Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1547068
28 cgw j u ly • a u g u s t • s e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 6 w hen cameras rolled on Disney's live-action Moana, the set was a vast soundstage wrapped in bluescreen. The sweeping oceans, Tamatoa's glittering underwater lair, and boundless skies of Moana's world were still months away from existing anywhere but in the imaginations of director Thomas Kail and the crew. That's what made ViewScreen so power- ful on the set of Moana. In Disney's live-action reimagining of the beloved Oscar-nominat- ed animated adventure, Moana (Catherine Laga'aia) answers the Ocean's call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with the infamous demigod Maui (Dwayne John- son) on an unforgettable journey to restore prosperity to her people. The film is directed by Emmy and Tony Award winner Thomas Kail (Hamilton). The ViewScreen suite of real-time production visualization (Pro- Vis) tools put Moana's world directly in camera and in video village. Now the director, DP, VFX supervisor, and crew could all see the world they were building live, while they were still shooting. Creative deci- sions that would typically wait for post could be made on set while there was still time to adjust and reframe shots to get them right. Oceans, Skies, & Lava: Visible in Real Time For a film like Moana, the environment is as much a character as anyone on screen. The ocean, the islands, and the underwater world where Tamatoa lurks shape Moana's journey and are all integral to her story. Without ViewScreen, the crew would have had to imagine all of it. Seeing the digital environments, including oceans and skies, in real time gave the crew the ability to see what was being captured. It also allowed them to see exactly how much of the environment was in the frame and make informed decisions about blocking, lighting, and cinematography on set. The climactic Te Kā battle, an epic sequence set against lush jun- gle, fire, lava, and water, would typically be created in post, long aer production wraps. ViewScreen made it possible to previsualize ev- erything so it could be played back in real time on set. This allowed the 500-foot lava monster, Te Kā, and the environment surrounding her to be visible to the entire crew while they were still shooting. "Moana is exactly the kind of production ViewScreen was built for—complex environments and giant characters interacting with live actors in a world that doesn't exist. Seeing composited scenes come to life on set, in real time, is what ViewScreen makes possible," said Faith Sedlin, president of Fuzzy Door Tech. helping Tamatoa hit his marks One of the film's most visually ambitious sequences—the Tamatoa scene, where Moana is held in the massive crab's claw—is a prime example of ViewScreen's impact on set. Rather than shooting against a bluescreen, the crew could see Ta- matoa and the glittering treasure cave surrounding him, giving them a clear frame of reference for every shot. ViewScreen unlocked the bluescreen and let the entire crew see sweeping oceans, endless skies, and Tamatoa live on set. about viewscreen ViewScreen is an innovative suite of ProVis tools that allows film- makers to simultaneously integrate and animate anything digi- tal—including CGI characters and virtual set extensions— with the real world, live during filming. From pre-production through post, ViewScreen accelerates workflows by delivering in-camera visual- ization, real-time VFX integration, and immediate creative feedback. The technology has been used on major film and television produc- tions. about fuzzy door tech Fuzzy Door Tech is the technology division of Seth MacFarlane's pro- duction company Fuzzy Door. The company's ViewScreen, a patent- ed suite of production visualization (ProVis) tools, lets filmmakers see anything digital combined with live action—in real time—and has been used on major film and television productions. IN FOCUS SWEEPING OCEANS & ENDLESS SKIES FUZZY DOOR TECH'S VIEWSCREEN BRINGS DIGITAL WORLDS & CHARACTERS TO LIFE ON DISNEY'S LIVE-ACTION MOANA