The script reads: "EXT. HIGHWAY OUTSIDE BALTIMORE — DAY. QUICKLY: the shock wave catches the presidential motorcade from behind, flipping cars violently off the road, as if they were toys."
"This is the classic one-eighth of a page 'World War III happens here,' " UPM/AD and panel moderator Brian Frankish said. But just how do those fantastic visual effects make the transition from one-sentence descriptions to realistic, multi-million dollar effects?
Answers were found at the "Understanding the Visual Effects (VFX) Process: From Script to Screen" seminar held at the DGA on October 5. The event was part of the Guild's AD/UPM/TC Visual Effects/Digital Technology Committee's "Fast Forward" series on new technologies.
To illustrate the process, two visual effects sequences from Phil Alden Robinson's The Sum of All Fears were used.
In addition to Frankish, panelists included Sum's production team — UPM Stratton Leopold, 1st AD David Sardi, VFX supervisor Glenn Neufeld and VFX supervisor Dan Malvin — two members of the film's effects studio, Marina del Rey–based Rhythm & Hues — VFX supervisor Derek Spears and VFX producer Jane Stephan — as well as the committee's Susan Zwerman.
The sequences, one showing the effects of a nuclear bomb explosion and another depicting an attack on a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier (see animations), were further illustrated with a number of film clips showing the construction of the sequences. Supporting materials containing VFX shot breakdown sheets, budgets, storyboards and other useful material were also provided to attendees.
The panelists described the first step in the process — breaking down the script to identify the illusions required. "It's a matter of trying to visualize what you want to see in a sequence," Neufeld said, which can happen even before a director is assigned to a project. The director's input is, of course, paramount for creating VFX scenes. Neufeld had envisioned a depiction of the nuclear blast itself, but director Robinson's view was something completely different. "Phil said, 'We don't want to watch the bomb. I want to see what happens to the people in the hospital, etc. It's all about the people and the aftermath of the explosion.' " Neufeld then was able to create scenes to depict the director's vision.
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Once the sequences are identified, the VFX supervisor applies his own experience to suggest which elements of the sequence might be created as visual effects and which might be physical/practical effects. "How much of it is going to be computer generated (CG), and how much practical do you need to make the computer-generated stuff more effective?" he asked.
Once tabulated, Neufeld created a rough budget by entering his estimates of various effects shot elements into a handy VFX Breakdown Estimate Template — a spreadsheet, a sample of which was provided in the handout packet. This spreadsheet allowed the VFX supervisor to enter in items such as costs for miniatures, motion control, crew costs, costs for animation artists and supervision.
Neufeld's own Digital Shot Breakdown was then supplied to various VFX houses that prepared bids. The breakdowns included scene slugs/shot descriptions from the script, Neufeld's description of how he saw the shot, a list of elements required, and, if available, a storyboard sketch. A handful of houses are approached for bids. While it is common to spread the work among several VFX houses that have their own strengths in various areas of visual effects, for this film, a single house, Rhythm & Hues, was selected.
The budget for the film included not only the direct visual effects costs, but costs for plate material required to be filmed either during 1st unit work or by 2nd unit or effects units. In this case, UPM Leopold included some shots as part of the 1st unit budget, while other plate material was accounted for in the 2nd unit's budget. 1st unit work might include set plates, for example, of a hospital corridor being destroyed by the bomb blast, filmed without actors during a lunch break. Green-screen elements, such as actors within that scene filmed individually, were also accounted for under effects costs.
Close coordination with the film's art director is crucial for the success of a visual effect. The set must be arranged to allow for planned effects to be created for optimal effect. For this sequence, an identical set created in green screen was used to capture individual stunt players as each was blown sideways by the force of the blast through the window. In addition, it was important to reproduce lighting from the real set, so that the actors appeared to be lit naturally when placed into the scene during the compositing process.
Important too, was the collection of camera movement data, for later use in creating visual effects. Camera angles, lighting and other information are required by the VFX team to create accurate movement of visual effects elements, which otherwise will not appear to move realistically in the completed scene.
As production got underway, the VFX team awaited plate material it used to produce its effects. It may receive this as late as halfway through the production schedule. To plan the filming of appropriate plate material, storyboards or other tools are used. Once received, the plate footage is inserted into the director's rough edit of the film, to help time the sequences. The VFX team then begins its creating the effects which are then shown to the director and editor, until it is determined that they meet the director's vision of the scene.
While some VFX scenes can be created in a matter of weeks by one or two VFX artists, some may require the entire budgeted schedule. Such scenes may require five or more artists, though adding team members doesn't necessarily speed up the process. "It's the same as how you can't make nine pregnant women give birth in a month," Derek Spears said.
The success of visual effects, said Neufeld, is very much dependent on a director who is able to visualize desired images. "It's most important to have somebody who knows where they're headed, can see it all and knows what he or she wants, so that you can take the journey with them and not be left behind or lost."
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