Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/121914
VFX FOR TV SERIES When the power goes back on in Revolution, General Monroe powers up CG helicopters, created by Kansas City's Branit FX. "Renaissance Florence, of course not being Renaissance Florence anymore, it's significant matte paintings and digital environments," says Pugh of Pixomondo's work on the series. "We've got not only fly-over shots of the city, which has modern-day buildings, there [are] also shots inside cathedrals and The Vatican that are elaborate… immense set extensions and digital environments," he adds. Pixomondo relies on Autodesk 3DS Max for lighting and hard body work. Most of the studio's character and creature animation is created using Autodesk Maya. "We have all of our tools that enable us to cache those files back and forth between Max and V-Ray," he notes. "Here in Burbank we use a lot of NewTek LightWave as well. It all depends on the needs of the shot and the needs of the show. Every tool has its strength and its weaknesses. We've got a good crew of people who are able to speak multiple languages when it comes to the platforms we use." 3D work is passed off for compositing, primarily in Foundry's Nuke. The studio does have an Adobe After Effects pipeline as well. working with post. The supervisor is working with writers and directors." He also has to communicate with the on-set person, or go on-set himself if it's a local shoot. "[You] are also controlling more of the budgets. You are the one responsible creatively for how it looks." The Bad Robot shows all make use of outside post facilities. "Because I am an independent, I get to pick the artists and companies that are going to best fulfill the needs of each show," he explains. "There's a lot more freedom from my standpoint than having to work with one company." None of the shows he's currently involved with shoot in Los Angeles. CBS's Point of Interest is based in New York. NBC's Revolution shoots in Wilmington, NC. Fox's Fringe is a Vancouver production, and much of the crew is now working on the pilot for the futuristic cop drama by J.H. Wyman titled, Human. The pilot for the new NBC drama Believe is also shooting in New York. Worth is based in LA where the shows receive their final edits, color correction and mixing. "It helps to stay where post is and keep thing moving through," he explains. VFX contributors are located throughout the US. "My main matte painter is up in Washington state, and my 3D guy is in the middle of Missouri," he notes. "I have a lot of local guys also." Choosing a studio to collaborate with goes beyond their ability to create photoreal effects, he notes. "A lot of facilities have very talented people, but I have very specific tastes. Bad Robot has a very special aesthetic that I have found, and being able to customize that and build up that team over the past five or six years has been awesome. I can read a through a pipeline is pretty amazing," he says. "Yeah, some of them are simple, but we've also done some pretty complex shots since July." He's particularly proud of the helicopters that appear in Revolution, a show about what happens when the world loses power. "The helicopters in Episode 110 are all CG, and it's some of the best work I think we've done." Bruce Branit at Kansas City-based Branit FX (www.branitfx.com) created the helicopters. "It's been a blast to work on that and really dial in whole post-power going out world," says Worth of the show. "[Bruce] is unbelievable." He also points to the machine in Person of Interest, which uses pattern recognition to identify suspects about to be involved in crimes. "Everyone thinks Person of Interest doesn't have a lot of shots, but we have between 60 and 100 per episode," says Worth. "Some are burn-ins and muzzle flashes, and squib hits, but every machine shot is specifically dialed in." Worth points to Episode 216, which looks at another side of the machine. "We always deal with how the machine looks at the nonrelevant data, but that episode dealt with the teams that deal with the relevant threats to national security," he explains. "We were able to show a different side of the machine. It was fun to explore, develop and sit with the writers and figure out how we can structure it and make it visually interesting." Cosa VFX (www.cosavfx.com) in Toluca Lake, CA, is the go-to effects house for the show. "They've done the lion's share of the work this year," says Worth. "I would say by the end of the year they will have done half to 60 percent of shots that go through." SCANDAL, COVERT AFFAIRS Toronto's Master Key VFX Canada (www. REVOLUTION, PERSON OF INTEREST Jay Worth is an LA-based visual effect supervisor who's been working closely with J. J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions for the past five years. He worked on Alias, Lost and Cloverfield as a coordinator, and was then asked to be the VFX supervisor on Fringe. "I jumped at the opportunity, and it's been a good run," says Worth. He's continued his role as a visual effect supervisor on Bad Robot's Undercovers, For Scandal, Master Key tells production to capture as much of the environment during the shoot as Alcatraz, Person of Interest and Revolution, and is they can. The studio then add plates. White House scenes are shot at a park near USC. also working on two pilots that will air this spring. "Right now it's a record," he says of his script and see in my mind who I want to take mkvfx.com), and its sister company Master schedule. "It's a lot to juggle." the work to based on talent and artists. As we Key Productions USA in Los Angeles, are His job as a supervisor gives him a lot of all know, it all comes down to the artists." providing visual effects services — and someflexibility. "It's definitely a different role," he Between Fringe, Revolution, Person of Inter- times even production services — for a explains, when comparing it to when he was a est and both pilots, Worth says his team of number of television series. VFX coordinator. "The coordinator is a very collaborators are on pace to produce over According to president/co-owner Elan important role, but it's more about facilitating, 4,000 VFX dating back to last July. "Just the Dassani, who is a partner in the company getting shots delivered, and organization and sheer volume of pushing that many shots with his twin brother, the studio got its big 30 Post • April 2013 Post0413_028-30, 32-33-VFXMLV3ALMOST FINA.indd 30 www.postmagazine.com 3/27/13 4:16 PM