Computer Graphics World

March/April 2014

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C G W M a r ch / A p r i l 2 014 ■ 27 The short film, like the feature, is inspired by the cult-classic video game from Digital Mayhem and Interplay Software. Shot POV style, the short would provide a taste of the feature's story and visual effects, and it would be made on a tight budget, as most short films are, leaving the group to face similar challenges plaguing those doing similar projects. "By becoming part of the process, we can better serve our cus- tomers who are part of the process," says Rabinowitz. That is one reason the crew chose a GoPro Hero3 camera, which carries a $299 price tag and captures high-quality imag- ery. "Also, the GoPro camera was critical in telling the story," says Rabinowitz, throwing the audience right into the middle of the action by capturing a first-person viewpoint. "And Stu wanted the audience to see what the main character misses – clues about the story at the very edge of his personal field of view. The picture quality, along with the GoPro's signature wide-angle look, made that possible." However, the GoPro's wide angle required the footage to be "unwarped" in Adobe After Effects with the optics compensation tool; next, they would create a 3D camera and warp the 3D elements to match the original footage. Additionally, Maschwitz wanted to capture the action in one long, continuous take. "Everyone knows what a movie looks like, so there is no point in trying to do a short that was a low- budget, no-movie-stars attempt at putting together a scene from the film," Maschwitz says. "That never really looks good; it usually reads like what it is: a kind of underfunded attempt to make something that feels like it has the production value of a feature film. Instead, I wanted to approach it in the most fun and interesting way I could, and get some of the quirky, romantically clumsy tone of the main character into a very compact package." To this end, Maschwitz used some dialog from the feature's screenplay and resculpted it into a moment that is not in the film but could be: the main character Nick on his way to the home of his would-be girlfriend (if all goes well) to finally ask her out after gathering up enough courage after 10 years. He ■ STU MASCHWITZ created a short film for Red Giant using off-the-shelf production tools, some of which he devised.

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