Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Louis Morin, Source Code, and Modus FX Building a riller with Invisible VFX

06/03/2013

April 1st, 2011

Visual effects supervisor Louis Morin's latest project, SourceCode, comes to the big screen across North America today. Modus FX, who collaborated recentlywith Morin on Barney's Version, was one of six facilities that contributed stunning, seamless CGfor the new thriller by emerging British director Duncan Jones. The film is just the latest in the newgeneration of films blending brilliant, yet imperceptible, visual effects with live action.

Some people still think of visual effects as something artificial, said Louis Morin, but digital toolsare no different from any of the other illusions that we use to tell great stories. I think it is becausesome of the early CG work was not as sophisticated, that visual effects got a bad reputation, butthat time has passed. Visual effects have become a powerful tool for the filmmaker at the sametime as they have become mostly invisible for the audience.VFX supervision is actually Morin's second turn in the international limelight. In his teens he wasa competitive freestyle skier. When I was 14, I saw the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, herecalled. I decided then that my first goal was to become a world champion skier, and after that I wanted to become a filmmaker.

He came very close to realizing his skiing dream, reaching the World Cup, but ultimately kneesurgery forced him to retire from competition. Meanwhile, in 1981, the young Morin had startedfilm school, and soon after that moved to Europe where he spent several years making ski films.I learned as a director and camera man about shooting, lighting, lenses and so much more, saidMorin. That experience was so important for the work I do now. Filming forces you to thinkconstantly about how to grab reality with a camera, how reality is perceived by the audience, andhow to capture it and make it look great on the screen.

Back in Montreal, Morin moved on to producing commercials and became involved in visualeffects. Commercials are a great place to learn the craft, he related. You have good budgetsand the best tools. His breakthrough came in 2004, as VFX supervisor on Eternal Sunshine ofthe Spotless Mind, which was nominated for a VES award. Since then, Morin has worked on arange of high-profile projects, including Brokeback Mountain, The Aviator, Mr. Nobody, TheAmerican, Barney's Version and Source Code.

Bringing Source Code to Life

The new film, Source Code, is a sci-fi thriller. While the storyline involves obvious fantasy, thevisuals for the film are almost entirely based on live-action reality. Visual effects shots for the filminvolved CG trains, snarled traffic, complex set extensions and incredible explosion scenes.To create photo-real effects, I try to make as many live elements as possible available to the artists, explained Morin. For example, on Source Code we went to a quarry and set off all kindsof explosions, shot at different speeds and angles, to use as plate elements. Later, we bring thelive elements into compositing, and only then do we go to CG for enhancements, or to fill in anygaps.

In total, Source Code has over 850 visual effects shots, the majority of which are set inside acommuter train. These included hundreds of greenscreen windows showing passing landscapesor train station backdrops. Here the use of CG in post allowed the director and the actors to workwithout outside distractions during production. I wanted to give the director total freedom insidethe train, so that he could focus on storytelling, said Morin. Set extensions on the train station in Source Code provide another example of the critical linkbetween digital and traditional filmmaking tools. Production designer Barry Chusid based the setdesign on an actual train station in Chicago. The postproduction component called for extendingthe train station building and the surrounding parking lot. At some point in post we decided tochange the parking lot, recalled Morin. As a result, in the final sequences the whole side of thetrain station is digital. That meant more than 65 new shots, but it was a small price to pay. This ishow CG gives the director more room to maneuver, not only in planning the shots, but also in thefinal stages of fine-tuning the story.

Director Duncan Jones, whose first feature, Moon, won him kudos from audiences and criticsalike, worked closely with the team, designing transition shots and carefully storyboarding thefilm's climactic scene. Duncan's background is also in commercials, so he has an excellentunderstanding of the tools, explained Morin. He has a very respectful and collaborative way ofleading that was critical on a complex project like this.

Editorial was done in tandem with the visual effects. As they were cutting the film in L.A., I had aVFX editor with me with a mirror image of the cut, explained Morin. As the editors worked, wegot the new EDLs, so if they changed the cut, we knew right away where we'd have to changethe effects. This way we were always ahead of the curve.

Six facilities, including Modus FX, participated in the project. Rodeo FX crafted most of thegreenscreen windows for the train interiors. MPC Vancouver handled the big explosions andcrash sequences. Fly Studio provided key transitions, Mr. X did additional window backgrounds,and Oblique FX created bomb interiors, a virtual stuntman, and slow-motion explosion sequence.

Modus FX on Source Code

Modus started early on in the project doing pre-visualization, including the film's climacticexplosion scene. Once those sequences were roughed out, the shots were handed over to MPCVancouver for completion. Modus also created the CG commuter and cargo train models for theteam at MPC, as well as producing shots depicting enormous traffic jams.

There is widespread panic at one point in the
LINK: http://modusfx.com/news-press/louis-morin-source-code-and-modus-fx-bui...
See more stories from modus

Most recent headlines

05/02/2025

Sanctuary Pictures Unveils Punk-Horror Feature Penny Lane Is Dead

04 02 2025 - Media release Sanctuary Pictures Unveils Punk-Horror Feature Penny Lane Is Dead Writer/Director of Penny Lane Is Dead, Mia'Kate Russell Sanc...

05/02/2025

Faculty Notes: Fall 2024

Faculty Notes: Fall 2024 Recent accomplishments, releases, and events by Berklee faculty. February 4, 2025 Professor Tomo Fujita played the John Coltrane In...

04/02/2025

Spotify Reports Fourth Quarter 2024 Earnings

Today, we announced our fourth quarter 2024 earnings, closing Q4 stronger than ever by outperforming across key metrics and celebrating our first full year of p...

04/02/2025

Spotify rapporterar intkter fr fjrde kvartalet 2024

Idag rapporterar vi int kter f r fj rde kvartalet 2024. Vi avslutade Q4 starkare n n gonsin genom att vertr ffa f rv ntningarna p v ra nyckeltal och kan d rm...

04/02/2025

SGL Carbon opts for green electricity at its German sites

As a technology-based company and one of the worlds leading companies in the development and production of carbon-based solutions, SGL Carbon opts for innovativ...

04/02/2025

ST Engineering iDirect Names Sridhar Kuppanna as Chief Technology Officer

Ground segment technology innovator appoints new CTO to execute bold technological vision Herndon, Va., February 4, 2025 ST Engineering iDirect, global leade...

04/02/2025

L3Harris Signs Multi-Year Pilot Training Agreement With Thai Airways

L3Harris has signed a two-year agreement with Thai Airways International to provide training service on its A320 Full Flight Simulator (FFS). This significant a...

04/02/2025

US Air Force Completes First Flight of L3Harris Viper Shield Electronic Warfare System

L3Harris' all-digital electronic warfare suite, Viper Shield , completed its...

04/02/2025

Radio Botswana chooses Calrec's IP-native Type R mixing system

The shift from analogue to IP was driven by a desire for greater flexibility in our operations. IP simplifies connectivity, reduces the physical footprint of th...

04/02/2025

Simplifying Gray Media News Operations with Calrec's Type R

Streamline, standardise and save: how Gray Media has simplified news operations At TVNewsCheck's News Tech Forum 2024, Gray Media's Peter Gogas and Calr...

04/02/2025

Bending Spoons closes $233 million acquisition of Brightcove

Boston, MA-February 4, 2025 | Bending Spoons, the Italy-based technology company, completed its previously announced acquisition of US-based streaming technolog...

04/02/2025

Grup Mediapro to Collaborate with Google Cloud on Gen AI

BARCELONA Grup Mediapro and Google Cloud have expanded their collaboration to create an innovation lab focused on generative AI to develop solutions for the med...

04/02/2025

EditShare Receives SOCE 2 Type II Certification

WATERTOWN, Mass. EditShare this week said it has received SOC 2 Type II certification, an independently audited evaluation of an organization's information ...

04/02/2025

Executive Creative Director Halle Petro Named Partner of Sonic Union

Executive Creative Director Halle Petro Named Partner of Sonic Union Brie Clayton February 4, 2025 0 Comments Sonic Union is excited to announce Execu...

04/02/2025

Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Camera for Android 2.0 Update

Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Camera for Android 2.0 Update Brie Clayton February 4, 2025 0 Comments New update adds support for Xiaomi Pad 6...

04/02/2025

CETA Software Launches Artist Access: The Time-Tracking Tool for Creative Teams

CETA Software Launches Artist Access: The Time-Tracking Tool for Creative Teams Brie Clayton February 4, 2025 0 Comments CETA Software, creators of p...

04/02/2025

OWC Announces General Availability Launch of OWC Dock Ejector 2.0

OWC Announces General Availability Launch of OWC Dock Ejector 2.0 Brie Clayton February 4, 2025 0 Comments The Ultimate Tool for Efficiently and Safel...

04/02/2025

Colourist Claudio Del Bravo on grading Queer

Explaining the process to TVBEurope, Del Bravo said the films look was inspired by the Technicolor three-strip' process, evoking the rich colours of early ...

04/02/2025

Paramount, Nielsen Sign Multiyear Measurement and Analytics Deal

NEW YORK Paramount Global and Nielsen have inked a new, multiyear deal that will provide measurement for all of the company's platforms, including national ...

04/02/2025

2d Animated Short Concerning a Project for Schools

2d Animated Short Concerning a Project for Schools Brie Clayton February 3, 2025 0 Comments 2d animated short concerning a project for schools Febru...

04/02/2025

Step by step guide to using 3D Models in After Effects

Step by step guide to using 3D Models in After Effects Graham Quince February 3, 2025 0 Comments Since 2024, Adobe After Effects has had native suppor...

04/02/2025

Powerful Premiere Automation with new Excalibur Update

Powerful Premiere Automation with new Excalibur Update Colin Smith February 3, 2025 0 Comments This tutorial takes you through the new update for auto...

04/02/2025

Cinematography of A Complete Unknown: Shooting 12,800 iso Sony Venice 2 to create a 1960's era film

Cinematography of A Complete Unknown: Shooting 12,800 iso Sony Venice 2 to creat...

04/02/2025

DIY to DA: Ela Minus Breaks Through

DIY to D A: Ela Minus Breaks Through The electronic artist and producer tells Rolling Stone about her new album, D A, and how shes forged a career outside the...

04/02/2025

NVIDIA Blackwell Now Generally Available in the Cloud

AI reasoning models and agents are set to transform industries, but delivering their full potential at scale requires massive compute and optimized software. Th...

04/02/2025

The Future of Football? Technology and Entertainment Merge in the Kings World Cup Nations

The future of football? Technology and entertainment merge in the Kings World Cu...

04/02/2025

Virtual Production and AR Graphics: Demystifying the Tools, Technologies, and Trends

Virtual Production and AR Graphics: Demystifying the Tools, Technologies, and Tr...

04/02/2025

SVG All-Stars: Russell Fink, Senior Director, Programming and Content Analytics, SNY

SVG All-Stars: Russell Fink, Senior Director, Programming and Content Analytics,...

04/02/2025

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: farmerswife's Jodi Clifford on Organizing Your Productions Like a Professional

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: farmerswife's Jodi Clifford on Organizing Your Pr...

04/02/2025

EA Acquires TRACAB Technologies as It Looks to Move Beyond Games

EA Acquires TRACAB Technologies as It Looks to Move Beyond Games EA believes TRACABs sports tracking/analysis technology will help to make the EA SPORTS App the...

04/02/2025

Kingdom Come: Alamiya Media on Bringing the Supercoppa Italiana and Supercopa de Espaa to Saudi Arabia

Kingdom come: Alamiya Media on bringing the Supercoppa Italiana and Supercopa de...

04/02/2025

Alamiya Media at 50: Preparing for Rapid Change, an International Broadcast Center and the FIFA World Cup

Alamiya Media at 50: Preparing for rapid change, an international broadcast cent...

04/02/2025

An update on our TV and broadband prices

An update on our TV and broadband pricesTuesday 4 February 2025 An update on our TV and broadband prices Devesh Raj, Chief Operating Officer, Sky This April,...

04/02/2025

Sky extends partnership with the PDC to remain the home of darts until 2030

Sky extends partnership with the PDC to remain the home of darts until 2030Tuesday 4 February 2025 Following another record-breaking PDC World Darts Championsh...

04/02/2025

Frankfurt is the world's first airport to regularly use walk-through scanners from Rohde & Schwarz for passengers

Frankfurt is the world's first airport to regularly use walk-through scanner...

04/02/2025

Riedel Unveils Next Generation of StageLink Edge Devices

Wuppertal February 4, 2025 Riedel Unveils Next Generation of StageLink Edge DevicesRiedel Communications today announced the launch of its StageLink family of...

04/02/2025

Fox Corporation Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Results

Fox Corporation Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Results NEW YORK, NY, February 4, 2025 - Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX; FOX or the Compan...

04/02/2025

Introducing our fully digital, true diversity wideband wireless mic solution

DPA Microphones is moving into the wireless market with the release of its new N-Series Digital Wireless System at ISE 2025 (Stand 7P600). A fully digital, true...

04/02/2025

2025-02-04

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today introduced Apple Invites, a new app for iPhone that helps users create custom invitations to gather friends and family for any...

04/02/2025

ABS appoints Sameer Karimbhai as New General Counsel

ABS appoints Sameer Karimbhai as New General Counsel...

04/02/2025

Thales Alenia Space signs a contract with Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre to develop the Emirates Airlock Module, a critical element of Lunar Gateway

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Thales Alenia Space strengthens its cooperation with the UAE as a key partner in future space missions Cannes, February 4th, 20...

04/02/2025

RT Internship Programme 2025 - Applications Now Open

We're thrilled to announce that applications for the 2025 RT Internship Programme are now open....

04/02/2025

Jack Woolley tops the Dancing with the Stars leaderboard in Dedicated Dance Week

Jack Woolley topped the leaderboard in what was an emotional night on Dancing with the Stars, as the remaining nine couples took to the floor for Dedicated Danc...

03/02/2025

Spotify's This Is Taylor Swift' Immersive Experience Connects Swifties Across Asia to Their Favorite Anthem

If you're one of the many Swifties living in Asia, you're in for a treat...

03/02/2025

5 Spotify Hacks Every Free User Needs To Know

Whether you're discovering your new favorite song or queuing up the latest episode of the hottest podcasts, Spotify is always innovating to deliver the best...

03/02/2025

SBS boosts commitment to Indigenous leadership and innovation with Executive team update

SBS boosts commitment to Indigenous leadership and innovation with Executive tea...

03/02/2025

L3Harris Technology Enhances US Torpedo Capability

The L3Harris IPLCS is a fiber-optic tether connecting a torpedo to the origin vessel, providing data in real time. Credit: L3Harris...

03/02/2025

VidTrans 2025 to Focus on Security, Dynamic Media Production

BOTHELL, Wash. Video Services Forum (VSF) today announced that the VidTrans 2025 conference and exposition will take place Feb. 25-27 at the Marina del Rey Marr...