Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/820551
64 P E R S P E C T I V E | M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 7 Above: An animated 3D previsualization frame from a LOGAN sequence, screened by Production Designer François Audouy and Previsualization Supervisor Clint Reagan and at the WonderCon event in Anaheim, CA. Opposite page: Previsualization is used in many industries other than entertainment. Here, clockwise from top left: Bifröst was used in Maya to add water dynamics to a mermaid animation, part of a software training exercise. Engineering, manufacturing and construction data was used to create photorealistic contextual renderings of the earthquake-vulnerable east span of San Francisco's Bay Bridge; these 3D visualizations were displayed on the internet, local television and in area movie theaters, informing residents about upcoming construction and road closures. Fine artist Bruce Beasley's works are included in the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim, and his latest experiments involve previsualizing a complex sculpture in 3D drawing software; the finished piece can be 3D printed with an accuracy never before possible. The automobile industry uses every form of previsualzation, such as this 2D concept illustration, since the investment—even in prototypes—is so large. LEGOLAND theme park used a combination of 3D modeling and its own proprietary software to previsualize in detail large-scale creations such as this dinosaur, constructing piece-by-piece virtual versions to assess structural feasibility and to create realistic construction schematics. Based on these definitions, previsualization can cover a wide variety of processes, media and approaches. Many industries and professions outside of motion pictures utilize previsualization in one form or another. Architecture, urban planning, fashion, transportation and product development all use previs extensively. Within our limited field—motion pictures, television and the other immersive entertainment platforms— previs can be broken down into five techniques or types of approaches, depending on whether the rendered images are created in 2D or 3D, and whether the finished product is displayed as single still images or as a stream of motion-like images. The images themselves may be either hand drawn, hand modeled, or drawn or modeled on a computer. The five types of previsualization most commonly used in the motion picture industry today are: 2D storyboards, both hand drawn and computer illustrated 3D storyboards 2D conceptual illustration, both hand drawn and computer illustrated 3D conceptual illustration/model, both computer and hand modeled 3D animated storyboards, both computer and puppets Each general technique of previs fulfills a need within the film industry, and has its own characteristics that make it geared toward a particular result. The approach used is a matter of taste for the end user or client. Let us take a closer look at the five general techniques common in previsualization. Since the turn of the last century, 2D storyboards have been the industry standard for laying out a script visually. They were traditionally hand drawn but there are a number of advantages to creating these boards on a computer, including the speed with which they can be executed and modified. In the end, if necessary, they can be animated with pan-and-scan moves. Though a relative newcomer, 3D storyboards have become a growing alternative to 2D storyboards and 3D animation. 3D boards are usually faster to draw than 2D renderings and are visually more accurate. Lighting and lens distortion can be reproduced artistically in 3D storyboards (though, in fairness, the best of the old-school hand Illustrators were pretty good at this, too).