Kitchen Explosion
For this sequence we filmed the actress in front of a portable greenscreen and positioned an air cannon in front of her. This gave us the realistic interaction between our live-action and pyrotechnic elements. Then, after measuring our camera height and angle with an inclinometer, our Special Effect Supervisor Bob Shelley filmed a series of fireballs on-set. Later, I adjusted the position of the actress in the door frame for a more pleasing composition, and composited the two elements together. I also added flame elements to make the fire wrap around the actress.
Responsibilities: Compositing
Software: After Effects 7 Pro
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Hospital Window
This shot was designed to be very low impact on-set so that the Director’s could be free to do as many takes they wanted, with out having to worry about reset times. The first part of the scene was shot normally. Then we had the steadicam operator back up to a start position, opened the door, and continued the shot into the room. Later I morphed the two elements together, steadied the steadicam, painted out the reflection of the camera operator, and added a slight lens distortion as the camera passed through the glass.
Responsibilities: Compositing, Digital Matte Painter
Software: After Effects 7 Pro, Photoshop CS2
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Chicken Coop
This shot was done with a combination of practical and digital effects. First we made a ‘dummy’
prosthetic chick, then we filmed a bluescreen plate of a real baby chick. After those elements were shot I painted out the prosthetic, and composited in the real chick in it’s place. At the end of the shot a digital matte of a deceased chick, which was painted by our lead matte painter Jessica Morrison, was added.
Responsibilities: Compositing, Rotoscoping
Software: After Effects 7 Pro, Photoshop CS2
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Dirt Road
This was a shot added due to production needs. The dirt the production had laid down on the road was cleared that morning accidentally by the state. So, to match continuity, I went in and digitally graded the road back to the correct color. The accidental clearing also pushed the production’s schedule back. So we also had to correct the time of day with grading and a sky replacement.
Responsibilities: Compositing
Software: After Effects 7 Pro
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Stair Fall
I was tasked to due this Visual Effect due to safety concerns from our Action Coordinator, Gene Whitham. It was a simple approach of filming an action plate with the pads, then filming a clean plate without the pads. Later, Roto was done, and digital limbs were painted in. This was done because the padding obscured the stunt double’s arms and legs in parts of the sequence.
Responsibilities: Compositing
Software: After Effects 7 Pro
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Building Extension
This was a project I did in my Studio 2 class. It was achieved through Matchmoving, and camera projection techniques. But it also has a good bit of hidden techniques, such as a CG Window in the truck, Roto, sky replacement. The digital matte of the buildings was painted by Jessica Morrison.
Responsibilities: Compositing, Matchmoving
Software: Maya 7.0, Mental Ray, Boujou 3, Shake 4
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Rocky Ridge
(Stylized Lighting on Request of the Director)
First we shot the foreground plate in a greenscreen studio. Then after referring to the original concept art, I painted a digital matte for the background complete with a CG ocean. Next, I matchmoved the scene, and rendered off the background element. Then after Roto was completed, I composited the scene together. Lastly, we put the shot through an extensive digital grading process to achieve the look the Director scripted.
Responsibilities: Compositing, Matchmoving, Digital Matte Painting
Software: Maya 7.0, Mental Ray, Matchmover Pro 4, Shake 4, Photoshop CS2
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Zombie Digital Squib
The look of this shot was designed to mimic old 16mm film from the late 1950′s. This effect was
achieved through a degrading process in After Effects 7 Pro. This shot also utilized a prosthetic squib rig to greater integrate the digital blood I made later made in RealFlow 4.
Responsibilities: Compositing, Particle Simulation, Practical Effects Rig
Software: Maya 7.0, Mental Ray, After Effects 7 Pro, Photoshop CS2, RealFlow 4, Particle Illusion
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Zombie Incineration
As before, the look of this shot was designed to mimic old 16mm film from the late 1950′s. I used stock footage I purchased from Artbeats.com for the fireball element, 2D tracked it into the scene, and later also added a digital match which was lost in the original DV footage.
Responsibilities: Compositing
Software: After Effects 7 Pro, Photoshop CS2