Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1542259
and hand-to-hand combat to fight villainous goons, oen to hilari- ous effect," explains Menendez. "The action demanded digital dou- bles to perform certain feats, and PFX worked closely with Schaffer and editor Brian Scott Olds to coordinate these VFX shots around fast-paced action, complex timing and precise comedic beats. One second can be the difference between a gag landing and falling com- pletely flat, so the digital doubles needed to help and not hinder the comedy." Knowing that keyframe animation couldn't achieve the desired movements in time, PFX ran two motion capture shoots at a stu- dio. PFX then collaborated with the stunt team to capture full-body data of high-energy actions, such as dives, rolls, and close-quarters combat, resulting in a library of high-fidelity, physics-based actions that could be retargeted onto digital characters. Compositing also presented a unique challenge, due to a significant use of camera re- timing to achieve slow-motion and speed-up effects during the ac- tion. PFX used custom Nuke scripts to manage camera retiming and Topaz to extend frame ranges so that more details could be added to the retime. This ensured the film's 3D animation and rendering were perfectly synced up with the camera moment to moment. Cinematic Legacy Now that work on The Naked Gun is complete, the PFX team is proud to have created VFX that stayed true to the spirit of the orig- inal, while still creating something new and modern that audiences would love. "Working on Naked Gun was an incredible experience for the entire PFX team," says Menendez. "We had a great relationship with Paramount and with VFX supervisor Ash Bettini and her team, which helped us to create a very inspirational and friendly environ- ment that allowed for editing changes and demanding last-minute tasks. Over the course of a year, we had the pleasure of contributing to the long-awaited sequel to a truly iconic comedy, a genre that's both challenging and deeply rewarding for VFX." "In the end, I believe our work captured the spirit of the original movie, balancing absurdity with precision, to deliver something both nostalgic and fresh," agrees Vinnik. "It's not every day you get to work on such a funny, unique project like The Naked Gun, and every hour we spent helping to achieve every laugh and smile in the cinema was worth it." About PFX PFX is a full-service post-production studio operating across the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Austria and Italy. Its team of over 350 talented artists has provided world-class post-produc- tion services to film, TV, animation and commercial projects for over a decade. PFX also assists with tax incentives in its countries of operation, enhancing project viability. No matter the size or budget, PFX art- ists will infuse every collaboration with creativity and innovation to deliver the best possible results. Credits include Napoleon, Stranger Things, Foundation, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and The Last Whale Singer, as well as commercials for Intel, Pepsi and Red Bull F1.