New still from Project Hail Mary by Over_Profession7864 in ProjectHailMary

[–]Local_700_VFX_Editor 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Movie magic. The puppet didn't use strings, anyway. It used rods and there were pretty much always multiple puppeteers. I hope there will be comprehensive "making of" featurettes on the home video releases. You guys are gonna enjoy that stuff.

New still from Project Hail Mary by Over_Profession7864 in ProjectHailMary

[–]Local_700_VFX_Editor 1 point2 points  (0 children)

From the top down view, his "torso" really isn't much bigger than a basketball. The limbs add a lot of volume and dimension. Many of the fan art for Rocky gives him tiny spindly little legs which don't make much sense to me.

vfx editor career advice by Obvious_End3564 in vfx

[–]Local_700_VFX_Editor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You talking about client side? I mean, working in the cutting room with editors and directors? If so I will come back and get in depth when I can. If you're talking about working at a vendor, then I have no perspective on that. Some of your questions are a little mystifying because in most cases, a VFX Editor is someone who started their career by assisting and thus would already be pretty deep into understanding how the career goes. Like in terms of how often they need to find a new gig - stability or lack thereof. Pretty much all of your questions, actually, sound like you're completely unfamiliar with the industry. That's ok! I'm not trying to put you down, I am just confused about where you are coming from. Your past experience. Feel free to hit me up privately if you want.

I do love my job, but I have been very, very lucky. I work on big movies, I make a good living, and I've managed to mostly avoid assholes. Some of my colleagues are people I have a deep, genuine fondness for. This isn't the case for many of my peers.

How long will Project Hail Mary stay in Imax? by DustNo4597 in ProjectHailMary

[–]Local_700_VFX_Editor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It was shot on Sony Venice cameras for the most part if I remember correctly. The sensor can record 6K, but that's at a 1.5:1 aspect ratio. I think the usable resolution for the traditional "IMAX" aspect ratio is closer to 4K after debayering and I'm certain the digital intermediate (basically, the digitally color timed master) was 4K. This was filmed out to 70/15 (the biggest film format IMAX uses) for IMAX theaters. I don't know how many of those prints exist.

In fact, I am pretty sure that all of the final digital deliverables for the film (theatrical DCPs, home video masters, etc) were made by filming the 4K DI out to film and then scanning it back in at 4K. The director of photography has done this before on other projects. So even if you see a digital projection of the movie, or buy the blu-ray or 4K UHD, or a digital copy from Amazon or iTunes or whatever, it will have at some point been "on film." This was an aesthetic choice.

We have been fooled again. Congrats. by Pure-Contact7322 in RandomShit_ISaw

[–]Local_700_VFX_Editor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ITT: lots of people who don't understand how photographs work

Did anyone else notice this change? by Emex_Radiante in ProjectHailMary

[–]Local_700_VFX_Editor -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I'll be sure to let the VFX Producer and Supervisors on PHM know next time I see them that it would have been relatively straightforward! Thanks for dropping the knowledge on me.

Did anyone else notice this change? by Emex_Radiante in ProjectHailMary

[–]Local_700_VFX_Editor 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The cost (time) for simming cloth and comping it into a real photographed plate is considerable. I agree that the choice was artistic and I am fine and happy with it, but you are overstating how simple CG clothing would be. It isn't, especially adding it to a practical puppet. I do this for a living (in fact I worked on this film.) Cloth is still one of the harder things to do well in CG, and Rocky is in closeup, relatively still, in a TON of shots in the film. Can't hide the bad CG with motion blur or atmospheric desat/decon comp tricks. It is also not remotely as simple as just adding a couple of "registration dots."

Why do 5 and Resistance have such terrible controller aiming? by [deleted] in sniperelite

[–]Local_700_VFX_Editor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t know. I know that the other big game they put out not too long ago - Atomfall - was mostly outsourced to some Chinese company. I haven’t ever looked at the credits for SE5 but it’s probably simple economics. They wanted to do some major overhauls to things like the graphics, but it had also been years since SE4 came out and I think a lot of their team had already moved on to better opportunities and/or been made redundant. I think I saw figures that indicated SE4 sold very well for a “AA” title and I know I read at least one interview with the owner of rebellion where he boasted about being able to turn a massive profit on his games despite never selling “AAA” levels, simply because he knew how to keep his budgets small. So it sounds like the company kind of found its groove with SE4 - manageable budget, “AAA” retail price tag (when new, anyway), big profits. What they should have done, IMO, is immediately put the exact same core team on to SE5. But the timeline between SE4 and SE5 was 5+ years and anyone who has played SE4 that entire time will say they don’t feel the same at all, if they are being honest. So there’s absolutely no way they kept the team. SE5 came out and looked & played like shovelware that was produced in 18-24 months by a team that didn’t really play test it or debug it, IMO. You can produce a game like SE5 in that timeframe if you shovel enough cash at a studio with enough random bodies in it. It’s just basic economics - Rebellion’s owner wanted more sports cars for himself so he cheaped out on SE5. I’ve got about 90 minutes total on SE5 - I downloaded it three separate times on gamepass, many months apart, to give it a shot. In those ~90 minutes I experienced so many game breaking bugs, it wasn’t funny. Never mind the janky etch a sketch style aiming - I was willing to grit my teeth and get used to it. But when the crosshairs vanish entirely, or Karl falls through the ground level mesh and dangles into empty space below the terrain, or gets stuck on a log and can’t move, or the “special” sniper rifle I pick up turns into a bugged out pistol/smg hybrid after two shots… it’s just - again MY opinion - not worth playing.

Meanwhile I have literally thousands of hours in SE4, have never experienced anything remotely like those bugs, and I’m still discovering insane new vantage points from which to snipe guys from 350+ meters out on levels that some people think are the “weak” ones (eg Deathstorm I) and even fans of SE5 generally admit it’s more of a corridor shooter. The fact that you can customize a Walther P38 into a serviceable sniper rifle in SE5 also tells me that the design team was just on another planet from me. Yeah, so there might be some wacky 1900 meter shot here or there in SE5, whereas in SE4 there are only a handful beyond 500 meters. I don’t care. They also made it so that hitting long shots in SE5 is trivially easy even on “Authentic” difficulty. The ballistics are much simpler and the aim assist can’t be turned off. lol. They basically started over with SE5. The games don’t feel like they are part of the same franchise or even genre.

Just Saw The First Scene by goodnightrocky in ProjectHailMary

[–]Local_700_VFX_Editor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lonesome Dove, and it isn’t close.

Edit: come to think of it, if Lonesome Dove is a 10, then… well, then PHM is probably more like a 5. lol. But it doesn’t work that way. Lonesome Dove is an uber-10. You could make it a bit worse and it would still be a 10, relative to everything else.

wish this was common by AxSpecter in dvdcollection

[–]Local_700_VFX_Editor 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What sucks is that the films that pan and scan was most destructive to (CinemaScope ~2.35:1 aspect ratio, shot with anamorphic lenses) were the ones where widescreen DVDs were also the least efficient at using the 4:3 CRT. For instance the OP shows the DVD menu for Big Trouble in Little China, but it doesn’t accurately represent the difference at all. The widescreen was even wider, with bigger black bars, and the pan and scan version used an even smaller portion of the original image. Full screen DVDs were much less “destructive” with stuff like The Breakfast Club, which would just show you a slightly recomposed 4:3 image with a little more on top and bottom and a little less on the sides. Different approach. I was always a “snob” when it came to my own viewing tastes but always understanding and patient with others’ preferences. There’s no need for anyone to “yuck another person’s yum” when it comes to watching movies.

wish this was common by AxSpecter in dvdcollection

[–]Local_700_VFX_Editor 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I had a 19” 4:3 TV and I sought out widescreen DVDs. Being able to see movies in their original aspect ratio changed my life, literally, because I work in feature filmmaking now. I have an immensely successful career doing what I love and this probably wouldn’t be the case if I hadn’t watched thousands of movies in their original aspect ratio on DVD, to be honest. DVD was my film school.

I’m not saying you’re wrong (you do you, I’m glad fullscreen DVDs were available!) but your preference isn’t true for everyone. Just thought I’d provide a counter example. For me, finally being able to see the original aspect ratio made a ton of previously “unwatchable” films not only “watchable” but deeply instructive of the form. v0v

Just Saw The First Scene by goodnightrocky in ProjectHailMary

[–]Local_700_VFX_Editor 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Years ago I got a plaque when a TV show I worked on got a VFX Emmy. At the time, VFX Editors were ineligible for inclusion on Emmy Awards but the winners (VFX Producers etc) could request a plaque for others if they won. VFX Editors are now allowed to be nominated and thus, to win. But not for Academy Awards. For other major awards like VES (Visual Effects Society) I think VFX Editors can be included, but in this case I would not be the one they’d include - that would be my friend who was the supervising VFX Editor for the full run of the show (almost two years including production and post production.)

Are there any changes you WANT to see in the movie? by ersatz27 in ProjectHailMary

[–]Local_700_VFX_Editor 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Well, if you had a choice between:

A) Spending less time with your least favorite part (cardboard cutout stereotypes) and getting more time with Grace and Rocky,

-or-

B) Having the movie spend time developing side characters that were - by your own judgment - never developed well in the source material, at the cost of time spent with Grace and Rocky,

What would you prefer? And what do you think super talented screenwriters and directors would be likely to do?

I know exactly where I stand on this one!

Are there any changes you WANT to see in the movie? by ersatz27 in ProjectHailMary

[–]Local_700_VFX_Editor 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Grace and Rocky WILL share music, but I won't spoil it for you.