to blur or sharpen the background in real time?
This article brought up a couple points I found interesting. First, I love that this process embraces both physical craft and digital craft. My biggest fear with the big sweep and rise of digital platforms for theatre and film, especially in the pandemic, is that the craft that I love more than anything else will become obsolete in the face of digital rendering. It’s warming knowing that the combination of the two created something absolutely wonderful that the team was happy with, that was safe, and also visually stunning. Also having watched a snippet of the video linked at the end of the article about the process the team went through, and it sounded wonderful. The super collaborative nature sort of forced by the necessary small crew simplified the game of telephone that can happen a lot in our world. I wonder if the shift to a smaller team with less management works in favor of the product? I sometimes worry that the structure of the larger commercial scenery world works against the bigger picture – or that the bigger picture could be more collaborative.
The possibilities of the Unreal Engine are amazing. Creators are able to bring to the screen what they truly envision, without the limitations of budgeting. We will be able to create scenes and images much more quickly, and at higher qualities, than ever done before with visual effects. It is truly exciting. These new advancements are creating a whole new industry and area of study for us designers and creators as well. I originally was worried that focusing heavily on engines and softwares in pre visualization would take away from the creative artistry of film. Now I see it as a whole new art form, which merges computational breakthroughs with artistic ability. I want to learn more about how the software works, and look forward to more training and industry opportunities to arise over the upcoming years.
As someone who plays a fair amount of video games, I'm decently familiar with the Unreal Engine and would never have imagined it had the kind of abilities that a dedicated film VFX software would need. However, reading about how there was a recent "branching out" into more cinematic toolkits is an exciting prospect. The ability to scan a practical miniature and have it become part of the virtual effect environment is a massive leap forward for this kind of industry. Being able to ditch the traditional green screen gives this director and producers many more degrees of freedom to express more immersive effects without being limited by a two-dimensional screen that must act as a backdrop. Outside of the movie itself, I believe that being able to work with a smaller crew is a good thing, in the long run. Obviously it present its advantages in times when groups of people cannot be together, but cutting out what could be called the "bureaucracy" of production only serves to streamline the process and create a better experience for those working on the film. Conversely, if the project demands, there is no limitation the crew size for this kind of work either. All-in-all, I am wholeheartedly excited to see where this type of production goes in the future.
I personally am not very versed in the aways of digital art, animation, or production so this is an entirely new world to me. The idea sounds really good though.After reading the article I am still rather confused about how the whole virtual production thing will work. However, I am excited to see how this production turns out. I am a little blown away by the idea that the virtual production is more cost effective than the alternatives. I would have thought it to be the other way around. But, I am also very excited about the prospect of this medium allowing creators to expand their ideas and their creativity without having to stay inside a tight budget. The results of this production will be very exciting to see as how it will influence the creation of similar productions in the future.
Post a Comment