The camera always lies B e r t & Dic kie is a s t o ry th a t tells th e tale o f tw o ro we r s p e rfo r mi ng i n th e " A us ter i ty Ol y m p i cs " he l d i n Lo nd o n d u r i ng 1 9 48. I t wa s a ti m e of t u rm oi l , L o nd o n w a s a b o m b s i t e a nd t he g ov e r nm e nt w e r e fe e l ing t h e p re ss u r e of h o l d i ng a s u c c e s s ful O ly m pi c g a m es . Th e p ro du cti o n wan te d to se t up th i s wo rl d i n th e f i r s t se q ue nce o f t he s how , b y p rov i d i ng t he a ud i e n ce a vi e w of a w a r t o rn L o nd o n , ov e r l oo k i ng t h e Th a m e s. Th i s p a g e d e m o n s t r at e s h ow w e b u il t t h e s ce n e u s i ng mat t e p a in t i ng a nd c o m p o si ti ng techn i qu es. In i t ial l y t he p r od uc t i o n d e li ve red a tra cki ng s ho t o f a g re e n scre e n wi ndo w , a s sh o t o n- s et , th e r es t w a s t o b e c rea te d w i th v i s u al e ffe cts . Bu i l d i ng a ci t y l i ne i s a t a l l or d e r , e s p e c i al l y o n e t h at e xi s t s fr om a b y go ne e ra. O u r fi r s t t a s k wa s to re s e a rc h a r o u n d t he su b ject u si ng b oo k s, fi l ms and li b ra r y a rch i ve s, g at he ri n g a s m uch i m ag er y as w e coul d . We fo un d a s k yl i n e p h ot og ra p h of L o nd o n , t a k e n b e f o re t h e w a r, w h i ch p ro v i d e d u s a gu id e o f w h at L o n d o n u s e d t o lo o k l ike . Fro m a v a n t a g e p o i nt, we to o k a p an o ra m i c i m ag e o f m od e rn Lo n do n, wh i ch se rve d a s a can v as fo r ou r m a tt e p ai n te r to b u i l d t he fi na l sc e n e up o n . Ti m e wa s t a k e n t o f or m t h e l a y o ut ; w e re m ov e d b u il d in g, ad d e d s t r uc t u re s, c lea r ed s pac e s , e t c . W it h a la yo ut locked w e we re th e n a b le to d e ta i l t he sk y l i n e, w h i c h w o ul d p ro vi d e m u ch of i ts w ar to rn q ua l i ti es . Th i s p r oc e s s t o o k so m e t i m e , e a ch b u i l d i n g h a d t e xt u re s, e l e m e nt s a nd pai nt in g ap pl ie d . Th e fi nal s t a g e wa s to b r e a t h l i fe i n t o t h e s cen e , w h i ch w as c om p le te d i n the c om p o s i te . A n i m at ed sm o k e, a tm o s ph ere, movin g wat er an d boats, re f l ectio n s o n t h e g l ass; al l h el p ed t o ad d re al ism t o a o nc e s t at ic sh o t .
RI G H T TO L E F T: F i r s t im ag e i s t h e gr e e n sc re e n w i nd ow acq u ire d o n - s e t . Th e s e co n d im a g e is a m u r k y d i rt p l a t e , u s e d t o giv e t h e gl as s ch a rac t e r. T h e f ina l i m ag e w as u se d t o c re at e a fak e r e f l e c t io n fr o m w it h in t h e b ui l d i ng. Th is w as bor r ow e d f ro m an o t h e r sh o t .
Ori gi nal 1940 ' s backgroun d e le m ent
CLICK ME
Mod er n L o nd o n pan or a mic m id gro un d e le me n t
Ma tte Pa i nte d f ore gr ound elem e nt
R IG H T Fir s t im a g e i s th e o ri g i nal p late ac q u ir e d by p r o d u c ti o n o n the day . T he s e c o n d im a g e i s a m atte p a i nti ng c r e at e d t o m i rr o r th e s tr eet, clea n u p t he ro a d , pl a nt We m b ley S ta di u m a nd gi ve a g li m ps e o f th e d es tr u cti o n. Th e f i na l i m a g e i s t he f i ni sh ed sho t.
F i n a l m a tte p a i n ti n g wi t h a l l e l em en ts co m b i n ed
F i n a l f r a m e w i t h m a t t e p a i n t i ng co m p o sit e d i nt o l i v e act i o n p l a t e a nd a d d i t i o n e l e m e n t s a d d e d , i n cl u d i ng sm ok e , w at e r and a t m o s e ff e c t s
CLICK ME
The camera always lies An o the r piv ot al s h ot w a s th e s tar t o f th e O lymp i cs , f e at u ri ng We m b ley S ta di u m an d th e o ri g i na l s core b o ard . I n t he off l i n e t h i s wa s a ch i e ve d b y us i ng a rc h i v e f oo t a g e b u t t h i s w a s n o t ap p r o p r i at e fo r t h e br o ad c as t sh ow . Th e t e a m at L e xh ag s e t a b ou t b ui ld i ng t he sh ot fro m scra tch . T h e tw o main c om p o nen t s we nee d ed to co mp lete the sho t we r e : cr ow ds a n d a s co reb o a rd. T he p ro du cti o n h ad al r ea d y s en t a s ke l et o n cre w to ca p t u re g e n e r al c ro w d s ho t s d u r i ng t h e He n l e y Re g a t t a . Ho w e v e r, sh o t s w e re n o t acq ui re d fo r th is s pe c if ic s h o t , l ea vi n g a n i mp o rtant comp o ne nt m i ssi ng. Th e b udg e t di d n' t a l l o w fo r a ny C G cro w d crea ti o n t ech n i q ue s , n or d i d i t ca te r for a n e l e m e nt s h oo t , l e av i ng o u r o p t i o n s q ui t e l i m i t e d . R e a l l y the o nl y o p t i o n w a s to ret u r n to the ru she s and g athe r p i e ce s o f sh o ts th a t co u l d b e co m p o si ted tog e th er i n to o n e cro wd . L uc ki l y , wh i l e t r a w l i ng t hr o ug h t h e e xt e n s i v e r u sh e s w e fo u nd o ne s h ot , w h i ch w as j u s t l o ng e n o u g h , at j u s t a bo ut th e r ig h t a ng le a nd had the ri g ht fe e l f or the We m b le y g ra n ds t an d ( se e b el o w ri g h t) . W i th th i s s hot s ou rce d a n d cl o n ed i nt o a crow d , w e w e r e a b l e t o b u i l d t he r e s t o f t h e s ce ne , i n cl u d i ng a C GI s co r e bo ard , gr and s t and s t r u c t u r e , f l a g s a n d f l a g p o l e s.
CLICK ME
A b o ve i s th e o r ig in a l i m a g e o f the 1948 Ga mes h e ld at W em b le y . Th e s c o r e bo a r d i s c l ea r ly se en and wa s u se d as ou r m ai n re fe r en c e .
A ft er se ar ch i n g th e ru s h es , w e fou n d th i s s m al l s h ot, wh i ch wa s i d e a l f or th e sco re b o ar d cro w d .
T h i s i m ag e i s ou r fi r s t " s l ap c om p " us i ng ou r so u r c e d c ro w d , f l ag e l e m e n t s f or ot he r s ho t s an d t h e s co re b oa r d fo rm t h e ph ot o . Th is ro u g h c om p e na b l e d us t o l o c k t h e d e si g n w i t h t h e d ir e c t or .
CLICK ME
A B OV E: T h i s te xt u re wa s reb u i l d fr om s c rat ch t o l ook i d e n ti ca l t o t he or i g i n al .
LE F T: T he f i na l s h ot wi t h al l th e com p o n en ts i n p l ace . Eve ryt h i n g a b ove th e p eo p l e i s CG I .
A B O V E: T h i s i s a n u n t e xt u re d r e nd e r o f t he s c or e b oa r d c re a t e d in C GI . I t w as p o si t i o n e d t o fa v ou r t h e cr ow d p l a t e . F l a g s w e r e re nd e r e d s e pa rat e l y a nd co m p o si t e d o nt o t h e fl a g p ol e s . W e u se d a t e ch n i q ue t h at al l ow e d t h e f l a g p r i nt t o b e c h a ng e d i n t h e co m p o si t e , w i t h ou t r e-r e n d e ri ng in 3 D .
The camera always lies T y pi c al fo r a ny pe r i od dr a m a , a h i g h d e gre e o f clea n- up ca n b e nece ssa ry to s el l t he s ho w . T h i s p a g e d em o n s tra te s th ree t yp i ca l s h ots ; l oca ti o n c l e a n-u p , r ow i ng co m p o si t e s a n d b a ck gr ou n d re p l ac e m e nt s. Fo r m os t , e ac h s h ot r eq u i r e d se ve ral p lates (lay e r s), all p ho tog ra p he d at di f fere n t t i m es , a t d i ffer en t l ocat i o n s . T o k ee p t he s h ot s a ch i e v a b l e wi t h i n t h e sc h e d u l e , ca m e r a m ov e m e n t wa s k e p t t o a b ar e m i n i m u m . S h o ot in g p l at e s a t d i f f e r e n t time s a nd lo c a t i o n s c a n thr ow u p ma ny te chni cal challe ng e s . M o s t co m p o si t es w or ke d v er y w el l a nd p rov i d e d a v ery b e l i e va b l e s cen e . How e v e r , t h e r e w e r e t i m e s w he n p l a t e s h a d t o b e ca r e f u l l y co m p o si t e d t og e t h e r. O u r m ai n ch a l l e n g e s wa s t o c o m p o s i te th r ee, ve ry di f fer ent, li g ht s p ace s i nto a s i ng l e s h ot . Th es e di ffi c ul t sh ots w er e b rok en i nt o s m al l e r p a rt s , en a b l i n g g r e a t e r c o nt r o l f o r ou r a rt i s t t o t w e a k e a c h e l e m e n t i nd i v i d u al l y . A h e av y co m p os it e co uld c o n s is t o f t h re e m a i n p la te s (B G, MG, F G) and se v e ral m atte s to co n tr o l i n di vi du a l p a rts o f t ho s e p l at es , s u ch a s s k i n , w a ter , c os t u m e, et c.
CLICK ME
T h i s pl ate was u s e d j us t f o r the w a ter
T h i s wa s the m ai n p late p ro v i di n g the b u i ld i ng. Wo rk wa s d o ne to alter the b ui ldi ng s tr uct u re .
T h i s b o a t fe at u re s i n t he cl o s e fo re g ro u nd, p ro vi d i ng a s e n s e o f d ep t h
W e us e d t h i s p l at e for th e fo u r s m a l l b o at h ous es o n th e l e ft o f fra me .
Th e f i na l s ho t w i t h a l l e l e m e nt s, cl e an -u p a nd c ol o u r c or r e c t i o n app l ie d .
CLICK ME CLICK ME
F o r al l of t h e c a r s ho ts , we c a p t u re d sep ar ate b ack gr ou nd p late s fo r the gr e e n ar e a s a n d r e f lec t i o n p lates fo r the b o dy w or k and g la ss . T h is was pe r f o rm ed o n a l ow lo ad er af ter p r i nci p le p ho tog ra p hy , wit h an A l e xa a n d o th er VFX ca mera s. T he re fle cti o n p a sse s we r e pro je c te d o nt o a 3D m e sh o f the c ar. T h i s p r ov i d e d accu rate d e f o r mat i o n s a s t h e r e fl e c t i o n s ro l le d o ve r th e b o d y wo rk .
A BOV E: Th i s g re en s creen act i o n p l at e wa s p ho t og rap he d u n s u p erv i s e d . It wa s q ui t e d i ffi cu l t to ex tra ct a g o od key , you 'l l n o ti c e th e s ea m and variatio n of co l o u r. RI G H T Th es e tw o p l a tes p ro vi d e d t he ro we r s an d b a ck g r oun d crow d . Ag ai n , p ho to g rap he d u n s u p er vi s ed, b ut o n l y a s m a l l a mo un t of di s to rti o n w as n e ed to ma k e th e p e r sp e cti ves ma tc h.
T he f i na l s ho t w i t h al l c om p o ne n t s c om p os i t e t o g e t h e r . N ot i ce t h e d e gre e of c l e a n- up a nd d e t a i l o n t he c a nv a s gr a nd s t an d s . To m ak e it fe e l m or e o f Th e p e r i o d , m od e r n c ol o u r s w e r e d e -s a t u r at e d , b l u e s t ri p s o n t h e can v as’ w e r e r e m o v e d a nd d i rt i e d d o w n. A l so , a l l t h e u p ri g h t w oo d e n po s t s w e r e t h ic ke ne d t o h i d e t h e m od e r n s t e e l c o un t e r p a rt s.