Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/9706
CGI•Stereo n n n n little red-blue glasses. We couldn’t see the beard in color, but we could see the problems.” Fifty people at DreamWorks worked on fire and water effects, and another 20 on cloth, hair, and fur. In addition, a lighting crew of approximately 50 artists brought the scenes to life using techniques from live-ac- tion filmmaking. Light My Fire “One of the things we hadn’t done before was to bring in a live-action director of photogra- phy,” says Ring. “Tis time we had Roger Dea- kins as a visual consultant. He came in once every month or two depending on his sched- uling and sat in on color grading, too.” Te eight-time Oscar nominee for best cin- ematography helped the team work interac- tively to develop the look. “In the past, we did paintings to guide lighting and provide inspi- ration,” Ring says. “We did a lot less of that on this show and not at all for many sequences.” By using Maya, they could, just as Deak- ins might do on a live-action set, put a light outside a window or place a soft bounce card in a scene. “I think it really paid off for a style for the film,” Ring says. “We had more con- Animators could control the Vikings’ hair and beards using rigs with built-in dynamic simulations. trast, richer blacks. We threw away detail to concentrate on the characters and pushed the live-action feel.” How to Train Your Dragon has a look and feel that’s as different from any of Dream- Works’ previous films: Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Over the Hedge, Monsters vs. Aliens, Shark Tale, Flushed Away. In part, that’s due to Deakins’ influence. In part to the de- sign decision to set the caricatured shapes in a realistically textured world. But the result is a film unlike any other, and one—we expect the studio hopes—will lead to yet another success- ful franchise. “What I love about this film beyond the vi- sual design,” Otto says, “is that we’re in it for the long haul. From beginning to end, it’s a deeply touching and charming experience. Of course, I’m close to it, but there’s a sequence where there is zero dialog for six minutes and the story is told very clearly at that moment. I think the film really hits home in regard to heart, emo- tion, and charm. It’s very truthful. Tat’s what I like best about the film.” n Barbara Robertson is an award-winning writer and a contributing editor for Computer Graphics World. She can be reached at BarbaraRR@comcast.net. April 2010 19