
--
In The Predator, 20th Century Fox's reboot of the sci-fi horror franchise, the universe's most lethal hunters return to Earth, stronger and deadlier than ever. Having upgraded themselves with DNA from other species, they take on a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and an evolutionary biology professor in a battle that could mean the demise of the human race. Rising Sun Pictures signed on as a visual effects supplier to the film late in its production cycle, assuming the formidable task of delivering a host of complex effects in just 11 weeks. The package ultimately tallied more than 100 shots and included CG environments and sets, the Predator's signature cloaking effect, and dramatic (and occasionally gruesome) enhancements to combat scenes. They also produced visuals for the film's stunning opening shot.
Award-winning Visual Effects Supervisor Tom Wood led the team for RSP, working under the supervision of Director Shane Black, production Visual Effects Supervisor Matt Sloan and Visual Effects Producer Blondel Aidoo. We've increased capacity and added talent in order to take on large effects packages of work like this and deliver quality on demanding schedules, says Wood. Our success on Predator was also aided by the close rapport we developed with Matt, Blondel and, ultimately, Shane Black. We stayed in close communication to ensure they were clear on what we were proposing and how we were executing.
RSP's most challenging task involved the crash site of a Predator spaceship dubbed the Ark. Artists produced a photoreal 3D matte painting of the background mountain environment as well as 3D models of the exterior and interior of the damaged ship. Because the scene involved such a big piece of work, we tackled it first and fast-tracked it through our pipeline for match-move, model build, surfacing, lighting and so forth, recalls Wood. That allowed us to generate fully composited versions with several weeks to go.
The digital mountain and spaceship elements were large in scale and needed to appear convincingly real as actors moved around and through them. The set is seen from many angles, but the position of the ship doesn't change, so that provided the parameters that we used in building our models, notes CG Supervisor Julian Hutchens. The scene was filmed in a quarry in Vancouver with just a small gangway as the practical part of the spaceship. Everything registered to that. The illusion was cemented by the studio's 2D team who rotoscoped characters, added drifting smoke and other atmospherics, and adjusted depth of field.
The short production timeline meant that coordination between various visual effects departments had to be especially tight. Our plan of attack was to build a framework and identify assets that were our greatest dependencies and group shots that involved common assets, explains Visual Effects Producer Arwen Munro. That helped formulate a vision and a game plan, and allowed us to hit the ground running.
The cloaking technology, used by the alien creatures to become invisible, dates to the franchise's 1987 original. In the current film, the effect has been refined into a 3-dimensional field of iridescent, shimmering light with characters alternately solidifying and vanishing from sight in a matter of seconds. RSP tried its hand at the cloaking effect for a scene where it is used by a human character, Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook), who suddenly becomes visible while engaged in a fistfight with another soldier.
As Wood notes, the frenzied action complicated the process of making the actor appear out of nowhere. The cloak' is skintight; it hugs the surface of whatever object or creature it's affecting, he explains. As a result, we had to execute an extremely tight match move as McKenna becomes visible. The work was very delicate, especially regarding the creases in his clothes and the outline of his fingers.
Our brief was to pay homage to previous Predator films while upgrading the look of the effect, adds 2D Lead Jess Burnheim. We started by removing the cloaked character from the original photography and then applied the match move of the removed character along with a slew of CG passes created by our Look Development team. Working in coordination with our CG team and the client, we arrived at a recipe for a very cool effect.
RSP's work also included many subtle effects to enhance action scenes. That ranged from muzzle flashes to tracking blood to the face of a character whose eye is shot out by a tranquilizer dart. In one especially memorable instance, artists created a deadly boomerang-like weapon that slices a character's hand off and pins it to a tree. There was a lot of 2D only work on this show and that worked to our advantage, notes Burnheim. It meant that the 2D department was able to get cracking right away, while the 3D department was busy building CG assets.
The most prominent examples of RSP's work appear in the film's opening scene, which is set in space. The film begins with a pursuit as one Predator spacecraft eludes another by passing through a worm-like portal that sends it to Earth. The portal, says Wood, needed to plausibly conform to the laws of physics and appear visually stunning. The look of the portal is formidable, but interesting, a bit like a spiral nebula, he observes. It's fully 3-dimensional and incorporates highly-developed fluid dynamics. It's a hole that floats in the vacuum of space.
One highlight was working on the opening sequence, says Munro, It was a privilege to have the opportunity to have creative input and build shots from scratch.
Wood concurs and says the project offers a good example of RSP's ability to deliver exceptional results on a quick turnaround. Working on a short schedule, our team produced shots that e
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...
13/03/2025
On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...
13/03/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
Company Leads the Way with New Software-Based Production Platform, 12G Switcher,...
13/03/2025
A new Apple Immersive concert experience, Metallica, is coming to Apple Vision Pro this Friday, March 14. Filmed in Mexico City during the sold-out second-year ...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...
12/03/2025
SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
12/03/2025
TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...
12/03/2025
The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks
By Matthew Corrig...
12/03/2025
Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months
By Jenny ...
12/03/2025
Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation
Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...
12/03/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....
12/03/2025
Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14
Brie Clayton March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade
During Marc...
12/03/2025
Ottawa, Canada - March 12, 2025 - Ross Video is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Tunnell as Business Development Director, Cloud Solutions, reinforc...
12/03/2025
12 Mar 2025
VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025 Dubai, 12 March 2025 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator, today confirms ...
12/03/2025
Getting set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's ongoing software-based pro...
12/03/2025
THE PLAYERS Championship 2025: AI Commentary, Shared-Reality Viewing at COSM, La...