Computer Graphics World

Edition 1 2020

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e d i t i o n i , 2 0 2 0 c g w 1 9 self-proclaimed assistant to locate the rem- edy, all the while dodging an old adversary. Dolittle is a reboot of the Doctor Dolittle films and is based on the books by author Hugh Loing. It is not the first reboot of the 1967 release, but its animal cast has sure come a long way from that initial release containing live animals and some rather lack- luster puppets by today's standards. In 1998, the property was revived with a modern twist, both in terms of story and technique, as the live animals were given the ability to speak via mouth replacements. The 2020 Dolittle, a reimagining of the classic tale, returns the narrative to its Victorian England roots. And this time, an extensive cast of photorealistic CG talking animals act along- side the human actors, making it appear as if they are truly conversing with the doctor. The film was directed by Stephen Gaghan (Syriana, Traffic). Heading up the visu- al effects team was two-time Academy Award-nominated visual effects supervisor Nicolas Aithadi (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Guardians of the Galaxy) and two-time Oscar-winning visual effects super- visor John Dykstra (Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2), as well as Academy Award-winning ani- mation supervisor David Shirk (Ready Player One, Gravity) and visual effects producer Tim Keene (Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, Spectre). DP was Guillermo Navarro, and editing was performed by Craig Alpert (Deadpool 2, Pitch Perfect 2 & 3) and Chris Lebenzon (Alice in Wonderland, Top Gun). Creature Creation Nearly every animal in Dolittle is a photoreal CG creation, accounting for the majority of the 1,484 total VFX shots in the movie. MPC – recently nominated for a VFX Oscar for its work on The Lion King, which, again, featured photorealistic talking animals – was responsible for 1,082 of those shots. The remaining work was shared among Framestore (259 shots), Luma Pictures (22 shots), and Lola VFX (245 shots). Framestore was in charge of Mini, the adorable sugar glider, as well as the world of Monteverde, where the spiteful pirate king Rassouli (Antonio Banderas) lives and where Lily's journal, which holds an important clue, is hidden. In addition, Glassworks created the film's opening animated sequence. MPC, meanwhile, focused mainly on the hero animals (all of which have some ailment or injury), in addition to some complex environ- ments and simulations. According to Aithadi, the biggest technical challenge of the film was trying to bridge the real and the fantastical: making the animals photoreal while bringing them to life in a way that the audience could believe had the ability to talk. In all, there are 38 different animals in Dolittle, and all are computer-generated with the exception of horses. "I think we built every animal under the sun for this film," says Aithadi. "We have a polar bear, a squirrel, a Main Menagerie Polynesia, a wise and headstrong macaw and Dolittle's most trusted advisor. Chee-Chee, an anxious, self-conscious but noble gorilla. Yoshi, an upbeat but chill polar bear who detests the cold. Plimpton, a cynical, fussy, neurotic but well-meaning ostrich who quarrels with Yoshi. Dab-Dab, an enthusiastic but "bird-brain" duck with a wooden leg. Jip, an intelligent, loyal dog who wears glasses. Kevin, an injured, squirrel with attitude and a grudge. Barry, a ferocious tiger with gold-tipped fangs who has a past with Dolittle. Betsy, a friendly giraffe who is on the lam. Tutu, a cunning and courageous fox who is friends with Betsy. James, a wisecracking dragonfly who helps Dolittle escape from a prison cell. Ginko-Who-Soars, a fire-breathing dragon who guards a magical fruit. Mini, a precocious baby sugar glider. The doctor speaks with Jip, a dog with poor vision. Images ©2020 Universal Studios.

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