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“Without VFX, we could not have made these stories.”
This is Rian Johnson’s glass onion – Sequel to Murder Mystery knife outone best movies on Netflix.
TechRadar Pro peeled back the layers to talk to the duo, who worked on over 500 VFX shots for the film, about the power of AI and visual effects in storytelling, the challenges of keeping them out of sight, and the best VFX software in the industry. . .
Tell us about yourself and your background
Samir [S]: I have a Bachelor of Commerce degree, but then decided I didn’t need an MBA to join the family business. After searching in various fields, I found an option to get a Diploma in 3D and Compositing. This was very new in India at the time. After completing it in 2004 and starting freelance work, Roto/Paint joined his first internship as an artist at Prime Focus in 2006. And he’s 17 years later and I’m supervising his VFX at DNEG with the same management team.
philip [P]: I was always curious and eager to learn new things. After starting his career in IT and software development, he found interests as wide-ranging as automotive engineering, journalism, and reality TV production. These interests ultimately led me to his VFX. Now I have been working for the past 15 years. Prior to his current position as DNEG’s Head of Corporate Strategy, Mr. (opens in new tab), I was the executive producer. My role allows me to constantly explore new opportunities in the entertainment industry.
How did you get into this industry? What movie or show inspired you to dive into the world of VFX?
Without VFX, these stories would not have been possible
S.: When I was doing my PG Diploma, I watched a lot of movies and shows.I was surprised to discover how some features work Terminator 2: Judgment Day had been shot. Inception and interstellar Without VFX, none of these stories could have been created.I love dark Knightthat too.
P.: for me it was fast and furious, big city, paradise cinemaand find neverland.
The two recently worked on Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Visually, the “glass onion” dome was the centerpiece of the film. What is the process like to create such an impressive image?
S.: We received a basic architectural model for the structural design from the production team of the show. However, some of the shots looking up from the exterior stairs were surreal. I knew I couldn’t hold a 50 foot tall, 29 foot wide structure on a real base. So our modeling team added some supporting beams and in front he created two small base villa structures to make the whole look closer to the real villa base.
In addition to the concept art we received, we referenced other glass buildings such as the Sion Park Conservatory in London, the Glass Crust in Moscow, and the Dancing House in Prague.
What was the biggest challenge tackling this film?
S.: Glass Onion’s daytime look shot was really hard. I had to find the right index of refraction and transmittance to show the reflection of the environment. We tested the index of refraction (IOR) values under various transmission values within the context of each shot to find the right balance. Ultimately, I had to discount the physics a bit to find a striking look that added more reflections.
For the surrounding environment, the villa and seaside island were filmed in different locations, so the challenge was to show them together. Therefore, both locations were created in CG and the terrain was designed to retain as much of the real photo as possible. Each sequence had its own challenges, but the Manhattan sequence was the most difficult for me.
P.: From a production point of view, the biggest challenge was to render such reflective and refractive structures so that they fit well in the different lighting situations of the plates provided.
The interior scenes of Glass Onion were shot on a blue screen set with a partial glass structure between the actors and the blue screen. Getting the exposure balance between the VFX island environment and the reflections on the foreground plate and glass was certainly a challenge. It was also really rewarding to create all the artwork inside the glass structure and display all the shots flying towards the back of the villa at night.
How do you balance your own creative ideas with the director’s vision?
S.: It was expected that the visual effect would not be visible.
P.: The goal from the beginning was to seamlessly integrate visual effects into the film, enhancing storytelling while controlling specific elements within a scene.
S.: Giles Harding, Production VFX Supervisor, for capturing beautiful references that were extremely helpful when designing key assets for the production. However, I was also free to build and design all the assets based on the references I received. Once he had the shots, the director worked with Rian Johnson to develop them until they aligned with his vision for the show.
P.: Working with Giles and his team has been a great collaboration.
What post-production software do you use for best results?
S.: We use all the popular post-production software like Maya, Claririse, Nuke, Houdini and Silhouette.
P.: Our pipeline relies heavily on tools like Autodesk Maya, SideFX Houdini, and The Foundry Nuke.
We hear more and more about the impact of AI on every field. How is AI changing the industry? And where are you headed next?
AI is a means, not a solution
P.: AI has the potential to revolutionize the VFX industry by enabling more efficient visual effects workflows. Importantly, AI Certain tasks can be automated, but it still relies on skilled artists to oversee and guide the process to achieve the desired result. AI is a tool, not a solution.
S.: In my experience, I’ve found that AI provides a great set of tools to help you get things done faster. For example, before we introduced AI, we relied heavily on artists to provide proofs of concept for directors, but now we can create early concepts based on briefs and submit them for approval very quickly. can. This does not replace the concept her artist. A seasoned artist is absolutely necessary to oversee early concepts and take them into production, but they can help in the early stages. As for the future, we have some very exciting R&D underway and some of the early results are amazing – so I’m really looking forward to that!
What other trends or technological advances do you see yourself seeing in the next few years?
P.: VFX is increasingly moving to real-time technology. This helps achieve a more efficient workflow. Real-time allows you to work non-linearly and in parallel.
S.: The recently announced Wonder Dynamics AI technology shows that the future cannot be predicted. New technologies are constantly breaking down barriers and providing tools to make the industry more efficient.
What advice would you give to aspiring VFX artists and those just starting out?
S.: Go out with your camera and take pictures – even with just a smartphone! Explore these images to get a feel for natural lighting, composition, perspective, and more. This process expands your knowledge and understanding in a way that online tutorials cannot teach.
Even if it’s just your smartphone, take a camera and go out and take pictures!
P.: Be honest, be humble and be hungry. This will get you a long way. Visual effects may be the most exciting industry today. When you join the visual effects team, integrate yourself, know your peers, know what’s going on around you, empathize, and be open-minded.
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