The Art and Science: Behind the Scenes of LEO's Hyena VFX

In our latest interview, Mangesh Awate, CG Supervisor at MPC India takes us behind the scenes of the stunning hyena sequences in LEO, revealing the cutting-edge techniques that brought these characters to life. From utilizing Houdini for lifelike fur dynamics to mastering lighting with HDRI and custom shaders, every detail contributes to the film's realism. Mangesh also shares insights into the artistic decisions that enhanced the cinematic experience, like the impactful addition of blood and snow chunks, and how the team coordinated seamlessly across departments to achieve a cohesive final product.

The hyena sequences in LEO showcase a high level of detail and realism. What specific techniques or tools did MPC use to achieve such lifelike fur dynamics and behaviour?

We used Houdini along with some custom tools we developed to handle the fur dynamics. Our own muscle system added to the realism, allowing the hyenas to move and interact in a very natural way.

How did MPC address the challenge of lighting and rendering the hyenas in a way that they convincingly matched the lighting and environment of the live-action shots?

We started with HDRI to set up the lighting and then used reference balls (grey, chrome, and fur) from the on-set shoot to make it all look realistic. Our custom-built fur shader helped us achieve physically accurate results, and of course, the skills of our lighting artists played a big role in making everything look seamless.

LINK:	https://www.technicolor.com/news/the-art-and-science-behind-the-scenes...
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