How Does Marvel Use Previs to Shoot Their Movies Before Cameras Roll?

When you're spending $200 million on a movie, you kind of want to know what you're going to get in the end. That's where previs comes in. Previs, or previsualizations, is the process of visually mapping out distinct scenes in a movie, commercial, or music video before principal photography.

You can use animatics, still photos, storyboards, or animations to show the studio what you have planned. I've even seen stick figures used to walk people through what's coming next. 

The point is, we can visualize the story. 

Marvel loves using these to meticulously plan their universe and major plot points across movies. 

Check out this video from Insider, and let's talk after the jump. 

How Does Marvel Use Previsualizations to Shoot Their Movies Before Cameras Roll? 

It's amazing what goes into a movie with that kind of massive budget. It seems like the possibilities are almost endless with what you can put on the screen if you have the money and time to visualize it beforehand. 

Marvel has created a universe unlike we've ever seen in cinema. Led by producer Kevin Feige, they've delivered almost 30 feature films that are interconnected across space and time. 

One of the secrets to their success is working with The Third Floor to create previs years before even the movies come out. The Third Floor is one of the world's top visualization studios and has worked on 19 of the 23 installments in Marvel's "Infinity Saga."

Yeah, they helped plan how to kill Thanos. 

Their company helped create things like previs, stuntvis, techvis, and postvis, to make sure everyone was on the same page within the studio. It's much cheaper and more efficient to note these videos and throw ideas out, so on the days you shoot you're not spending unnecessary hours getting exactly what you need. 

For that reason, the first previsualizations of a Marvel film can begin well in advance of its release date, often before the screenplay is fully finished. 

One of the things I had never seen before was previs that not only encompassed how cameras would move but also the space they'd need to move the cameras and ways to visualize where the green screen needed to go. 

I think the video says this, but these do not remove the need for a director on set. You still need someone to oversee the cinematography and action. And to be the loudest voice on set, should things go wrong. But these previs situations have opened up what directors can do. By spending more time with actors, thinking outside the box, and seeing the movie before they shoot, they can fine-tune their visions. 

It's not just Marvel that uses these, but Pixar and many other animation companies do as well. They create a very efficient environment that fosters collaboration and cuts down on surprises. 

Obviously, this system has been very successful. Marvel has some of the highest-grossing and well-reviewed superhero movies.

What do you think about all this? Any parts of the video that stood out? 

Let us know in the comments. 

Source: Insider