Friday, June 15, 2007

Rise of the Image Engine

So Image Engine has finished up a small selection of shots for the upcoming 20th Century Fox release "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer." Basically a 911 job (we were the last and smallest of all the visual effects vendors chosen to work on the film), but I think it is the highest profile work the studio has ever undertaken - unless perhaps "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" turns out to be higher profile, but I doubt that. Anyhow - a pretty cool step forward for everybody I think. The shot pictured here - I robbed from the theatrical trailer which is out now - was the largest chunk of work. A dynamic panning shot revealing a spy satellite circling the earth. A straight forward all computer generated shot, although it was actually a lot trickier than you'd think. The foreground element was all done through our Maya & 3Delight pipeline, but the background was a kind of 2.5D approach using a scene set up in Maya and then exported out for use in Nuke. The background is essentially a huge (4K) matte painting from source imagery of the earth (I think from the Hubble or something). It required loads of noodling to get it right. The people - Corrina Wilson, Oskar Wahlberg, Ori Ben-Shabat, Reynold "Bo" Mosley, Greg Massie, Jeremy Mesana, Roberto Hradec, Stefanie Boose - all did a wonderful job. Given the last minute notice and the inclusion of the shot in the film's trailer - it was a pretty crunched schedule. Onwards and upwards!

Sunday, June 03, 2007

El Gran Pueblo

Madrid... What can I say? I feel like I know the city a little bit now that we have been there quite often and it seems to be like another possible home... Yet, as evidenced by Meg's father's cousin Marcelino's tour of central Madrid - I don't. One night during our stay we went out for an evening stroll and tapas with Marcelino and it was illuminating to say the least. This is the kind of thing that you just cannot pay for... Local, biased knowledge of "what's good." We visited about 5 tapas bars all in the area between Opera, La Calle Baja & La Latina. We stopped in for one or two tapas each time and a simple, small "caƱa" of red wine. I must say that all the walking definitely wore off the effects of the food and drink because every time we stopped I was starving and thirsty! This trip through El Gran Pueblo was a little more complicated with Mateo being along for the ride, but he was a champion traveler and it was I that fell ill with some kind of nasal infection. Methinks it was a classic combination of the ole "we're finally here, I can relax now" phenomenon as well as our crazy hectic schedule in London (to say nothing of the madness at work before I left!). Still we managed to get around with Meg's mama and Mateo and see quite a few of our favourite spots in the city. I have said often to people: Madrid is like a soft boiled egg. Somewhat difficult to assess at first glance, and like Paris somewhat difficult to access, but once you crack your way in... It is a warm and inviting place indeed.

Friday, June 01, 2007

The Splendour and The Stench of The Big Smoke

I have always found London a inviting place - gentile you might say! - though complicated by expense (it is as horrendous as people say) and a preponderance of bureaucratic civility! Of course, when living in The Big Smoke as opposed to traveling through as tourist your feelings change as you get on with the rigors of daily life. Much of London is grim. Dirty and sullen on dark winter days with little respite from the city encroaching on your soul. Escaping as I did while living there to the relative tranquility of Cambridge and a good friend's flat at the weekend was a godsend! There were moments of pleasure and fun and I always miss the pub! And I have to say that something about the stern British fight to get on in spite of things won me over a lot of the time. Finally, there was a time when I had had enough and the light of California came calling - if only for a short while... London's splendor was restored for me a bit on this trip (although I had to plug my ears every time I paid for something to avoid going deaf from the recurring grenades going off in my wallet) and I guess that had to do with staying largely to Earl's Court, Hyde Park, Kensington and Mayfair. My brief jaunt into Soho for a pint with friends reminded me briefly of the 'London as a shit hole' factor. Tough to forget really, and I left with as mixed feelings as I arrived, fond memories of long days at work at The Moving Picture Company and even longer nights at the pub all swallowed up by the atmosphere blending into a single gray element... Did I mention it was sunny?