Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1072449
make it." With the full confidence of the studio and every possible resource at their disposal, their next challenge was to figure out the logistics of bringing these underwater worlds to life. As most of the water effects would be added in post, the key question was how to believably shoot key sequences as if both the actors and environments were fully submerged. The answers came in the form of several stunt rigs known as "tuning forks," which gave the actors a more versatile range of motion and allowed them to "float" at varying heights within the sets. Because each rig required a full team to operate and occupied a footprint of about eight feet, it was crucial that the sets be designed with plenty of room to accommodate them. Owing also to the massive scope of the world Wan envisioned, there was a constant conversation between art and visual effects as to just how much of any given set would realistically need to be built. Knowing that the environments would ultimately be digitally recreated and extended allowed Brzeski to design without limits, even if it meant that only fractions of the underwater sets would actually be built. Still they created enormous pieces of proxy scenery in the form of gray body objects, which allowed for proper lighting and blocking. These objects, with the guide of specifically designed reference documents, would ultimately be painted over in post production with organic, shell-based textures. Because of the intricacies of this handoff, having the environments designed in advance of the shoot was of paramount importance. The audience's first introduction to the undersea world comes when Atlantean and Xebellian leaders converge in a set of crumbling ruins, where seven great statues rise in the image of the early sovereigns of the seven kingdoms. Pulling this imagery almost directly from the comics, it was important right from the outset to establish Atlantis as a place of history and tradition, as well as to set the stage for the massive scope of the underwater world. A B C D