Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/851458
dvanced tools and techniques in visual effects, editing, facial capture, motion capture, previs and more were all part of the mix that helped bring some of the season's biggest films to the screen. Post went behind the scenes to speak with the creatives who helped bring War for the Planet of the Apes, Spider-Man: Homecoming and The Mummy to theaters this summer. Apes Running Wild Earlier this month, 20 th Century Fox released War for the Planet of the Apes, the follow up to 2014's Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which was once again directed by Matt Reeves. The film marks the third in the reboot- ed franchise (2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes was directed by Rupert Wyatt), and centers around the now mature Caesar, who continues to serve as the apes' lead- er. While their colony struggles to coexist with humans, they appear to be gaining an upper hand, as the humans face extinction due to a rapidly spreading, deadly virus. Editor William Hoy also returned to work on the new release, continuing his collaboration with Reeves. Hoy's vast credits include Dances With Wolves, both Fantastic Four films, 300, Watchmen, Sucker Punch and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. He is a member of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and American Cinema Editors. "In this particular picture, almost the entire pro- duction called for visual effects," Hoy explains. "It was dedicated to the performance and characters, which was a real plus for me. That's what we wanted most out of it. The character and emotional character of the apes and the humans." Hoy, who has cut a number of Fox features, was acquainted with a number of people surrounding the project, and has developed a trust with the director. "On the first film, you have to learn to trust each other, and on this film it was a real pleasure to work with him," says the editor. "We've become really good friends and that's something that's valuable that I take away from the picture, too." Hoy went on location to Vancouver in October 2015, just before the start of production. "As soon as they started shooting, I began to put the scenes together." This film, he feels, is different than a typical mo- tion-capture production in that director Reeves shot most of the scenes with physical production backgrounds. "Matt wanted to shoot these ape actors in the envi- ronment so he could get the correct light on the human actors and we could take reference and have the natural lighting on these apes. That's why they looked so real. There's a lot of reference. Weta was able to light those apes so it looks like they were a part of the environment." Hoy describes the style of the film as a journey, filled with discovery. "The discovery is basically the first third of the movie — the little girl, Bad Ape, the posse," he notes. "You nev- er know what's about to happen and that's what I feel is so compelling in the beginning." A War for the Planet of the Apes combined CG apes with live-action elements.