nofilmschool » makingof

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…)

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…)

'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…)

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…)

Deep Green Sea's 'The Art of Making' Puts a New Spin on 'How It's Made' Videos

Joe Marine — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:19:19 +0000

Videos that give insight into how something is made or constructed are absolutely fascinating to me, and I’ve spent countless hours pouring through many that would probably put the average person to sleep. That’s why when I came across Deep Green Sea’s The Art of Making – which details professionals who work with their hands — I couldn’t help but be impressed by the skill involved. Click through to check out the three videos they’ve made so far in the series. (more…)

Choosing Super 16mm over Digital and the Cinematography of 'Beasts of the Southern Wild'

Joe Marine — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 00:54:19 +0000

It seems like there have been tons of posts about this movie, but The Creators Project has been slowly releasing their exclusive Behind the Scenes videos over the course of the last few months. We’ve taken a look at the score and other aspects, but now we’ve got a video with Director of Photography Ben Richardson talking about the aesthetic of the film and their choice to shoot on celluloid as opposed to digital. (more…)

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…)

The Score of 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' with Dan Romer and Director Benh Zeitlin

Dave Kendricken — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 01:37:19 +0000

It’s a fairly uncommon thing for a director to score his own films — examples come to mind, to be sure, but it’s always interesting to see what comes out of such an arrangement. The director, of course, has a deep understanding of a film’s emotional texture. This makes the prospects of what a director-composer may bring to a film truly unique. Beasts of the Southern Wild is one such case, in which co-composer Dan Romer and director Benh Zeitlin worked together to create a simple but emotively articulate score. (more…)

Advertising Agency Mother Doubles Their Creativity with a Behind the Scenes Video Rivaling Their IKEA Ad

Mar Belle — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 16:02:51 +0000

When I think of furniture advertising my brain automatically sorts the possible approaches into either expensively elegant mood pieces or forgettable functional and affordable spots. Ever since their well regarded 2002 Spike Jonze directed ad Lamp, IKEA have attempted to take a more interesting approach to convincing you they should furnish your home. Advertising agency Mother London and director Dougal Wilson, kick off the new IKEA ‘Entertaining’ campaign by placing viewers at centre of a young girl’s choreographed dinner party experience in Playing with my Friends: (more…)

'Looper' Writer/Director Rian Johnson: Budget Doesn't Affect the Fundamentals of Making Movies

Joe Marine — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 22:54:47 +0000

Rian Johnson is one of the more fascinating filmmakers to listen to not only because he is a film geek and loves movies, but because he took a very traditional and then non-traditional path to success. After attending film school at the University of Southern California, he spent most of his 20s floating around Hollywood until he finally made his first feature, Brick. His third feature, Looper, is now in theaters, but last year he sat down with MakingOf to talk about screenwriting and directing, and some of the ways he approaches his work. Below is another interview with Johnson and his long-time friend and leading man Joseph Gordon-Levitt. (more…)

'Beasts of the Southern Wild' Making of Demonstrates the Benefits of Collective Filmmaking

Mar Belle — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 19:39:55 +0000

If like me you’re drawn to films which experiment with narrative form, presenting strong characters making their way in worlds that are slightly off kilter from our own, then I’m betting you also have Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild pretty high on your must watch list. Following the film’s Sundance premiere (where it won the Narrative Grand Jury Prize and Best Cinematography) and Camera d’Or Cannes screening, the project has drawn accolades for both its story and six-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis’ central performance. Here’s a taste of the Beasts’ world in the trailer: (more…)

Mickaël Forrett's Matte Painting Breakdown 'HORIZON' is Truly Out of this World

Mar Belle — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:26:17 +0000

Wherever there are vast alien landscapes to be explored, intimidating medieval castles to be stormed or physics defying dreamscapes to be traversed you’ll find the matte painters, those unsung heroes of imagination hard at work bringing form to thought. If you’ve never had the need to work side by side with a matte painter it’s likely that the complexity of the role may be lost on you, however after watching Mickaël MEO Forrett’s impressive video breakdown for his imagined world HORIZON that should all change: (more…)

Darren Aronofsky Talks About Film School, His Early Years, and Gives Advice to Aspiring Filmmakers

Ryan Koo — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:30:27 +0000

Darren Aronofsky, who needs no introduction, sits down below for an interview about his early years attending graduate film school at AFI, his experiences famously shooting Pi for $20k, and gives some worthy advice for up-and-coming filmmakers. (more…)