Contents Real Steel

Steel Works

Article by Jody Duncan Jesser


To create the robotic stars of Real Steel, set in a near-future world where professional boxing has been relegated to mechanical pugilists, director Shawn Levy relied on a seamless blend of practical and digital effects, with John Rosengrant and his team at Legacy Effects providing full-size animatronic puppets, while visual effects supervisor Erik Nash and a crew at Digital Domain devised their CG counterparts. Also lending a hand were Giant Studios, which motion-captured live performers in choreographed fights to provide critical data for the animators, and Glenn Derry's Video Hawks, which supplied virtual cameras and Simulcam setups for the complex fight action.


Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Render Unto Ceasar

Article by Joe Fordham


In this prequel to the popular franchise inspired by Pierre Boulle's science fiction novel about intelligent apes that rise up against their human captors, director Rupert Wyatt broke with tradition, abandoning the practical simian makeups of the previous ape films in favor of an all-digital approach. Weta Digital, under the supervision of Joe Letteri and Dan Lemmon, rose to the challenge, generating super-chimp Caesar and armies of photorealistic apes with the help of on-set motion capture of ape actors led by veteran mocap performer Andy Serkis and motion choreographer Terry Notary.


Hugo

Man in the Moon

Article by Joe Fordham


For his latest film, based on Brian Selznick's illustrated children's novel about a young boy who befriends once-great cinema pioneer Georges Meliθs, now living a reclusive life as a toymaker in 1920s Paris, director Martin Scorcese reunited with frequent collaborator Robert Legato who oversaw the visual effects needed to create lush period environments in stereoscopic 3D. Pixomondo served as primary visual effects vendor, aided by Uncharted Territory, ILM, Matte World Digital, and miniature effects provider New Deal Studios. Joss Williams handled special effects.


The Tree of Life

Creationisms

Article by Jody Duncan Jesser


To achieve a 22-minute long sequence featuring the creation of the universe through a series of stunning and scientifically sound images in The Tree of Life, director Terrence Malick melded old-school techniques by filmmaking pioneer Douglas Trumbull with digital effects orchestrated by visual effects supervisor Dan Glass and crews at Prime Focus, Double Negative, One of Us and Method Studios.

Contents John Carter

Under the Moons of Mars

Article by Joe Fordham


Walt Disney Studios and director Andrew Stanton join forces for an adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' pulp fiction adventure series about a Civil War veteran mysteriously whisked to Mars who becomes deeply entrenched in the affairs of its bizarre inhabitants. Legacy Effects provided creature designs and maquettes, while special effects supervisor Chris Corbould handled in-camera work. Visual effects supervisors Peter Chiang and Sue Rowe oversaw creature animation and environmental enhancements from principal vendors Double Negative, Cinesite and MPC.


Red Tails

The Long, Long War

Article by Jody Duncan Jesser


A pet project of producer George Lucas for 20 years, Red Tails is based on the real-life experiences of the Tuskegee airmen, a segregated squadron of African-American fighter pilots that distinguished itself during World War II. Industrial Light & Magic set the standard for the film's dynamic and authentic-looking aerial combat scenes, producing its own slate of shots, and coordinating the work of an international effects contingent that included Universal Production Partners, Pixomondo, Rodeo FX, Rising Sun Pictures and Ollin Studio.


Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Ingenious

Article by Jody Duncan Jesser


In this fourth, and most ambitious of the 'Mission: Impossible' films, the Impossible Missions Force executes a bold plan to clear its name after being blamed for a massive explosion at the Kremlin. Director Brad Bird ramps up the action with spectacular sequences calling for state-of-the-art work from Industrial Light & Magic, Fuel VFX, Rodeo FX, AFX Studio and other vendors around the world, led by visual effects supervisor John Knoll. Adding to the thrill quotient were daring stunts by Tom Cruise, and practical effects supervised by Mike Meinardus.


The Adventures of Tintin

A Thirst for Adventure

Article by Joe Fordham


Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson join forces to present an animated take on the illustrated adventures of boy reporter Tintin and his wire-haired terrier, Snowy - iconic characters in the French-language comic strip series by Georges Remi, aka Herge. Directed by Spielberg, this first in a planned trilogy combines several Tintin tales into an origin story, realized by performers on motion capture stages and brought to life in stereographic computer animation by Weta Digital and Giant Studios.

Contents

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The Avengers: The Avengers Initiative

Article by Jody Duncan Jesser


Six of Marvel Comics' iconic superheroes - Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Hawkeye, Thor and Black Widow - come together in a clash of egos and machismo to thwart Thor's power-hungry brother Loki, who plots to enslave Earth's inhabitants with an invading alien army. Director Joss Whedon called upon visual effects supervisor Janek Sirrs and industry powerhouses Industrial Light & Magic and Weta Digital, aided by a dozen supporting vendors around the globe, to deliver the film's delightful blend of mayhem and humor.


Prometheus: Alien Genesis

Article by Joe Fordham


Filmmaker Ridley Scott returns to the science fiction genre with Prometheus, picking up the threads of his Alien mythology with yet another nightmarish tale in which a deep-space exploration team is sent to probe the origins of life on a distant planetoid. Visual effects supervisor Richard Stammers and creature and makeup effects designers Neal Scanlan and Conor O'Sullivan joined forces with MPC, Weta Digital, Fuel VFX, Luma Pictures and other vendors to bring the alien world, its futuristic technology and terrifying inhabitants to life.


Battleship: War Games

Article by Joe Fordham


Peter Berg directs this ocean-going sci-fi war film, in which Navy seamen battle malevolent extraterrestrial spacecraft that rise from the ocean floor to wreak widespread havoc. Industrial Light & Magic visual effects supervisors Pablo Helman and Grady Cofer led the effort to create naval hardware, alien vessels and creature effects with an eye toward a gritty realism. Contributing vendors included Image Engine, Scanline VFX, New Deal Studios and The Embassy Visual Effects, while Burt Dalton handled special effects.


Snow White and the Huntsman: Grim Fairy Tale

Article by Jody Duncan Jesser


Veteran commercial director Rupert Sanders makes his feature film debut with this lush, artistic adventure based on the classic Snow White fairy tale. Relying on old-school practical techniques in combination with visual effects to realize many of the film's fantasy elements, Sanders brings his vision to the screen with the help of visual effects supervisors Cedric Nicolas-Troyan and Phil Brennan, and more than a half-dozen vendors, including Legacy Effects, Digital Domain, Double Negative, Pixomondo, Lola Visual Effects, Baseblack, The Mill and Rhythm & Hues.

Contents The Dark Knight Rises: A Farewell to Arms

Article by Jody Duncan

For the final dazzling installment of his epic 'Dark Knight Trilogy,' director Christopher Nolan pulls out all the stops as Batman faces a ruthless mercenary and his most formidable opponent in an existential battle for Gotham. Relying heavily on in-camera effects, Nolan called upon special effects veteran Chris Corbould to orchestrate a range of spectacular effects sequences for the film, while Double Negative, under the guidance of visual effects supervisor Paul Franklin, contributed equally stunning imagery to realize Batman’s complex world.

The Amazing Spider-Man: Return of the Webslinger

Article by Joe Fordham

In this reboot of the popular franchise featuring Marvel Comics’ web-slinging superhero, director Marc Webb steps in with an all-new cast to explore Spider-Man's origins as Peter Parker, and his entanglements with a reptilian shape-shifter known as The Lizard. Sony Pictures Imageworks reprised its role as lead visual effects house on the film, with oversight from senior visual effects supervisor Jerome Chen and animation supervisor Randall William Cook, and a host of supporting visual effects vendors. In-camera illusions were the work of special effects supervisor John Frazier, stunt coordinator Vic Armstrong and Legacy Effects.

Total Recall: Recall Redux

Article by Jody Duncan

Colin Farrell assumes Arnold Schwarzenegger’s role as Douglas Quaid in a remake of the 1990 blockbuster, based on a futuristic tale by Philip K. Dick about a man who discovers that his memories are not his own, but have been implanted by sinister forces. Director Len Wiseman updated the original film's optical effects with a startling digital re-imagining of a futuristic, post-Apocalyptic world, delivered by lead effects house Double Negative and a supporting array of boutique vendors that included The Senate, Baseblack, Prime Focus, Lipsync VFX and MPC. Legacy Effects provided suits for an army of robotic police.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter: Slayer in Chief

Article by Joe Fordham

Director Timur Bekmambetov brings novelist Seth Grahame-Smith’s satirical take on the life and times of America's 16th president to the big screen in this tongue-in-cheek horror film depicting Lincoln as fearless slayer of an insidious vampire sect responsible for enslaving the South. Special effects supervisor Matthew Kutcher and makeup effects supervisor Greg Cannom created Civil War battles and vampire effects, while visual effects supervisors Craig Lyn and Michael Owens oversaw period enhancements and stylized monster mayhem by more than a dozen vendors worldwide, including Weta Digital, Rodeo FX, Soho VFX, Method Studios, CGF and Spin VFX.