Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1300552
VISUAL EFFECTS www.postmagazine.com 13 POST SEPT/OCT 2020 as well as create an exact match to the funicular cars and train tracks used in principal photography. As part of the Angels Flight set- ting, the group also re-created period Hill Street and Third Street, which are prominently featured in the shots. As Drain points out, each structure around Angels Flight in the series was a digital re-creation. "These were very identifiable build- ings that needed to be matched, which meant that buildings from our internal library would not be acceptable [as they were for those farther in the back- ground]," he says. As such, the environments team mod- eled each building based on photo refer- ences, while the train tracks and funicular cars were built using a combination of photogrammetry derived from the pho- tos taken by Digital Domain, reference measurements, Lidar data and traditional modeling. Meanwhile, CG cables beneath the tracks that moved the cars up and down the hill lent subtle movement and period accuracy to the train system. For this digital build, the group used Autodesk's Maya for modeling, lighting and animation, and Chaos Group's V-Ray for rendering. Textures were mainly craft- ed with Adobe's Substance Painter. For the foliage, trees and bushes, they used Speedtree, while SideFX's Houdini was employed for period-correct fireworks during a rooftop chase that occurs on New Year's Eve. As indicated, the artists created the most recognizable structures in this area from scratch. However, outlying areas of five blocks or so were built mostly from Digital Domain's library of buildings, ed- ited to be period correct, along with cars and props. The team then proceeded to fully dress the city streets with period streetlamps, props and digi-doubles in period-appropriate costumes. Those digital people were generated similarly to the buildings and props using char- acters and walk cycles also from Digital Domain's library, while custom costumes were crafted for the characters so they would fit into the scene. "These elements supplied an added production value and enabled us to focus resources on creating an amazingly-ac- curate representation, and a fresh look at a part of LA history that otherwise can only be seen in old photographs and grainy movie clips," says Drain. Since Digital Domain's artists didn't have any blueprints or architectural drawings on which to base distances and scale, they took the models and lined up the wireframes with archival photo- graphs for placement purposes. "The environments team even created foliage and trees that are correct to the period," adds Drain. "For shots looking east in Hill Street and south on Third Street, models from our library were edited to match the buildings of the time, complete with period fixtures and store- front signage." TIME WARP Technically, the biggest challenge for the Digital Domain artists was creating the large amount of real estate with all the necessary details and accuracy required, and then delivering it on time and on budget. "This is where the vast resources of the Digital Domain library were an amazing asset. It was also important that these digital environments could work in both day and night lighting. No areas could be left to fall into shadow, since they would be brightly lit for the daytime versions," Drain notes. Creatively, Drain credits the partner- ship between the studio and Justin Ball, the client-side supervisor, for the suc- cessful results. He points out that some shots needed adjustments made to the Angels Flight environment, not only for visual interest and composition, but also to serve the story. "We had established an environment that orients the viewer, and any changes to that can be visually confusing and break continuity," he explains. "Working with Justin, we were also able to create the mood and lighting for the environ- ments that worked photographically and within the aesthetic of the show. Often when these worlds are created, there is a tendency to overlight, to see every nook and cranny of the build. We were able to use lighting cues from the practical pho- tography to best integrate the VFX for a photographic blend that does not bring attention to itself." The scenes involving Digital Domain were filmed in and around LA. Drain also credits the production team for its "fan- tastic" job of period-dressing the imme- diate areas where actors would interact with the environment. For example, the drug store next to the train entrance is an exact reproduction of the period building, while beyond that is all CGI. "The trolley cars, which are not heavily featured, add a less noticeable but decid- edly 'of the past' character to the shots," Drain says. "Plus, the overall use of light- ing and color lent a look that is not seen in modern exteriors in the 21st century." In fact, Drain points to a very complex sequence of shots that takes place on a busy LA street, to which the artists added trolley cars, tracks, overhead cables and period-dressed digital extras to the existing environment. They further replaced non-period buildings and dressed the location with 1930s Christmas lights and decorations. Digital Domain accurately re-created the iconic Angels Flight, the scene of the crime.