Rotoscoping difficulties and Silhouette exploration by Scanline VFX in Don't Look Up project
In the satirical film "Don't Look Up," produced by Netflix, visual effects (VFX) played a crucial role in bringing the apocalyptic scenario to life. One of the key tools in the VFX arsenal was Boris FX Silhouette, a powerful software used for rotoscoping, paint, and tracking.
Scanline VFX, one of the VFX studios involved in the production, completed around 160 shots on the film across 12 sequences. The main sequences worked on by Scanline included the Drask launch, the comet impact, the first time Randall sees comet Dibiasky, the Riley Bina concert, and the Don't Look Up rally.
The News Studio Scenes
The news studio scenes were particularly challenging for Scanline VFX. To remove reflections on Benedict Drask's face and in his eyes, they had to do some work with Silhouette, particularly for roto-ing for mattes to help in procedural paint. Silhouette was also crucial in removing unwanted elements from these scenes.
In scenes with an actress moving a lot, hand painting and producing clean frames was a must, according to Solon, Paint and Roto Lead at Scanline VFX. Mocha in Silhouette was used to assist in tracking for set objects and organic subjects.
Scanline's paint and roto departments prepared crew, sets, rigs, provided roto mattes for crowd additions, provided beauty passes, and stabilized set pieces.
Challenges and Solutions
Films often require intricate object removal or masking, which can be challenging and time-consuming. Boris FX Silhouette is renowned for its advanced paint and rotoscoping tools, which can be used to effectively remove unwanted objects or create detailed masks.
Combining diverse visual effects, such as explosions, fire, or CGI elements, into a seamless narrative can be difficult. Silhouette integrates well with other VFX software like Adobe After Effects, allowing for comprehensive compositing and visual effects implementation.
Maintaining consistent lighting and color across scenes is crucial for believable visuals. Silhouette's planar tracking and stabilization features can help in seamlessly integrating FX elements into live-action footage.
The Impact of Boris FX Silhouette
Solon, Paint and Roto Lead at Scanline VFX, noted the efficiency and control of roto in Silhouette. He also emphasized the importance of tools like Boris FX Silhouette to Scanline VFX and their VFX partners.
The film has won the WGA's Original Screenplay Award and is currently nominated for four Oscars, including Best Motion Picture and Original Screenplay. While specific details about the VFX work for "Don't Look Up" using Boris FX Silhouette are not widely available, it's clear that the software played a significant role in bringing the film's visually stunning scenes to life.
Some of the most difficult shots in the film involved Benedict Drask (Ron Perlman) as a military officer (and now astronaut) tasked with stopping the comet from destroying Earth. Despite these challenges, Scanline VFX was able to deliver high-quality VFX work using Boris FX Silhouette.
"Don't Look Up," produced by Netflix, has been one of the platform's most-watched and talked-about films. The VFX work, powered by tools like Boris FX Silhouette, has undoubtedly contributed to the film's success.
The visual effects team at Scanline VFX used Boris FX Silhouette for data-and-cloud-computing tasks in the production of the movie "Don't Look Up," specifically for removing reflections on Benedict Drask's face and in his eyes, as well as for roto-ing for mattes and removing unwanted elements in the news studio scenes. In the realm of entertainment, technology like Boris FX Silhouette plays a vital role in enhancing movies-and-tv projects, as shown in the visually stunning scenes of "Don't Look Up."
