Great video! I really loved a few things in particular: The admission that no one knows how to do these shots anymore because VFX has replaced practical effects and the last generation’s...
Great video! I really loved a few things in particular:
The admission that no one knows how to do these shots anymore because VFX has replaced practical effects and the last generation’s painstakingly learned institutional knowledge is not being passed forward.
The callout that the shift to VFX has resulted in a culture that is no longer willing to commit to the level of planning that used to be required.
The reminder that modern BTS footage is often straight-up faked to hide how shots are actually done (with the requisite nod to “No CGI” is Really Just Invisible CGI, which I originally found here on Tildes and it radically changed the way I think about moviemaking today).
The surprise inclusion of some other YouTube personalities, namely my boy Captain Disillusion. Always nice to see him pop up, wish it was in his own channel more often.
Also I just want to say, that one VFX shot they felt compelled to include in their final bit… looked like crap. Sorry but it didn’t improve the overall effect at all. It immediately jumped out at me. Not sure if the problem was poor rotoscoping, unconvincing shadows, bad acting, or what, but it failed to sell the illusion — and actually broke the illusion the forced perspective had created. I agree with their statement that VFX, used appropriately, can elevate a practical shot. But this one did not do that, IMHO.
One thing I really enjoyed in this video is how they talk about for the first 15min of The Fellowship of the Ring, that they went all out in various techniques to make the hobbits appear smaller....
One thing I really enjoyed in this video is how they talk about for the first 15min of The Fellowship of the Ring, that they went all out in various techniques to make the hobbits appear smaller. They used body doubles, forced perspective, and different scaled sets, depending on what the scene called for. Changing the techniques, especially at the very start makes it harder to figure out how they pulled it off. The end result is that as a viewer you are immersed and buy into the concept that the hobbits are half the size as the rest of the actors. It also means that if they don't pull off a shot as well later on in the film, you are less likely to notice it since you have been convinced in the first 15min that hobbits are halflings
This effect is awesome. Great storytelling in this video too, better than most of their videos :)
Very much agreed, Daniel seems to produce some fan favourites, like his last video which also had Wren as the host about stop motion.
Great video! I really loved a few things in particular:
Also I just want to say, that one VFX shot they felt compelled to include in their final bit… looked like crap. Sorry but it didn’t improve the overall effect at all. It immediately jumped out at me. Not sure if the problem was poor rotoscoping, unconvincing shadows, bad acting, or what, but it failed to sell the illusion — and actually broke the illusion the forced perspective had created. I agree with their statement that VFX, used appropriately, can elevate a practical shot. But this one did not do that, IMHO.
One thing I really enjoyed in this video is how they talk about for the first 15min of The Fellowship of the Ring, that they went all out in various techniques to make the hobbits appear smaller. They used body doubles, forced perspective, and different scaled sets, depending on what the scene called for. Changing the techniques, especially at the very start makes it harder to figure out how they pulled it off. The end result is that as a viewer you are immersed and buy into the concept that the hobbits are half the size as the rest of the actors. It also means that if they don't pull off a shot as well later on in the film, you are less likely to notice it since you have been convinced in the first 15min that hobbits are halflings