Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1100392
MAKING BUBBLES MEDICI CIRCUS One of the standout sequences is when Dumbo is given a bath, a nod to a favorite scene in the original film. Here, MPC had to create and simulate realistic bath foam, although Director Tim Burton wanted something "over the top" and the foam used as a representation of the character's mood, says MPC VFX Supervisor Patrick Ledda. Thus, signif- icant creative control was needed over the foam and bubbles. The scene was filmed with a black-clad stand-in, as a half dozen actors with brushes and sponges went to work "scrubbing" him. "We wanted a certain performance from Dumbo and ended up doing a lot of hand tracking and CG hand replacement [of the actors] so it looks like they are actually physically interacting with the character," says Ledda. For the bubbles and foam, the artists generated a complex CG simu- lation coupled with 2D elements MPC had shot. Although the work spans only eight or nine shots, it was quite inten- sive, adds Ledda. In the film, Dumbo is born at the struggling Medici Bros. Circus, which is where the story begins. An extensive practical set was used for filming the locale, which was built in multiple sections in order to fit on the sound- stage. Even so, it still wasn't big enough to accommodate the action. So, the MPC digital environments team stepped in, meticulously rep- licating the practical set. They also digitally constructed numerous set extensions, as well as added surreal skies. Most of the shots in the opening few scenes feature a combination of live-action and CG circus. Beyond the circus, MPC created CG fields and meadows, and were also responsible for the scene in which the big top collapses after an elephant fight. Artists needed creative control over the foam. MPC created digital extensions of the practical set.