Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1081428
big story demands big visual effects. So when Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan brought the origin story of DC Comics' Aquaman to life, it was a given that Arthur Curry's journey of discovery around the world and under the seven seas would be packed with breathtaking VFX. As half-surface dweller and half-Atlantean, Arthur (played by Jason Momoa) accepts his destiny to be king of Atlantis as he faces myriad existential challenges. With his staunch and beautiful ally Mera (Amber Heard), princess of Xebel, Arthur battles his younger half-brother and current king of Atlantis, Orm (Patrick Wilson), and legions of other villains and deadly sea creatures as he fights to unite Atlantis and the surface world. "Aquaman was by far the biggest undertaking of my career," says visual effects supervisor Kelvin McIlwain. "Creatively and quantitatively, it was a massive project. Aquaman features a lot of world building and creatures. It touches on all aspects of visual effects; it brings everything to the table. It was an exciting proposition in its sheer scope and scale." McIlwain worked closely with VFX producer Kim LoCascio, whom he calls "a wonderful partner in this effort. She was instrumental in helping me get workflows set up, teams built and processes implemented so we could get through tasks on a daily basis. She really allowed me to focus on the creative and technical aspects while she took care of the rest." LoCascio says Aquaman was "one of the most amazing experiences of my career, incredibly collaborative and open." With just under 2,300 VFX shots in the film, she marshaled a wide array of VFX vendors worldwide. ILM, MPC, Scanline and Method were the lead studios; Digital Domain, Luma and Exceptional Minds Studio also contributed signifi- cant amounts of VFX, with Weta Digital performing character de-aging and sequence design for certain story points. Prime Focus did the 3D conversion as well as more than 100 VFX shots. One of the main challenges was creating an underwater world that equaled Wan's vision of the subterranean kingdoms, LoCascio says. "The cities, plant life, marine life, the visual cues that remind you subliminally that you're underwater — all of that had to be uniquely combined in ev- ery shot. Quite a bit of exquisite artwork inspired the 3D environments, and James's vision was very clear. The VFX studios kept true to his vision while embellishing it beyond expectations."