April 1st, 2011
Visual effects supervisor Louis Morin's latest project, SourceCode, comes to the big screen across North America today. Modus FX, who collaborated recentlywith Morin on Barney's Version, was one of six facilities that contributed stunning, seamless CGfor the new thriller by emerging British director Duncan Jones. The film is just the latest in the newgeneration of films blending brilliant, yet imperceptible, visual effects with live action.
Some people still think of visual effects as something artificial, said Louis Morin, but digital toolsare no different from any of the other illusions that we use to tell great stories. I think it is becausesome of the early CG work was not as sophisticated, that visual effects got a bad reputation, butthat time has passed. Visual effects have become a powerful tool for the filmmaker at the sametime as they have become mostly invisible for the audience.VFX supervision is actually Morin's second turn in the international limelight. In his teens he wasa competitive freestyle skier. When I was 14, I saw the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, herecalled. I decided then that my first goal was to become a world champion skier, and after that I wanted to become a filmmaker.
He came very close to realizing his skiing dream, reaching the World Cup, but ultimately kneesurgery forced him to retire from competition. Meanwhile, in 1981, the young Morin had startedfilm school, and soon after that moved to Europe where he spent several years making ski films.I learned as a director and camera man about shooting, lighting, lenses and so much more, saidMorin. That experience was so important for the work I do now. Filming forces you to thinkconstantly about how to grab reality with a camera, how reality is perceived by the audience, andhow to capture it and make it look great on the screen.
Back in Montreal, Morin moved on to producing commercials and became involved in visualeffects. Commercials are a great place to learn the craft, he related. You have good budgetsand the best tools. His breakthrough came in 2004, as VFX supervisor on Eternal Sunshine ofthe Spotless Mind, which was nominated for a VES award. Since then, Morin has worked on arange of high-profile projects, including Brokeback Mountain, The Aviator, Mr. Nobody, TheAmerican, Barney's Version and Source Code.
Bringing Source Code to Life
The new film, Source Code, is a sci-fi thriller. While the storyline involves obvious fantasy, thevisuals for the film are almost entirely based on live-action reality. Visual effects shots for the filminvolved CG trains, snarled traffic, complex set extensions and incredible explosion scenes.To create photo-real effects, I try to make as many live elements as possible available to the artists, explained Morin. For example, on Source Code we went to a quarry and set off all kindsof explosions, shot at different speeds and angles, to use as plate elements. Later, we bring thelive elements into compositing, and only then do we go to CG for enhancements, or to fill in anygaps.
In total, Source Code has over 850 visual effects shots, the majority of which are set inside acommuter train. These included hundreds of greenscreen windows showing passing landscapesor train station backdrops. Here the use of CG in post allowed the director and the actors to workwithout outside distractions during production. I wanted to give the director total freedom insidethe train, so that he could focus on storytelling, said Morin. Set extensions on the train station in Source Code provide another example of the critical linkbetween digital and traditional filmmaking tools. Production designer Barry Chusid based the setdesign on an actual train station in Chicago. The postproduction component called for extendingthe train station building and the surrounding parking lot. At some point in post we decided tochange the parking lot, recalled Morin. As a result, in the final sequences the whole side of thetrain station is digital. That meant more than 65 new shots, but it was a small price to pay. This ishow CG gives the director more room to maneuver, not only in planning the shots, but also in thefinal stages of fine-tuning the story.
Director Duncan Jones, whose first feature, Moon, won him kudos from audiences and criticsalike, worked closely with the team, designing transition shots and carefully storyboarding thefilm's climactic scene. Duncan's background is also in commercials, so he has an excellentunderstanding of the tools, explained Morin. He has a very respectful and collaborative way ofleading that was critical on a complex project like this.
Editorial was done in tandem with the visual effects. As they were cutting the film in L.A., I had aVFX editor with me with a mirror image of the cut, explained Morin. As the editors worked, wegot the new EDLs, so if they changed the cut, we knew right away where we'd have to changethe effects. This way we were always ahead of the curve.
Six facilities, including Modus FX, participated in the project. Rodeo FX crafted most of thegreenscreen windows for the train interiors. MPC Vancouver handled the big explosions andcrash sequences. Fly Studio provided key transitions, Mr. X did additional window backgrounds,and Oblique FX created bomb interiors, a virtual stuntman, and slow-motion explosion sequence.
Modus FX on Source Code
Modus started early on in the project doing pre-visualization, including the film's climacticexplosion scene. Once those sequences were roughed out, the shots were handed over to MPCVancouver for completion. Modus also created the CG commuter and cargo train models for theteam at MPC, as well as producing shots depicting enormous traffic jams.
There is widespread panic at one point in the
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
30/04/2024
By Adam Piron
In anticipation of this edition of the Indigenous Program's Native Lab, it actually dawned on me that this will be our lab's tenth year i...
30/04/2024
Launch of SBS South Asian channel and SBS Spice, a new English language offering...
30/04/2024
LOS ANGELES (April 30, 2024) Light Iron, the post-production creative-services division of Panavision, is excited to announce that lodie Ichter has joined th...
30/04/2024
Now streaming on Netflix, Good Grief marks the feature-film directorial debut of Daniel Levy, well known as the co-creator and costar of the series Schitt's...
30/04/2024
The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy's sweeping portrait of a wealthy British family in 1880s London, is getting its third TV adaptation in less than 60 years....
30/04/2024
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
30/04/2024
CAMPBELL, Calif. Streaming media company Plex and T-Mobile will work together to expand T-Mobile's connected TV (CTV) inventory and advance the connection b...
30/04/2024
SAN JOSE, Calif. & BELLEVUE, Wash. Roku, Inc. has announced an expanded measurement partnership with iSpot.tv, the cross-platform TV measurement company....
30/04/2024
NEW YORK As Paramount Global wrestled with management turmoil and ongoing negotiations for a proposed merger with Skydance, the company managed to report improv...
30/04/2024
Cobalt Digital Receives Trifecta of Awards at NAB 2024
Company adds two 2024 NAB Show Product of the Year awards and one Best of Show from TV Tech to long list...
30/04/2024
arkona technologies GmbH, provider of IP core infrastructure solutions for top-tier broadcast productions, has announced that its BLADE//runner IP Audio Engine ...
30/04/2024
OpenDrives, Inc., the global provider of software-defined media workflow solutions and data management capabilities, announced today that it has joined the glob...
30/04/2024
The first norm conform sustainability service dedicated to the needs of the events industry
Easy-to-use, intuitive platform for venues, event organisers and su...
30/04/2024
Dejero GateWay enables Stream7 to create independent internet connectivity at any venue or location, including UK teaching hospital for live streaming of surgic...
30/04/2024
Excitement is building as farmerswife, a leading software provider for resource scheduling, project management, and team collaboration in the media industry, ha...
30/04/2024
XL8, a leading deep-tech startup specializing in AI-powered machine translation technology, proudly announces the successful completion of a System and Organiza...
30/04/2024
Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics of Europe, has announced that it will exhibit at CABSAT, which takes place this year from 21-23 May 2024 at the...
30/04/2024
MRMC Debuts Cinebot Max Camera Robot at NAB 2024
Brie Clayton April 30, 2024
0 Comments
Expands its range of live-action, motion-control camera robots...
30/04/2024
Next Jazz Legacy Announces 2024 Cohort of Women and Nonbinary Awardees The program was created by New Music USA and the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender J...
30/04/2024
European telecom satellite company SES announced today that it is acquiring rival Intelsat for $3.1 billion. The deal, unanimously approved by both companies...
30/04/2024
Bob Bakish, chief executive of Paramount stepped down on Monday, effective immediately. Bakish, who was a staunch ally of Shari Redstone, controlling shareholde...
30/04/2024
Hotspring said the breakthrough had been achieved through the acceleration of machine learning technology
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: April 30, 2024
Ho...
30/04/2024
Speaking about the deal, Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES, said: it will bring value-added, efficient, and reliable offerings for both companies media customers
By Je...
30/04/2024
Paramount said the Office of the CEO is working with its board to develop a comp...
30/04/2024
LOUISVILLE, Ky. In another sign that broadcasters are finally using NextGen TV broadcasts to offer viewers new features instead of simply simulcasting existing ...
30/04/2024
OKLAHOMA CITY The Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame will induct Blaise Labbe, a group news director for Sinclair Broadcast Group, May 2 at the 54th Anniversary I...
30/04/2024
ATLANTA and ENGLEWOOD, Colo. Cox Media Group and Dish have ended a dispute over retransmission fees that lasted nearly a year and a half with a new multi-year ...
30/04/2024
Video transport solution provider LTN has announced that it is working with TelevisaUnivision to help the Spanish-language media giant migrate to IP-based video...
30/04/2024
ALAMEDA, Calif. Clear-Com has released details about how it played a pivotal role in the seamless coverage of the recent solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 by NBC K...
30/04/2024
CINCINNATI The E.W. Scripps Company is adding Seth Walters to its sales leadership team as head of CTV sales, effective April 29....
30/04/2024
The force was strong at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Saturday night, April 27, 2024, as the night netted the ballpark's first official sellout crowd of...
30/04/2024
Revry, a network celebrating queer culture. said its second annual NewFront presentation will be a cabaret-type spectacle showcasing the spirit of the LGBTQ+ co...
30/04/2024
Family Entertainment Television (FETV) said that the Western series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp will be joining the network's afternoon lineup startin...
30/04/2024
Bob Bakish, president and CEO of Paramount Global, will depart the company as Paramount explores a merger, according to numerous published reports. The reports ...
30/04/2024
April 30th, 2024 Press Materials Available Here
TRIBECA FESTIVAL 2024 ANNOUNCES TALKS, REUNIONS, & RETROSPECTIVES
Live Conversations with Judd Apatow, Andy C...
30/04/2024
6 minute read
Share
alt=Alternative descriptive text class=lazyload main main-lazyloaded responsive-image data-v-1a5ebb10>
Telenor showed good momentum...
30/04/2024
SES Acquiring Intelsat to Create New Satellite Giant; Will Offer Improved Reach ...
30/04/2024
Wuppertal April 30, 2024
WDR Filmhaus to Implement Riedel Infrastructure Award-Winning MediorNet HorizoN Hybrid Processing Platform Serves as Bridge to IP
Ri...
30/04/2024
Back to All News
Tilda Swinton Joins Colin Farrell in Edward Bergers The Ballad...
30/04/2024
Back to All News
Netflix Reveals First Look Images and Teaser from Senna, Inspi...
30/04/2024
Back to All News
Top 10 Week of Apr. 22: Baby Reindeer' and Rebel Moon - ...
30/04/2024
Dr. Nicola Hodson, Chief Executive, IBM UK & Ireland introduces the UK findings of an IBM study on female leadership in the age of AI
Advances in Artificial In...
30/04/2024
Channel Expansion, and New Codecs, Compression and Transport Technology Among Latest Updates...
30/04/2024
Accel-KKR Credit Partners today announced that it has provided debt financing to support Dalet in its next chapter of innovation and growth. Accel-KKR Credit Pa...
30/04/2024
Skeem Saam: Monday's episode, 29 April 2024 [video]Missed an episode of Skeem Saam? No problem! Watch the latest episode of your favourite South African soa...
30/04/2024
Tonight on Skeem Saam: Lewatle witnesses an explosive fight between Sthoko and B...
30/04/2024
RT News is pleased to announce the appointment of David Murphy as its new Economics & Public Affairs Correspondent. David is currently RT 's Political Cove...
April 1st, 2011
