Modus FX Opens Previs Division
Building the Bridge from Planning to Post
Modus FX has opened a new previs division at its production facility north of Montreal. Since Modus first got involved with previs with its work on the 2011 sci-fi thriller Source Code, the company has been refining its tools and techniques to launch this new service offering. Now using concept artistry, stunt choreography, and other techniques in previs, Modus has accomplished one of its original goals: bridging preproduction to post.What we've added are excellent tools for planning, inspiration and communication, said Yanick Wilisky, VP Production at Modus. This now allows us to offer artistic solutions to filmmakers before shooting begins, saving them valuable time and resources once they're on set.
The process begins differently for each project, often with the writing itself. Previs is great because it connects us with the creative aspect of the writing, explained Wilisky. We start from text and ideas, figuring out how we want to tell the story and in what order.
The previs crew at Modus visualizes how the shots could be done, then communicates that to the production team. They suggest camera angles, as well as the distance of the camera from the actors, making it easier for the director to determine the sequence of shots and how to film them. The timing and number of shots is all worked out in previs, so the director can accurately schedule each day's shooting.
On films, we have preproduction meetings with the heads of all departments at the production office, said Wilisky. We show them the previs set-ups, which help clarify for everyone how to organize the filming. Even the actors are able to block out what they are going to need to do in each shot.
Another innovation is that shots can be designed so that the camera is moving instead of the actors, using previs data to drive motion-control camera rigs. The process saves valuable production time because filming occurs in a studio instead of on location.
We can have an actor sitting on a motorcycle on a static rig with a greenscreen behind him, Wilisky explained. The camera will move, mimicking what we set up in previs, making the motorcycle look like it's going 100 mph. Or, for a shot of the devastating effects of an earthquake, we reversed the normal process, moving a camera around stationary actors. It meant we didn't have to build an expensive on-set rig and shoot for days.
On-set Concept Art Reduces Production Time
Modus is also extending and developing the role of concept art for visual effects work by bringing an illustrator on set for preproduction and production work. Working at tremendous speed, concept artist Nicolas Cloutier delivers sketches and visual ideas to help the director craft scenes, design CG and practical elements and set the ambience for different sequences. Cloutier's images are then passed on to the VFX team for development, ensuring optimum efficiency in the realization of the director's vision.
At Modus we use sketching to help filmmakers clarify their ideas, explained Cloutier. On set the VFX supervisor takes a picture and then I sketch into the image to see what we can do with the shot, for example, to rough in a set extension or to visualize CG characters.
Cloutier's sketches provide a direct connection to postproduction, serving as a reference for the VFX team, as well as a starting point for their work. The illustrations serve other purposes as well, for example for bidding on jobs both to present ideas to the client, and to help Modus cost out new projects.
Nicolas is a very gifted artist, but the thing that most amazes people is how fast he can work, said Wilisky. This is great for directors and producers because it allows us to test ideas for shots during development, while were checking out locations and even camera positions.
Choreographing Stunts in Previs
For an upcoming Hollywood production, Modus gave the previs to the stunt coordinator so he could choreograph all the stunts accordingly, shot by shot with the stunt actors, before production even began. When they got to the set, the stunts were not only choreographed, but everyone knew what angles to use.
Doing this stunt choreography in previs brought our work to another level, Wilisky added. It accelerated shooting time, helped communication between different departments, and saved the filmmakers money.
In addition to the ability to plan the angle and timing of each shot, Modus is finding the previs process works for directors and cinematographers who prefer to shoot on the fly and capture the moment. We're working with some directors who are inspired by the previs, not following it shot by shot, Wilisky said. Rather, they use it to give them an idea of angles before shooting.
What I love about previs is the way it bridges the preproduction world to postproduction, allowing VFX artists to be closer to the reality of the filmmaker, Wilisky said. It has always been our goal at Modus to integrate everything we do with production. With these previs solutions, we just moved a whole lot closer.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
29/05/2026
Genelec announces V2.1 for Aural ID binaural headphone monitoring application posted: 29/05/2026
Aural ID 2.1 enhances binaural monitoring for stereo and ...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
Modus FX Opens Previs Division
