Five of the industry’s top visual effects supervisors joined Gold Derby as part of our Meet the Experts visual effects panel to discuss how much they each value keeping their work as realistic as possible.
“To me, visual effects is about putting something together with something that we shot that is completely invisible,” “Killers of the Flower Moon” visual effects supervisor Pablo Helman explains in our exclusive video interview roundtable. “And if we do that, then we’re telling a completely different story than what we shot, and it’s part of that story.”
“I love working on shows that are grounded in the real world,” “Oppenheimer” visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson adds. “I’ve certainly found myself going away from the idea of using green screens and blue screens these days. And, you know, as roto gets better and easier, it allows the Dp to light the scene...
“To me, visual effects is about putting something together with something that we shot that is completely invisible,” “Killers of the Flower Moon” visual effects supervisor Pablo Helman explains in our exclusive video interview roundtable. “And if we do that, then we’re telling a completely different story than what we shot, and it’s part of that story.”
“I love working on shows that are grounded in the real world,” “Oppenheimer” visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson adds. “I’ve certainly found myself going away from the idea of using green screens and blue screens these days. And, you know, as roto gets better and easier, it allows the Dp to light the scene...
- 11/29/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
While “Avatar: The Way of Water” solidifies itself as the Best Visual Effects frontrunner at this year’s Academy Awards, we can at least pretend until “Dune: Part Two” opens in roughly 10 months that the 2024 race is still any film’s to lose. If the VFX branch’s past admiration for photorealistic animals is any sign, Elizabeth Banks’ “Cocaine Bear” stands a good chance of taking part in next year’s conversation. Universal just released the horror comedy to a $22 million opening weekend and generally positive reviews.
Garnering particular praise is the CGI/mo-cap wonder Banks and her crew came to endearingly call “Cokey the Bear.” Christy Lemire (RogerEbert.com) writes that a great deal of the film’s draw is “the look of the creature itself, which is surprisingly high-tech for a cheesy, silly movie.” Dan Bayer (AwardsWatch) similarly highlights the movie’s visual veracity, saying, “It’s clear...
Garnering particular praise is the CGI/mo-cap wonder Banks and her crew came to endearingly call “Cokey the Bear.” Christy Lemire (RogerEbert.com) writes that a great deal of the film’s draw is “the look of the creature itself, which is surprisingly high-tech for a cheesy, silly movie.” Dan Bayer (AwardsWatch) similarly highlights the movie’s visual veracity, saying, “It’s clear...
- 2/28/2023
- by Ronald Meyer
- Gold Derby
Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for “Cocaine Bear.”
How challenging was it to create a CGI bear high on cocaine? Where do you even begin? Those were the questions Weta VFX supervisor Robin Hollander and the team faced when “Cocaine Bear” director Elizabeth Banks approached the company to create “Cokie,” the star of her latest film.
“[Banks] said, ‘If it’s not photo-real, the whole thing falls apart, and the film is a horror-comedy. So, we can’t straddle either realm too much,'” Hollander says.
The film is based on the true story of convicted drug smuggler Andrew Thornton, who died after a parachuting accident. The working theory is that Thornton was traveling in a plane with 880 pounds of cocaine and thought the feds were trailing him, so he decided to throw some of the stash out of the plane and take some with him when he parachuted out.
How challenging was it to create a CGI bear high on cocaine? Where do you even begin? Those were the questions Weta VFX supervisor Robin Hollander and the team faced when “Cocaine Bear” director Elizabeth Banks approached the company to create “Cokie,” the star of her latest film.
“[Banks] said, ‘If it’s not photo-real, the whole thing falls apart, and the film is a horror-comedy. So, we can’t straddle either realm too much,'” Hollander says.
The film is based on the true story of convicted drug smuggler Andrew Thornton, who died after a parachuting accident. The working theory is that Thornton was traveling in a plane with 880 pounds of cocaine and thought the feds were trailing him, so he decided to throw some of the stash out of the plane and take some with him when he parachuted out.
- 2/28/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
There were two things that director Elizabeth Banks insisted on when it came to animating Cokie, the CG star of the black comedy, “Cocaine Bear.” First, she can’t be an inherent killing machine, despite her coke-fueled rampage for more blow and blood. Two, she had to look photoreal — or the movie falls apart.
But that wasn’t a problem for the wizards of Wētā FX, who know their way around creature animation, and are on the verge of winning the VFX Oscar for “Avatar: The Way of Water.”
“The initial brief from Liz on that first call was that the subtlety had to come through,” Wētā’s VFX supervisor Robin Hollander told IndieWire. “Here’s a story of a mother protecting her cubs, and she’s just fallen victim to the war on drugs, if you will. She’s not inherently bad. But there’s no point in doing...
But that wasn’t a problem for the wizards of Wētā FX, who know their way around creature animation, and are on the verge of winning the VFX Oscar for “Avatar: The Way of Water.”
“The initial brief from Liz on that first call was that the subtlety had to come through,” Wētā’s VFX supervisor Robin Hollander told IndieWire. “Here’s a story of a mother protecting her cubs, and she’s just fallen victim to the war on drugs, if you will. She’s not inherently bad. But there’s no point in doing...
- 2/27/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Cokie the Bear was more than ready for her close-up with Elizabeth Banks for Variety’s “Cocaine Bear” cover. However, no real bears were involved in the creation of these images.
She is the computer-generated handiwork of photographer Art Streiber and a team of eight visual effects experts from Weta FX, who created the bear for the film.
Over the span of two weeks, Streiber and Weta FX VFX supervisor Robin Hollander created a storyline for the photos, from Cokie having her nose powdered to a glamorous red carpet moment.
“This was fun to see how to capture the essence of Cokie and instill it in single images,” Hollander says. He adds, “We didn’t want Cokie to look like a villain — she’s not inherently aggressive.”
The team came to the photo shoot with a bit of a narrative to help inject personality into the bear. “We wanted to...
She is the computer-generated handiwork of photographer Art Streiber and a team of eight visual effects experts from Weta FX, who created the bear for the film.
Over the span of two weeks, Streiber and Weta FX VFX supervisor Robin Hollander created a storyline for the photos, from Cokie having her nose powdered to a glamorous red carpet moment.
“This was fun to see how to capture the essence of Cokie and instill it in single images,” Hollander says. He adds, “We didn’t want Cokie to look like a villain — she’s not inherently aggressive.”
The team came to the photo shoot with a bit of a narrative to help inject personality into the bear. “We wanted to...
- 2/8/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Today was a busy day for some of the smaller guilds with the Visual Effects Society, the Cinema Audio Society, and the Makeup and Hairstylists Guilds all announcing their nominations for 2013.
First, we have the Ves, whose main category to look at is “Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture,” where we find Gravity and four other nominees that are just going to have to be happy with the fact that they got nominated. This is perhaps the easiest category to call in the entirety of awards season, and I don’t mean just here, but for the Oscar as well (Last year’s winner, Life of Pi, easily took this category before going on to claim the Oscar). It’s true that films like The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and Star Trek Into Darkness had outstanding effects as well, but nothing even came close to the amazing,...
First, we have the Ves, whose main category to look at is “Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture,” where we find Gravity and four other nominees that are just going to have to be happy with the fact that they got nominated. This is perhaps the easiest category to call in the entirety of awards season, and I don’t mean just here, but for the Oscar as well (Last year’s winner, Life of Pi, easily took this category before going on to claim the Oscar). It’s true that films like The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and Star Trek Into Darkness had outstanding effects as well, but nothing even came close to the amazing,...
- 1/15/2014
- by Jeff Beck
- We Got This Covered
No surprise there. It goes without saying that James Cameron's sci-fi spectacle Avatar has the potential to clean house at the 8th Annual Ves Awards for its breath taking visuals by the acclaimed Weta Digital. Cameron will also be picking up a well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award. In the outstanding animated feature category, the nominees include Up, 9, Coraline, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.
The official press release is as followed:
3-D Films Dominate With Most Noms as Avatar grabs 11, Coraline 4, and Visual Effects Company Weta Digital Snags Most Company Noms with 9
Los Angeles, January 19, 2010 - The Visual Effects Society (Ves) today announced the nominees for the 8th Annual Ves Awards ceremony recognizing outstanding visual effects artistry in over twenty categories of film, animation, television, commercials and video games. Nominees were chosen Saturday, January 16, 2010, by numerous blue ribbon panels of Ves members who...
The official press release is as followed:
3-D Films Dominate With Most Noms as Avatar grabs 11, Coraline 4, and Visual Effects Company Weta Digital Snags Most Company Noms with 9
Los Angeles, January 19, 2010 - The Visual Effects Society (Ves) today announced the nominees for the 8th Annual Ves Awards ceremony recognizing outstanding visual effects artistry in over twenty categories of film, animation, television, commercials and video games. Nominees were chosen Saturday, January 16, 2010, by numerous blue ribbon panels of Ves members who...
- 1/22/2010
- Screen Anarchy
James Cameron's "Avatar" led the list of nominations announced Monday by the Visual Effects Society, scooping up 11.
The animated "Coraline," another movie released in 3D, followed with four nominations.
New Zealand-based Weta Digital, which worked on "Avatar," led the company noms with nine.
For visual effects in an effects-driven motion picture feature, the nominees are "2012," "Avatar," "District 9," "Star Trek" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."
Noms for supporting visual effects in a movie went to "Angels & Demons," "The Box," "Invictus," "The Road" and "Sherlock Holmes."
"9," "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," "Coraline," "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" and "Up" were nominated for outstanding animation in an animated feature.
Ves noms in 20 categories, covering film, animation, TV, commercials and video games were chosen Saturday by blue-ribbon panels of Ves members, meeting in Burbank, San Francisco and London.
The eighth annual Ves Awards will be handed out on Feb.
The animated "Coraline," another movie released in 3D, followed with four nominations.
New Zealand-based Weta Digital, which worked on "Avatar," led the company noms with nine.
For visual effects in an effects-driven motion picture feature, the nominees are "2012," "Avatar," "District 9," "Star Trek" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."
Noms for supporting visual effects in a movie went to "Angels & Demons," "The Box," "Invictus," "The Road" and "Sherlock Holmes."
"9," "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," "Coraline," "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" and "Up" were nominated for outstanding animation in an animated feature.
Ves noms in 20 categories, covering film, animation, TV, commercials and video games were chosen Saturday by blue-ribbon panels of Ves members, meeting in Burbank, San Francisco and London.
The eighth annual Ves Awards will be handed out on Feb.
- 1/18/2010
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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