Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/834195
18 cgw m ay . j u n e 2 0 1 7 revis, postvis, and techvis have certainly come into their own in recent years, and for many, they have become essential when planning out scenes and helping filmmak- ers realize their creative visions. Here, we speak with creatives and heads at several top studios who are leading the way with these now essential processes – including Tefft Smith II, previsualization supervisor at Halon Entertainment (Santa Monica, California); Ron Frankel, founder and creative director of Proof (Los Ange- les); Duane Floch, previs supervisor at MPC (headquartered in London); Jess Brown, VFX producer at Stargate Studios (Vancou- ver); and Duncan Burbidge, GM and exec- utive producer at The Third Floor London – about the huge benefits, including time, money, and vision, that can be had. Previs/postvis has really come into its own over the past few years – what do you attribute to its increasing and important role in production? Smith: Previs, stuntvis, techvis, and post- vis allow directors to visually test things out in their film and help producers figure out the optimal way to go about shooting the film in a more cost-effective way. I think the increasing utilization by production reflects the role of previs as a brain trust for not only the director, but also all departments, to test out ideas throughout production. It allows for a higher level of creativity and technical execution. Frankel: The growing role of previs and postvis can be attributed to a few factors. First is the improved artistry of the prac- titioners. Previs has been around for 20 years. In the beginning, there were only a handful of us. We were young, talented, but inexperienced. Over the years, previs has attracted more talent, and those artists have gained more experience. We now have many previs artists who have five or more years of experience working with filmmak- ers. Some, like myself, have over twice that. That experience translates directly into the quality of the work. And if the work is good, then clients will always want more of it. A roundtable discussion on previs, postvis, and techvis BY LINDA ROMANELLO AND MARC LOFTUS P Planning Process Tefft Smith II Duane Floch Ron Frankel Jess Brown Duncan Burbidge MPC: Passengers