Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1517009
Then obviously you have big chase sequences like Miles on the train in 2099. A huge amount of planning. You're going from the un- derbelly of the world, up this vertical highway to a space station. You have so much to deal with, and you have to get the look of picture in animation and the effects. So there's just an endless amount of things. The Vulture—most complicated character we've ever made. And Punk, and how they're going to integrate into the lighting…I could go on and on about challenges and exciting things for honestly days. CGW: You've been working in the industry for over 20 years now, in both live action and animation. What have you seen change since you first got your start? Michael Lasker: I think what really excites me are these stylized an- imated films. For the longest time, I worked in live-action photoreal effects, worked in animated films where we would have different character designs and different color and lighting, but you typical- ly followed the same principles. You do eyes the same way. You do hair the same way—skin, clothing, simulations. What I loved about Into the Spider-Verse, Mitchells vs. the Machines, and Across the Spi- der-Verse is it got us to just rethink and rebuild how we did every- thing, and it unleashed this artistry in everyone's brain. No challenge is too big, and to attack things and figure out how to do things that you never thought you could. I think that's really been the number one thing. It really invigorated me…it's like you get to that point where you just need to get yourself fired up again. Once you went down that path in the first movie, it was like starting over. We were starting over. CGW: Where do you think things are headed, especially with AI and all of these new technologies coming into the pipeline? Michael Lasker: I'm excited about Unreal in real time technology— game engines working their way into the pipeline. I think on the front end, especially going from previz into layout and allowing directors to kind of act like live-action directors and shoot, use a camera, walk around, direct the blocking and set dressing, and scouting, that I think is going to make a huge difference in the pipeline. I think as far as technology, I'm really excited about that because it'll make it more like filmmaking should be. It'll make things easier and allow directors to really be directors...They can give notes on the fly and be creative, like you're out actually shooting a live-action film. CGW: Do you have any advice that you wish you'd received when you first started your career? Michael Lasker: I had a really hard time finding my first job. I think I sent out 75 demo reels and they were all rejected. I got into the in- dustry where I think it was the first influx of people. But you just have to be persistent, and you have to follow what you love. Because if you follow what you love, you're not going to let anybody stop you. And that's kind of what I did. I always knew what I wanted to do, and I just had this tunnel vision to my end goal. You've got to let stuff wash over you. Don't take it personally. Just go all out to set goals. If it's your dream or whatever it is, don't let anyone stop you. The film's VFX teams communicated via Google Hangouts.