nofilmschool » behindthescenes

From Microscopic to Cosmic: The Fittingly Organic VFX of 'The Fountain' & 'The Tree of Life'

Dave Kendricken — Tue, 07 May 2013 03:49:45 +0000

Other than their deep meditation on mortality — and the associated motif of a sacred source of life — Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain (2006) and Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life (2011) couldn’t be more different. That is, aside from the way in which the films achieve much of their strikingly beautiful cosmic imagery. In an era of filmmaking in which CGI and space-bound science fiction are far from strangers, these two films opt for a more naturalistic alternative — such as macrophotography and high-speed microscopy — to visualize their explorations of life in the universe. What could be more appropriate effects for films so occupied with the organic? Click through for some details on how VFX allowed the microscopic to ‘double’ for the cosmos. (more…)

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Ridley Scott Reflects on Beginnings, Breaking Into the Industry, and Using Too Much Smoke

Dave Kendricken — Sun, 05 May 2013 03:42:50 +0000

We are fortunate enough to live in a day and age in which the words of prolific and eclectic filmmaking talents come readily and often. We’ve already heard from working cinematographers such as Roger Deakins and Blue Valentine DP Andrij Parekh, as well as friends of nofilmschool Ryan E. Walters and Timur Civan. We’ve also heard from directors such as Steven Soderberg and Ridley Scott – and all of this is just to name a few. Now, we have a few more valuable words from Sir Ridley — this time discussing everything from his breakthrough into the industry, his experience in learning how to work with actors, and honing a highly sensitive visual eye. Click through to hear these words and more from “the director who uses too much smoke!” (more…)

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Watch Spike Lee's Behind the Scenes Footage for 'Do the Right Thing'

Micah Van Hove — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:28:53 +0000

Some awesome relics from the past continue to float to the internet’s surface, and this series of videos goes behind the scenes on Spike Lee’s 1989 breakout film Do the Right Thing, which constitutes a day (the hottest day) in the life of a community in Brooklyn. Spike brought a small camera along to document the development of the actors, and provides a candid look into the heart of the independent filmmaking process. Hit the jump to watch all three videos: (more…)

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Blender Foundation Releases 4TB of 'Tears of Steel' Sony F65 4K Footage & Demonstrates Post Workflow

Dave Kendricken — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 21:38:44 +0000

The Blender Foundation is constantly pushing the boundaries of availability, openness, and access to the raw materials it uses to create its ‘proof-of-Blender’ animated shorts. This type of access is usually more associated with open source software than filmmaking, but especially since the Project Mango live-action CGI/VFX-heavy Tears of Steel was realized, that distinction has become increasingly blurred. Now filmmakers, animators, or compositors looking to cut their teeth on professional-grade material have access to the entirety of Tears of Steel‘s footage, in 4k OpenEXR (in the ACES color space), courtesy Xiph.org. In the meantime, the Foundation has also made available a number of resources concerning their post-production pipeline, which allowed them to transcode 4K Sony F65 footage to those Linux-workable OpenEXR frames. Check below for more details. (more…)

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Step Behind the Scenes at Laika, the Stop Motion Animation Company Behind 'ParaNorman'

Mar Belle — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:25:20 +0000

It’s one thing knowing that directors and actors can combine their talents (along with a whole army of folks working away behind the scenes) to have us suspend our disbelief and buy into their presentation of a character experiencing a particular situation. Succumbing to a well-directed scene isn’t that great of a leap from being sucked into a well delivered story told round a camp fire, after all. For those of us who aren’t animators by trade, especially the stop motion variety, there’s something of a black box mystery when it comes to the art of turning inanimate objects into living, breathing characters we can route for. That’s why it’s always a fascinating treat to get a peak inside the inner workings of a top animation studio such as Laika, who are responsible for compelling animated stories such as Henry Selick’s Coriline or more recently, Sam Fell and Chris Butler’s dark adventure, ParaNorman – for which Grow Film created a series of behind the scenes videos. (more…)

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'Before VFX' Blog Gives Us a Glimpse of Blockbuster Movies Without the Visual Effects

Dave Kendricken — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:49:57 +0000

If you’ve ever heard someone play an electric guitar totally unplugged, tasted raw cookie dough, or planted a seed, you know the feeling. There is potential there, but something is clearly missing. This is the exact feeling you get scrolling through the Tumblr blog ‘Before VFX.’ The title just about says it all, along with its brief self-description: “Blockbuster movies without visual effects.” The core or basic element of a shot is there, for certain, but in each case, it’s obvious there’s plenty of additional magic and ingredients that must go into the shot before it can be called complete. Check out a few examples from Before VFX below. (more…)

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How ILM Built a Digital NYC for Marvel's 'Avengers' (Just to Blow It Up with VFX)

Dave Kendricken — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 01:08:29 +0000

ILM has been at the cutting edge of visual effects in cinema since George Lucas founded it back in 1975. Constructing some of Hollywood’s most memorable moments is an impressive feat, so it’s only natural that Joss Whedon and company tapped the FX house for the much-anticipated The Avengers. Marvel’s recent efforts in film (Iron Man, Thor) built quite the lead-up for Avengers to deliver upon, and needless to say, the film brought the spectacle in spades. Check below to see how ILM built a massive digital ‘stunt’ version of New York City, just to rough a whole bunch of it up — plus some more from ILM on other VFX in The Avengers. (more…)

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Savor Lush ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ Visual Screenplay with BTS Stills, Maps, and Shooting Diagrams

Dave Kendricken — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 18:30:05 +0000

In the spirit of consideration for the highest honors a work may receive in our field, we have been keeping you up to date with a number of scripts seeking nomination — one of the earliest of these was Moonrise Kingdom, which has in fact been nominated for Best Original Screenplay. Interestingly enough, and in contrast to the rest of the scripts you may have caught so far, the script for Moonrise Kingdom is now also available in a new, very unique textual-visual version, complete with an interactive navigator. Read on for the details of this ‘Screenplay 2.0′ below. (more…)

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Homebrew Render Farming at Crunch Time with Imminent 'The Underwater Realm,' Plus New Trailer

Dave Kendricken — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 15:00:15 +0000

You may recall when director David M. Reynolds shared a guest post with NoFilmSchool readers, in the midst of what would become a significantly successful Kickstarter campaign — overfunded $40k beyond its $60k goal — for his project The Underwater Realm. Now, a year later, the film is less than two weeks from premiering for free on YouTube. Needless to say, the all-volunteer-multi-talented-hyphenates of Realm Pictures is working tirelessly to get the project finished. On top of this, they’ve shared a seemingly endless amount of insight into their process along the way, via weekly video blogs — including a recent look at their self-implemented render farm-style workflow, the sound design, and a bit earlier, a look at their amazing underwater shooting process. Watch these and a new trailer below. (more…)

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'The Hobbit' Video Blog #10: The Premiere, and Where You Can See the Movie in 48FPS

Joe Marine — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 04:24:22 +0000

So The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has officially opened, and we’ve already got some reactions from around the globe. If you’ve been waiting for the last video blog that was promised at the end of the one we shared here, it has finally appeared today. The video shows the chaos that went into the New Zealand premiere and the finishing of the film up until the last possible moments. Since the film was shot in 3D at 48fps on the RED EPIC, that’s the way the movie was intended to be seen, so if you’re wondering where you can see it that way, a frequently updated list has been put together to let you know where the film is playing in all its high frame rate glory. (more…)

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'The Hobbit' Production Videos Continue with an In-Depth Look at Post-Production

Joe Marine — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 20:24:05 +0000

While there has been a tremendous amount of talk about the way the trilogy of Hobbit films are being shot in 3D on RED at 48fps, the behind the scenes production videos have done an excellent job showing the tremendous work that goes into a production of this scale. The current production video, the ninth in the series, takes a fascinating look at the post-production process. From visual effects, to sound design, to color grading, each specific department has a particular focus and they all work within their roles to complement the entire production. Click through to check out Production Video #9 with Peter Jackson: (more…)

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Corridor Digital's 'Potion Overdose' Wields the Dual Magic of Visual Effects and Humor

Dave Kendricken — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 12:00:09 +0000

Sam and Niko at Corridor Digital love visual effects, magical things, violence, and video games — and as such, their YouTube channel is a heck of a lot of fun. A lot of their work is inspired by gaming, often to hilarious effect — make no mistake though, these guys are true filmmakers (and of the DIY species). They’ve also brought us a lot of great behind-the-scenes material, particularly focused on their homegrown (and very effective) CG effects. To boot, their most recent short made me laugh harder than I can remember doing for at least several weeks — and also involves visual effects (heavily), magical things (even more heavily), and violence (magical, that is). Read on to check it out, plus a great VFX breakdown. (more…)

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Seafood Fights Back in Epic Short 'Monster Roll', Plus VFX and Behind the Scenes Videos

Dave Kendricken — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 01:00:30 +0000

It’s becoming increasingly more practical for indie filmmakers to bring the impossible into the realm of possibility, even in terms of visual effects. This has allowed low-budget productions with small or skeleton crews to make high-concept films with great production value (see Monsters). A recent short called Monster Roll fits into this categorization, but puts a bit of a twist on the formula. It has the effects, it has the style, it has that fantastical element — except it’s about sushi chefs battling gigantic sea-monsters, and the creators made Monster Roll with the hope of demonstrating its potential for a feature. Click through to check out the movie (if it doesn’t put a smile of pure joy on your face, I don’t know what will). (more…)

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Aliens, Spaceships, and Google Earth: a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the VFX of 'Prometheus'

Dave Kendricken — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:02:28 +0000

Even if you haven’t yet caught one of this past year’s most hyped science fiction films, you’re probably still somewhat familiar (thanks to nearly inescapable tv spots) with the stark visual presence found in Ridley Scott’s Prometheus (just released on Blu-ray). Scott’s no stranger to vividly-realized landscapes, and after a brief (ahem, 30 year) hiatus from the realm of sci-fi, he’s once again brought us that flavor of striking imagery — but not without the help of some seriously special effects teams. (more…)

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Fostering a Creative Atmosphere for a Successful Production in 'The Hobbit' Production Diary #8

Joe Marine — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 23:36:07 +0000

Some of you might know a new up-and-coming director by the name of Peter Jackson. He’s a guy with a lot of potential, and he’s directing this new independent film called The Hobbit (I know, not very funny, I tried). Kidding aside, if you’ve been following our site for awhile, you may have already seen the other production diary videos that Jackson and Co. have been making for the new Hobbit two-parter. The crew for these videos is probably as big as some low-budget films — which just makes the entire process even more impressive. (more…)

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Behind-The-Scenes on an 'Epic' Film: 'The Hobbit' Production Video #7

Joe Marine — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:51:03 +0000

While there has been some interesting debate about the future of filmmaking (higher frame rates vs. 3D), Peter Jackson has been busy shooting The Hobbit in 3D on RED Epics at 48fps. They’ve had some wonderful behind-the-scenes production videos that are not only fascinating for their in-depth look at the continuation of The Lord of the Rings series, but also give some insight into the way in which real sets function. It’s not always clear exactly what certain positions actually do when you’re watching the credits of a film, but in this seventh production video, we’re taken on the lot for The Hobbit, and get to see many of these important positions performing their duties. (more…)

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Behind the Scenes on 'Canis Belli,' an EPIC Short Film (Part 3)

Guest Author — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:25:43 +0000

This is a guest post by filmmaker Robin Schmidt a.k.a. El Skid.

It’s been a while since I wrote part 1 and part 2 of this series and much has happened in between. For the indie filmmaker the camera buffet suddenly grew a few extra tables and it’s interesting to see which, if any, of the new cameras we’d have chosen to shoot on back in November in preference to the RED Epic. (more…)

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Never Missing the Shot on Keith Miller’s Slamdance-Bound Feature 'Welcome to Pine Hill'

Ryan Koo — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:11:21 +0000

This is a guest post by director/DP Alex Mallis.

Coming from a primarily documentary background, my style and approach are often dictated by what’s happening in front of me. I like to work handheld and shoot on the fly -– following the action as it happens (or doesn’t). I’ve long assumed this antithetical to the more controlled approach of narrative filmmaking. You tell the actors where to go; they go there. You call action and the action starts. You repeat scenes dozens of times until you get that one golden take. And yet, I felt right at home working as a cinematographer on WELCOME TO PINE HILL. (more…)

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Behind the Scenes on 'Canis Belli,' an EPIC Short Film (Part 2)

Guest Author — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:33:31 +0000

This is a guest post by filmmaker Robin Schmidt a.k.a. El Skid.

The first part of this series brought out some strange, and unexpected reactions, mainly fuelled by the ‘on-set’ footage we put together. We didn’t shoot a behind the scenes doc because this is a short film, and, well, putting together a documentary that’s as long as the film itself seems like a bit of overkill. We will eventually shoot some interviews with the directors, the actors and the composer but these are purely for the festival packs and will be very very short. I spend a lot of time scouring makingof.com for ‘on-set’ footage of films because it gives me the best understanding of what’s actually going on. It’s nice to hear people talk about their choices but I like to see the set at work, observe the bodges and workarounds that crews come up with, and see how the director works. Some of you objected to the ‘on-set’ video. Cool. We look for different things! I’ll try and give you a bit more of what you want in this post…

(more…)

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'The Hobbit' Continues Terrific Behind-the-Scenes Video Blogs with On-Location Shooting

Ryan Koo — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 22:00:14 +0000

Peter Jackson and the crew on the The Hobbit have been sharing periodic video blog updates on the film’s production via their Facebook page, and they recently released the fifth episode. It’s easy to assume with the advent of CGI that anything in the background of a fantasy blockbuster is added in post, but that’s often not the case, as evidenced by the construction of a real “Hobbiton” this time around. This latest episode covers the logistics and physical scope of a 250-day, $500 million movie production (well, two movies really):

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