Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1058642
e d i t i o n 4 , 2 0 1 8 | c g w 1 7 cave, no longer a dark, lonely space, but rather a multi-level lair with big, inviting rooms and packed with hi-tech gadgets and gizmos. Scattered throughout the alpine moun- tain and valley is snow – a difficult effect anyway, but in this movie, it is every- where, covering every surface, including the furred characters, who are often seen wearing fuzzy sweaters. "The Whos all have fur, and their furry sweaters have a fuzzy texture. There are all these different technical aspects that are difficult, and then you throw snow on top of everything outdoors, and there's a huge leap in technical difficulty," says Cheney. "The 3D surfaces are not typical; with even the hard surfaces, everything is displaced. All the shop fronts and signs… everything you see is not just a typical texture on a plane. Everything has an extra level of complexity, and it's all complexity that has to interact with one another." The studio developed specific tool kits based on Houdini's Grains Solver that en- abled the artists to fine-tune the different aspects of the snow – icy, slushy, crusty – depending on the context. They also developed procedures to automatically generate secondary animation involv- ing the snow. On the rendering side, the snow objects were partially transparent geometries filled with volumetric shaders. Those objects were detailed with several displacement maps (from low frequency to really fine grains) so the surface would catch the light properly when rendered with Mglr, the studio's proprietary path- tracer. Then the compositors layered glints and light effects on top of the rendered snow to give it a slight magical touch. The Heist For the the sequence, the town's real- world layout logic gave way to stylization. "We composed the shots in this sequence to support what [Grinch] was stealing, rather than be beholden to where things were in town," says Cheney. The thievery plays out in a large sequence where prac- tically every shot takes place in a different location – on rooops, in living rooms, within chimneys – becoming more and more stylized as Grinch progresses. "We're getting into his head," he adds. "He's been living for this the entire movie, and it's going off without a hitch. He's euphoric." All the Whos were all dreaming sweet dreams without care. When he came to the ffi irst little house on the square. This is stop number one," the old Grinchy Claus hissed, And he climbed to the roof, empty bags in his ffi ist." In fact, the town was designed to make it difficult for Grinch to pull off his ambitious plan. "We deliberately made Whoville so big that it seemed impossible to steal Christmas there in just one night," Cheney says. Well, nearly impossible. Grinch had to get creative and use his crazy machines and contraptions, including a customized sleigh and a giant Swiss Army Knife candy cane. "We wanted it to be something people haven't seen before, to give them a fresh take on how Grinch stole Christ- mas," Cheney says. "The sequence was difficult to figure out and shoot, but it was a lot of fun." The End Of course, we all know how this story ends: The Grinch is moved by the selflessness and forgiveness of the Whos. "I think now, more than ever, it has a really great message," Mosier points out. Agreed. And, no doubt the film will make all of our hearts grow a little, too. And what happened then? Well...in Whoville they say, That the Grinch's small heart Grew three sizes that day! Karen Moltenbrey is the chief editor of CGW. WHOVILLE DOES CHRISTMAS IN A BIG WAY.