If you’re 12 years old, Zathura may be the coolest
movie of the year. Based on a children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg,
the fantasy shows what happens when the rules of a sci-fi adventure
game become real, sending two kids and their house hurtling into outer
space. The crew at Sony Imageworks told us what went into two elaborate
images.
movie of the year. Based on a children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg,
the fantasy shows what happens when the rules of a sci-fi adventure
game become real, sending two kids and their house hurtling into outer
space. The crew at Sony Imageworks told us what went into two elaborate
images.
What happens: The gravitational pull of a black hole
starts ripping the house apart, with the kids inside, as Zorgon space
ships pull alongside and explosively collide.
starts ripping the house apart, with the kids inside, as Zorgon space
ships pull alongside and explosively collide.
Live-action plates: Green-screen plate of the kids,
green-screen plate of the wall being ripped off; pyro plates of the
explosion; thruster plates. CG elements: Zorgon space ships, house
debris, stars, black hole.
green-screen plate of the wall being ripped off; pyro plates of the
explosion; thruster plates. CG elements: Zorgon space ships, house
debris, stars, black hole.
CG Supervisor David Seager explains: The first task
for this shot was to assemble the foreground plate elements – the
integration of the plate with the children with the plate with the wall
getting ripped off. It required a lot of manipulation so the wall felt
like it was being sucked into the black hole. The plate of the children
required a lot of corrections to make it feel as though the thrusters
and explosions are lighting the kids. The ships were animated and
rendered with the pyro plates composited over them to simulate the
explosion when they collide. A live-action thruster plate was tracked
into the shot.
for this shot was to assemble the foreground plate elements – the
integration of the plate with the children with the plate with the wall
getting ripped off. It required a lot of manipulation so the wall felt
like it was being sucked into the black hole. The plate of the children
required a lot of corrections to make it feel as though the thrusters
and explosions are lighting the kids. The ships were animated and
rendered with the pyro plates composited over them to simulate the
explosion when they collide. A live-action thruster plate was tracked
into the shot.
Outer space is a combination of many CG renderings. These included
space dust and gas, stars, black-hole gas, and foreground atmosphere.
CG debris was rendered to support the fact that the house is being
destroyed by the black hole. This includes extra debris when the wall
is ripped off, but also a flow of debris outside the house.
space dust and gas, stars, black-hole gas, and foreground atmosphere.
CG debris was rendered to support the fact that the house is being
destroyed by the black hole. This includes extra debris when the wall
is ripped off, but also a flow of debris outside the house.
What happens: Talk about a porch with a view – the boys step outside the house.
CG Supervisor Bob Winter explains: The background
nebula is a matte painting created in Photoshop and based on NASA
photos. The planet’s surface consists of a base color texture done in
Photoshop. The stormy atmosphere was created by rendering a series of
Maya fluid simulations that were layered over the planet’s surface in a
pre-compositing step. The result was rendered on the planet’s surface
with RenderMan.
nebula is a matte painting created in Photoshop and based on NASA
photos. The planet’s surface consists of a base color texture done in
Photoshop. The stormy atmosphere was created by rendering a series of
Maya fluid simulations that were layered over the planet’s surface in a
pre-compositing step. The result was rendered on the planet’s surface
with RenderMan.
Saturn’s rings consist of three main elements. First, the asteroids
were instanced from 25 hero asteroid models. They totaled 1.8 million.
The second element consisted of fine space dust generated in Houdini
and rendered with SPLAT [Sony Pictures Layered Art Technology]. The
third element, a partially transparent torus, helped give definition
and depth to the ring.
were instanced from 25 hero asteroid models. They totaled 1.8 million.
The second element consisted of fine space dust generated in Houdini
and rendered with SPLAT [Sony Pictures Layered Art Technology]. The
third element, a partially transparent torus, helped give definition
and depth to the ring.
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