Week 3: MOVIE ANALYSIS 3: The Visual Effects Film
MODULE 3: MOVIE ANALYSIS 3: THE VISUAL EFFECTS FILM
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Introduction
In this module, we'll explore what it takes to create a memorable live-action feature film in which visual effects play a key role.
Now that you've had a chance to watch and critique a couple of films, we will apply the same methods to a fantasy/science-fiction film comprising different worlds, spaceships, and a variety of human and digital characters.
The film chosen for this module is Guardians of the Galaxy (dir. James Gunn, 2014).
Student Outcomes
"Outstanding visual effects must always support the storytelling."
Will Cohen
CEO/executive producer at Milk VFX
As hard as it is to believe, some filmmakers think that by piling on as many visual effects as possible, problems in plot development or story structure will be magically fixed.
One problem of this lazy filmmaking is the addition of elaborate action sequences (car crashes, explosions, etc.) that look recycled and find their way into too many current films.
George Lucas calls it 'Puppies on the Freeway."
If you keep putting characters in harms way for no reason other than to get a reaction from the audience - and not to help move the story along, then it stops having an impact on the audience.
Effects should be designed to support a story and a shot sequence.
"Action With Reaction"
So, with all this in mind, let's now watch a film that embraces several genres (comedy, science fiction, and fantasy) in a very effective way. We will be transported to fantastic locations, all of which are key parts of the storytelling process.
For example, this scene takes place on a "planet" that is actually the severed skull of a dead creature with a giant-sized head!
This seemingly absurd idea (with the remaining brain matter serving as a wealth of minerals and hence the presence of a mining colony) is different, yet fascinating at the same time.
What was that creature? The audience wants to know.
That's cinematic storytelling. What else is out there in this story universe that is yet to be discovered?
We will also see how skillfully the film's director brings together a team of strange, and distinct heroes—better described as antiheroes—all with their own backstories, who unite as a team and stop an evil villain from killing millions.
In your groups, after watching the first hour of the film, you will again analyze one aspect of the feature from our film analysis list (character, story, music, etc.).
Be ready to explain how significant this aspect was and what role it played in the storytelling process. Now let's go ahead and watch Guardians of the Galaxy.
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WATCH FIRST HOUR OF FILM
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CLASS ACTIVITY:
IN YOUR GROUPS, DISCUSS ONE ASPECT OF THE FILM AS IT RELATES TO THE STORY:
COLOR and MUSIC - How are color and music used to tell the story? The "Awesome Mix Vol. 1" cassette that Peter Quill got from his mother at a young age, how is it relevant to the story?
CHARACTER ANALYSIS, STORY ARCS - who are the Guardians of the Galaxy? Describe their struggle to become heroes and open their hearts to each other to pursue the right thing, How do the go from being rivals to working together as a team??
VISUAL EFFECTS What makes a good visual effect? Site examples from the film - talk about a specific sequence or sequences where the effects clearly show the action taking place in space. ACTION with REACION - so we understand why they are making decisions and why they are in danger.
ENVIRONMENTS Talk about the some of the many digital environments in the film.
For instance, Nowhere a "planet" that is actually the severed skull of a dead creature with a giant-sized head that houses a sprawling city of villainy; and the dangerous blue race known as the Kree.
other examples:
the interior of Ronan’s spaceship, the surreal cosmic landscape for a flashback sequence between Gamora and Star-Lord, the exterior skies and cityscape seen from the Nova Corp command center...
REPORT BACK IN 30-40 MINUTES AND SHARE YOUR FINDINGS WITH THE CLASS
go into break out rooms - start getting students onto Classmarker
MODULE 3: MOVIE ANALYSIS 3: THE VISUAL EFFECTS FILM
The Auteur Speaks
Let's do some background study on the writer/director of the film, James Gunn. We'll explore some of the motivations and creative decisions he made during the making of the film. As with our study of Brad Bird and the development of The Incredibles, we will get a better idea of why some of the key ideas ultimately found their way into the movie.
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| James Gunn Here's Gunn talking about his decision to commit to the film. This is classic auteur theory in action: For me, to spend years of my life directing a film and sacrificing all other endeavors, it needs to feel like a calling and I need to feel like I'm bringing something specific to the film that wouldn't be brought by another director. [Emphasis added.] He goes on to state that for decades, films in the science-fiction genre "have been entombed" by the groundbreaking films Blade Runner and Alien. |
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| Blade Runner |
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| Alien |
"These films rely on darkness and grittiness to make them 'real.' The look of science-fiction films has mostly been hitting the same piano key over and over since that time."
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| Early Guardians Concept Design Gunn goes on the say that "Guardians of the Galaxy will be about color. In your face, over-the-top, unrepentant color." |
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| Peter Quill's Ship |
James Gunn was heavily influenced by the look of two iconic science-fiction films, Alien and Blade Runner. How did this influence his decisions in the visual design of Guardians of the Galaxy?
Story
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| Trapped in Prison |
Quill, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Drax all want to achieve different things, but the only way any of them has a chance of succeeding is by teaming up.
Sound : The Power of Music
One of the interesting aspects of the film is the use of vintage Earth music to create a mood-altering experience. The main track of music consisting of hits of the '60s and '70s, with songs like "Come and Get Your Love", and the juxtaposition of a futuristic world is a unique experience.
The soundtrack beautifully enhances the shots in the film when it's played. Gunn has a very deliberate goal of capitalizing on the psychological effects that music has on all of us. Music has the ability to bring us together. It can communicate like a language (sometimes more effectively), and it can nostalgically take us back in time. The cassette player and the music on the tape are the key connections to Peter's mother and her death. The tape compilation was a gift Peter's mother gave him on her deathbed.
One of the main story points in the movie is that Quill has this compilation tape (Awesome Mix Vol. 1) that he got from his mother before she died that she made for him. It was of songs that she loved, all songs from the 1970s, and that's the only thing he has left of his mother and that's the only thing he has left of his home on Earth. He uses that as a connection to his past and to the sadness that he feels of having left all that and lost all that.
James Gunn
This factor plays out in several creative ways in the film.
One final example of the use of music is this pivotal scene at the end of the movie that shows how this funky music can contrast cleverly with serious action.
MODULE 3: MOVIE ANALYSIS 3: THE VISUAL EFFECTS FILM
What Makes a Good Visual Effect?
As soon as the rough cut of the film was completed, director James Gunn, now with time available to him, traveled to the main visual effects studios to work closely with the VFX teams. There were several acclaimed studios involved, simply because of the volume and complexity of the effects shots: fur simulation for Rocket Raccoon, photorealistic computer-graphic simulation of a giant tree creature, and massive battle sequences on different planets. Gunn the auteur had ideas in his mind on how all this should come together, so he was determined to be very hands-on.
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| Groot Echoing the quote earlier in this module about how visual effects must always support the storytelling, VFX supervisor Nicolas Aithadi had this to say: James was very involved in the whole project. During production, we didn't have much interaction as he was very busy making the movie, but he still found time to review assets and concept work. Once the shoot had wrapped we would talk to him twice a week, along with the rest of the Marvel team. Going further, another VFX team in charge of Rocket Raccoon found Gunn on set for days at a time, where he insisted on having an actor, instead of a prop, acting in the scenes where Rocket would be. This technique has its origins in Andy Serkis's performance-capture techniques. Furthermore, Gunn wanted his brother Sean to be the actor because he knew exactly what Sean was capable of.  |
Gollum (Weta) They have a team that match the markers on the face, then hand it off to the animators, for creative changes. This way the polished facial animation is created over 'blocking' of the actual facial performance of the actor, Andy Serkis.
Rocket (Framestore) and Groot (MPC) facial animation is keyframe animated. They shot motion capture, with actor Sean Gunn, for overall body performance.
So, a successful visual effect has to follow several criteria. First, there have to be accuracy and photorealism: the viewer has to accept what they are seeing. Secondly, it has to show pure, artistic expression. Excellent effects project the work of a VFX artist who isn't limited by the restrictions of a cost-effective result. Instead, guided by the auteur's vision, the VFX artist skillfully zeroes in on new discoveries within their art. Last, and most important, the effect has to succeed in telling the story.
We'll end this page with this quote by Marque Pierre Søndergaard, professional texture artist:
On one hand, you have visual effects that impress you when you are later told that the sequence was actually CG, and you never guessed. On the other hand, you have visual effects that seduce you with dazzling visuals and make no attempt to blend with the wallpaper. An example of the first would be Jurassic Park. At the first viewing, I kept asking, "How did they have real dinosaurs on set?" The second could be exemplified by Guardians of the Galaxy, where the over-the-top world of a comic book makes no excuses for bending the laws of physics if it results in cool images.
Dictionary result for morph
morphing
- change smoothly from one image to another by small gradual steps using computer animation techniques."3-D objects can be morphed into other objects"
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