Everyone knows that movies like Man of Steel or White House Down are filled with special effects. As convincing as they are, people understand they didn't blow up the Capitol building or demolish skyscrapers. I'm most entranced by the special effects in movies that don't look like they have any at all. In The Great Gatsby, I was sure that they filmed in a real mansion, and that they at least closed down some streets and made them look like they were from the 1920s. Turns out I should have known better. The visual effects supervisor behind The Great Gatsby released a four-minute demo reel (set to some Lana Del Ray music) showing just how much of the movie was smoke and mirrors. Green and blue screens abound in the reel, which also brings to mind an effects reel for HBO's Prohibition-set "Boardwalk Empire" that was floating around the Internet a while ago.
One thing I'm curious about is where they're getting the images that they fill in with the green and blue screen. I'm guessing there is compositing involved, where a mansion is combined with other background elements--they don't show the creation process for these images. It seems like using foreground foliage and a green screen in the background is a common trick to maintain the illusion of depth. And unlike the early use of rear projection, there's no line around the actor's face or body that gives away the background. For a director like Baz Luhrmann, who likes to cram as much visual pleasure into his shots as he can, effects are likely a way to achieve this kind of opulence on (something) of a budget. On the other hand, I think the ease with which people can fill a frame contributed to Luhrmann making Gatsby look a little too jam-packed with imagery, at least in my opinion. Take a peek at the visual effects reel and see what you think.
The Great Gatsby VFX from Chris Godfrey on Vimeo.
No comments:
Post a Comment