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| Why were you chosen to work on the Talladega Nights campaign? |
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[Ben Girard] "We're known for our photorealism and overall operational efficiency. We were able to handle a large volume of shots in a relatively short amount of time."
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| What were some of the biggest challenges you faced on this project and how did you overcome them. How did Fusion help in this regard?
Who were the artists working on the shot? What particular features were essential in getting their work done?
What specific tools were used and why? How did Fusion fit into the overall production pipeline?
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[Erik Bruhwiler] "Tracking was the major issue. The shots comprised of cars racing were pretty intense and the pit crew shots required a lot of hand tracking. These specific shots required a lot of intricate roto of foreground elements. All of the pit crew shots were hand tracked in Fusion, but a couple of racing shots were 3D tracked by Travis Yonke of our 3D department, with assistance from Phi Tran and Tong Tran. This is where Fusion 5 helped out. Our team was able to output directly from our 3D tracking solution into a Fusion 5 .comp file, and our 2D artists could then open that file in Fusion 5 and grab a tracked camera to reference geometry for placement. Using the reference geometry and the animated camera, we placed our crowd elements and had perfect tracks. Tatjana Bozinovski was able to output superb comps using the 3D tracked data, which also produced great roto work from our roto team in Fusion 5."
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| What was the most rewarding effect that you feel you pulled off? |
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"[Erik Bruhwiler] Consistency in our quality of output is the most rewarding effect that we pulled off! You can look at a few effects as the most rewarding, but if any effects are sub-par, then they can distract from the more rewarding successes. When I look at the volume of shots and the tight timeline within which we had to produce the "Talladega Nights" shots, I am most satisfied with the Digital Dimension management, pipeline, and crew. There are always unexpected illnesses or technical issues or client requests, but the DD machine keeps on moving forward effectively to deliver consistently high quality work to the clients that meet our own satisfaction. It is very rewarding to participate in such an effective company. We are committed to success, and that makes all the difference."
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| What is your favourite tool in Fusion and do you experiment with it? What have you done that you have not seen done before, something you may want to brag about?
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[Erik Bruhwiler] "My favorite tool at this point is the 3D tracking import in Fusion 5. We have fully transitioned to Fusion 5, and this capability was one of the main reasons. From adding cars to the track and tracking in clean plates for "Talladega Nights", to doing train tunnel virtual backdrops for "The Pursuit of Happyness", we keep finding powerful and effective uses for importing 3D tracking data and allowing 2D artists to finesse the elements into the shot from that point on. It provides another fun level of challenge to the 2D artist's duties, and allows the 2D artist to have more control over the produced, tracked element so there is less back and forth with the 3D department, which frees them up for other important tasks. Being able to toy with that third dimension and helping this extra level of magic happen in producing the final shot makes the job more satisfying."
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| What do you see in the future for compositing? |
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[Erik Bruhwiler] "I think the future of compositing involves stronger controls at the disposal of the artist, which allows more complex and challenging shots to be accomplished in shorter times and with greater quality. I doubt that the speed at which DD completes its shots will pick up, necessarily, because we will be expected to do more in the same amount of time. It is somewhat like getting a faster computer with more memory. It may have an immediate impact on speed, but artists push their equipment to its limit, so the new computer quickly gets maxed out. The software will keep offering more convenient capabilities to the artist, but the artist will push (or be pushed!) to do more extraordinary things in the same amount of time because of those capabilities."
"Some of these controls will be what studio executives have been dreaming of: the artist essentially pushes a button and the effect is done! There will of course need to be some manual setup, monitoring, and tweaking, but more capabilities will be going that way, including roto, dustbust, wire removal, tracking, and painting. There would also be an addition of color correction tasks."
"I think one result will be more overlap with the 2D and 3D departments, which can be a good thing. 3D work can be pricey because it is so time consuming, and if some of the more basic or common 3D tasks are taken over by 2D artists in compositing software, then 3D can focus on more involved (and exciting) 3D work."
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All images courtesy of Digital Dimension.
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