Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/48986
n n n n VFX•Animation tor for more than 20 years, and both my son and I were really looking forward to seeing Oa come to life on the big screen. We both agreed, as we discussed the film over ice cream after the screening, that the animation and appear- ance of the actual Green Lantern costumes were outstanding (or, to use 12-year-old ver- nacular, 'cool')," he says. "Even with knowing that Sony Imageworks had created CGI uni- forms for the corps, we both agreed that it was so well executed that after the initial, 'Wow, check out the suit,' we never gave it a second thought…and that's a good thing." "Doing a full-body replacement for the lan- tern suite seemed like a pretty ambitious plan. It could have easily gotten kind of strange looking, but it came together and helped set the character apart from superheroes in other movies," says Bourland. Captain America: The First Avenger Release date: July 22 (US) Production companies: Marvel Enterprises, Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Studios In an unexpected role reversal, digital ef- fects were used to depict actor Chris Evans as the weakling Steve Rogers, as opposed to the muscled superhero Captain America. To many, this was an unexpected use of CGI. "Lola VFX really stole the show on this one," notes Matthew Ward, director of photography at Rainmaker Entertainment. "I remember every one in the industry buzzing with the question, How did they make the newly buff Chris Evans so skinny? The head and body seaming was flawless and helped introduce the character as the complete opposite physique as we've all known Captain America to be." This movie really surprised Aharon Bour- land, CG supervisor at Tippett. "I had a good time watching it. One of the more interesting effects was probably the subtlest. The way they made [Chris Evans] all scrawny and small dur- ing the first half of the movie was nice. I'm still not quite sure how they did the Red Skull's face. I couldn't tell if it was makeup or digi- tal augmentation; it was probably both. But it was cool that I couldn't tell right off the bat how they did it." The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Release date: December 21 Production companies: Film Rites, MGM, Scott Rudin Productions, Yellow Bird Films The book series spoke to millions. Can the film do the same? "If David Fincher's record 34 December 2011/January 2012 is any clue as to what we can expect to see in this film, it'll be another marvel at visual ef- fects so well hidden we'll never even know they were there," predicts Rainmaker's Ward. "Come awards season, we'll start to see reels showing how effects were done, and we'll want to go stand in line to watch the film again to see what we think we should have had the eye to pick out in the first place." Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Release date: July 15 Production companies: Heyday Films, Moving Picture Company, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. For a decade, fans have witnessed the digital magic required to take Harry Potter from the pages of a book to the big screen. Over the years, the magic has grown more intense, as have the effects. This summer, the franchise culminated in a range of digital work, from the expected to the unexpected. "I've often thought the Harry Potter films, Green Lantern Release date: June 17 Production companies: Warner Bros. Pictures, De Line Pictures, DC Entertainment Bruce Woloshyn, visual effects supervisor at Method Studios (Jack and Jill, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1) relays that this year, he and his 12-year-old son, David, resolved to go and see more movies together. Of course, they "had" to see Green Lantern. "I have been a semi-serious comic-book collec- above others, are much more enjoyable big, in the theater, than at home. There's something about being in a dark theater with these char- acters, and the effects push the story in every shot," Ward points out. "I'm sad to see the fran- chise wrapping up, as the films have each been worth watching and remain enjoyable." Tippett's Bourland says he was super-excit- ed about this movie. "The Potter films have constantly gotten better and better, and the final one did not disappoint. The dragon in Gringotts vault was really cool. The Dragon Slayer dragon has always held a special place in my heart, and you could see more than a little bit of it in this dragon's design," he says. Moreover, the magic effects were also really pretty, as usual, adds Bourland. "My favorite was when the Death Eaters were destroying the shield that the good wizards built around Hogwarts. I always wanted to work on a Potter movie, so it was a little bitter sweet to realize my last chance had passed." As Steve Garrad, VFX executive producer at Image-Engine notes, in another year when it seems the visual effects industry is deter-