Icarus has done a lot of research on the known special effects houses that are at work on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader now that filming is complete. Here’s a bit of a summary of each of the houses and what has been discovered about each. And believe me when I say, I’m going to tread lightly, as I know more about each of the things they’re working on than I’m going to say. I could confirm or deny some things, but I’ll let you all keep guessing. Many thanks to Icarus for doing so much legwork on this information. I hope that my own insights on the film making can help shed more light on specifically what the companies may be working on.
#1: The Dragon VFX by Moving Picture Company
Adam Walker works as a Modeller and Texture Artist for the Moving Picture Company (MPC), and in his blog he wrote: “Responsible for 2/3rds of the textures and displacement of the Dragon character. The dragon is amongst the most hero characters MPC has ever created, and is scheduled to be featured in around 200 shots of the movie.” (http://adamwalker-vfx.blogspot.com/)
With the dragon appearing in so many shots, it’s clear that it will likely appear in a bit of more of the movie than in the book. As Icarus detailed: So he says the Dragon is scheduled to be featured in around 200 shots of the movie. Apparently the last movie had between 1600 and 1800 VFX shots, whilst the first movie had between 1500 and 1600 VFX shots, depending on which interview you read (see here and here). If we were to assume the total number of VFX shots for VDT will be around about the same as PC (1600 -1800) then that would mean the Dragon would be in 1/8th to 1/9th of all VFX shots in the movie. If we were then to assume the runtime of the movie were also to stay the same as PC (150 mins) then we could perhaps translate 1/8th to 1/9th of VFX shots into 18 to 16 mins of screentime for the Dragon? It’s probably a bit of a massive stretch of logic to make any such precise calculation from such a small piece of information, but given that in interviews for the last movie they said that pretty much every shot in the movie required VFX work, it does perhaps give you a rough idea of what “200 shots” equals in real terms.
Knowing the length of the movie, I think his calculations are probably pretty close, but not based on the runtime of Prince Caspian. It’s not currently locked to a certain length, but the film makers are working with a certain length in mind.
#2: Aslan VFX by Framestore
This is from the website of Ian Comley, who describes some of his present VFX work at Framestore as follows: I’m currently in working at Framestore in London as Look Development Lead on Aslan, in the upcoming film ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader.’ (http://www.iancomley.com/vfx.php)
This is likely because they also worked on Aslan for Prince Caspian, so it’s just easier to have the same people work on him. They did a terrific job with him in the last film, so letting them keep going with Aslan versus having another new effects house on Aslan is the smartest, most cost effective way to go.
#3 Reepicheep VFX by MPC
Reepicheep, like Aslan, is being worked on by the same effects house that created him for Prince Caspian. Since they created him, they’d be familiar and comfortable with modifications for an older Reep. This information is from the LinkedIn profile of Fabien Yorgandjian who works as a CG Modeler and Texturer at MPC:
CG Modeler – MPC
Narnia 3, Invisible Army
Dawn Treader
Eustace DD
Reepicheep
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s … clnk&gl=au
Icarus mentioned that be believes “Eustace DD” to mean “Dragon,” but I have a feeling that he would have said “Dragon” were that the case. I also wonder where the second D came from. Usually for movies like this a character will need a Digital Double, and that’s what I think he was talking about. This would be a character that can be placed in distant shots that are virtually (no pun intended) indistinguishable from a real actor.
Narnia 3, Invisible Army
character and creature modeling and texturing
http://fr.linkedin.com/pub/fabien-yorgandjian/3/724/1B4
#4: Fluid VFX by Cinesite
If you watch the features on the Finding Nemo DVD, you’ll learn how difficult it is to make water digitally. Having a single effects house handling all of the water effects is a very smart move. Icarus found, on the LinkedIn profile of [someone] who is an “Effects Technical Director” at Cinesite and mentions that his present work on VDT, involves the use of a program called Houdini to do some Fluids animation, referring to smoke, etc.
Effects Technical Director – Cinesite
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) :
Houdini Effects ( Fluids )
#5: Dufflepuds CGI by The Senate?
Icarus has made educated guess that the CGI work on the Dufflepuds is being done by a company called The Senate.
Their website is below where they mention that they are “currently working on Michael Apted’s The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the 3rd installment of the highly successful Narnia stories.”
Icarus writes: The Senate are a VFX company based at Twickenham Studios in the UK where it was previously reported that a Green Screen VFX test was carried out for the Dufflepuds under the direction of visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton, who seems to have had a hand in quite a few of the other movie projects worked on by The Senate. Would perhaps seem likely therefore that they will be doing to bulk of the CGI work on the Dufflepuds.
#6: Mist VFX by Cinesite
Icarus found more information on some of Cinesite’s contribution to the VFX work on the website of Christopher Antoniou who is apparently the “Lead Animator and rigger on the Narnia Prequel, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at Cinesite” (yes, he does actually mean sequel there). Anyway, on his website resume of shot breakdowns he says: ( Cinesite Nov 2009 – Sep 2010 ) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the forth book in the the Narnian series. Working along side Jensen Toms (3D sup) and Matt Kasmir (VFX Sup) I was asked to look after all the animation and rigging for the characters the malevolent Mist was going to be emitted from.
When it comes to the “Malevolent Mist,” I have some idea of what this might be, but I know it’s not what you think. That is all.
Very great work, Icarus. You continue to astonish me with the amount of information that you find.
by ‘it’s not want you think’, I’m assuming you mean something with dark island? cuz that’s what popped into my mind immediately. xD
oh well, more mysteries, yay!
This is the best info. to date on VDT concerning the special effects and who would be doing them. I was wondering if Icarus has info. on who would be doing the end scenes with them traveling through the Lilies and the waterfall at the end with Reep. We may have to wait to see that one on the big screen,eh?
This is good, interesting stuff. I checked out some of the pages. Looks like our dragon is in good hands. 😀
I was upset when they changed Reepicheeps voice but when you mentioned that above it clicked that he is supposed to be a lot older in this one, so it makes sense. 🙂
Good work again, Icarus. Nice to know what is being worked on while we await other news.
It will be interesing to find out how the Dark Island will be done and what the “Malevolant Mist” will be.
My theory about the Malevolant Mist… IT’S THE SMOKE MONSTER FROM LOST!!!!!
Invisible Army? Interesting! I think the “Mist” is probably from the Dark Island. Very cool. Paul, I want more spoilers! It’s killing me that you know more than you can say! 😉
Malevolent Mist…
Dark Island is my first impulse, but since three of us are gravitating there by default so far I’m guessing that it’s too much of “what you would think.” So, I have three secondary guesses: (a) Dragon island while Eustace is lost, (b) evaporation, possibly damaging to human skin, from the enchanted pool on Deathwater Island, (c) cause of some sort of plague back home in Narnia.
I would still like to believe it could be Dark Island, though, as that is the most book-justifiable option I can think of.
Yap I would think that way too…..:)
Ohh, I can’t wait for the movie! I wonder what this Malevolent Mist would be. If it’s “not what you think”, then it is probably unrelated to the Dark Island. The only other thing I can think of is that it is something that they face at either the Dufflepud Island or Ramandu’s Island, or that it is something they encounter during the storm. I’m kind of leaning towards it being Lucy’s imagination run amuck in the top floor of Coriakin’s house.
Malevolent Mist is “emitted from” characters…? What kind of characters could mist come out of…? I would guess that they would be malevolent themselves, but the only malevolent creature I can think of is the sea serpent, but that would only be one creature, and he talks about characters plural.
So I have a feeling this is something they may be adding something, and not just malevolent Mist, but also new malevolent characters…
Good to know that this is in good hands.
i was worried for a moment because i remembered this movie was to be released this year and didn’t see it on the summer blockbuster list, but i am so happy it is dated for a christmas release. It will be a great gift this season, i am just surprised no one’s working on magician’s nephew? does anyone know why they haven’t brought that one to the big screen? i read the book and it looks full of imagination, it would be great to see it blown up in 3d.
They’re creating the movies in the original publishing order–LWW, PC, VDT, Silver Chair, Horse and His Boy, Magician’s Nephew, and The Last Battle. After a bit of debate, the books became published chronologically. But a lot of us prefer the original publishing order… it lends a bit more magic to the series, especially LWW, and only later do we find out where stuff came from in MN.
If that’s the case, we’ve got a while yet before MN (6-8 years!), but it’s my belief they’ll at least make it someday. 🙂
Wow, I’m excited! I REALLY can’t wait to see what they do with the dragon.
I LOVE the Narnian series!!!! I am so glad that they are coming out with the last book!!!!!!!!!! I heard a rumor that they weren’t, so I am really happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“#4: Fluid VFX by Cinesite
…Having a single effects house handling all of the water effects is a very smart move…”
The water has been done by MPC.
I’m from Canada but I’m currently living in Romania. The opening release date for The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader was last Friday (December 3, ’10). I saw the movie last Saturday and it was incredible!! I loved every moment of it. The story, the special effects and the movie being in 3D was all brilliant!!! I highly recommend the movie.