A biopic of a British pop star, a psychological thriller and a sports drama don’t seem to have much in common on the surface. but better person, a different person and unstoppable They all have at least one thing in common: they all use effects to convey and illustrate character.
In every film, visual effects (whether practical or computer-generated) help viewers accept something unconventional about the protagonists and better understand their virtues and even insecurities. as a different person Makeup artist and prosthetic designer Mike Marino said of his project: “The message is that you don’t have to try to look like other people to be a good person, a quality person, an amazing person. people.
However, integrating technology to achieve this goal is no easy task.
In Aaron Shenberg’s book a different personIn “Sebastian Stan,” Sebastian Stan plays Edward Lemuel, a struggling actor with low self-esteem who undergoes therapy to cure a disease called neurofibrillar Tumor disease, a disease that disfigured his face. However, his real nightmare begins when he meets the charming Ozwald (played by actor Adam Pearson, who has neurofibromatosis in real life) and is plagued by his confidence.
Stan’s transformation began with a 3D scan of his face, which was then made into a plaster-like replica for Marino to sculpt and design. “I studied Adam’s face and made my own version that suited Sebastian,” he explains. A smaller silicon mold was then made from the face sculpture and glued to Stan’s body through a two-hour makeup process every day. This approach is particularly useful in the scene where after performing a procedure Remiel’s skin begins to inflame and melt from the fluid oozing from his face, to his horror.
“It’s all practical effects,” said Marino, who wanted his work to be consistent with the retro feel of the film, which was shot on 16mm film. “I made a very soft version of the makeup that would peel off and slide off, which actually reflects David Cronenberg’s style fly”. (For more information, see page 28 fly.)
The visuals, he says, are not meant to shock the audience; Their purpose is to help the audience connect with the story. “People like tangible things,” Marino points out. “They like to know that the actor is down there and is probably being tortured. It’s actually very helpful to the actor because they have to be who they are. Emotion and performance are so tied to a person’s appearance.
In his corner of the movie world, Jharrel Jerome used action training instead of makeup to prepare for his role as former NCAA wrestling champion Anthony Robles in William Goldenberg’s directorial debut Robles, who was born with one leg, unstoppableslated for a limited release in theaters on December 6. Next came the work of the visual effects team, who used two methods to blend their bodies together on screen: AI face replacement and CGI leg replacement.
“Anthony was born with one leg that goes all the way up to his hip bone, so his physiology is really different, and it really affects how he looks from behind,” explains visual effects supervisor Thomas Tannenberger, who used a 150-sphere rig with An array of body scanner cameras captures each person’s physique. On this basis, a 3D CG model is built and assembled. “Every time you see Jarrell, we have to replace him from the hips down,” Tannenberg added.
Unstoppable’Athletic and spiritual victory
Ana Cabalosa/Amazon MGM Pictures
Instead, at times Jerome’s face (created by an artificial intelligence model using thousands of images captured from different angles) was forced onto Robles’ body; the filmmakers say it would be difficult to watch Wrestling without it Achieve authenticity in the scene.
In those intense games where “they were throwing each other around like ragdolls,” Tannenberg said, “Anthony basically had upper body strength that I don’t think anyone had ever seen before. He was kind of a superhero. This is impossible to achieve with a V-shaped figure. Therefore, in addition to changing the face, we also did a lot of body shaping in the later stage to make them fit better.
He said he knew there would be a backlash to using artificial intelligence in this way, with some actors expressing concern that faces and bodies would increasingly be used interchangeably without input from their owners. Artificial intelligence-based acting was at the heart of last year’s double strike by writers and actors. The current SAG-AFTRA contract agrees on various uses of digital reproductions, but many practical and ethical ambiguities remain.
“There are also more traditional so-called face replacement technologies, which are almost entirely CGI-based, and if you want them to be accurate, those are still very, very expensive,” he said. “While there’s been tremendous progress, this could be the domain of $200 million blockbusters, which it certainly isn’t. I don’t think it’s a terrible thing to say. We have to find a different way.
In Tannenberg’s case, that approach has paid off. “I saw the movie at the premiere in Toronto, and I know people were surprised when Jarrell walked on stage and had two legs. It was a visual effect,” he said. “We never get praise because very few people actually walk away and say, ‘Oh, wait, that can’t be possible. How did they do that? So that’s when I knew we did a good job.
There is no denying the use of computer graphics in Michael Gracey’s work better people, Singer-songwriter Robbie Williams often said that he felt like a dancing monkey trying to conform to the music industry and popular expectations of him, and the entire film plays out like that. (Literally, his character looks like a monkey; he’s voiced by Jono Davis, who also performs his physical movements.)
The challenge for the visual effects team was “to make sure people could identify, engage and be attracted to the character,” said animation supervisor Luke Millar, who worked on the character. planet of the apes The franchise prepared him for the task. “We don’t want it to be a joke, we don’t want it to be a caricature. [Robbie’s] He’s portrayed as an ape throughout, but ultimately the character we see is human, the emotions are human, and the connection you feel with him is human.
To facilitate this connection, Davis wore a gray suit with infrared LED lights for motion capture throughout the film and performed all scenes with the actors. “I ban tennis with sticks. We’ve never gone that route,” Miller said. “I didn’t want fake eyeliner, so a lot of the design of the character was based on Jono, so when Nicole [Raechelle Banno] Looking into Jono’s eyes, we put Robbie in and she looked into Robbie’s eyes.
Robbie Williams returns to himself better person.
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
To that end, the filming process wasn’t much different from other projects. It was in post-production that Williams’ images and sounds came together, with Williams narrating and performing his musical sequences in the film. “One of the challenges of the film was that there were about 1,970 weird shots in the film. It was a lot of work and you couldn’t let the mask slip.
As more artist biographies await publication in Hollywood, Miller calls for better personwhich will premiere on Christmas Day, “stands on its own” for its approach, although he hopes “maybe it will make people believe you can make these bolder choices,” he said.
“To be honest, Robbie’s story isn’t that unique. I think a lot of musicians and artists have similar experiences. But I love Michael’s take,” Miller added. “The idea was to tell [the story] It’s a lovely look at how Robbie sees himself, rather than how we all see Robbie.
This story first appeared in the December Independence issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
Updated December 2 at 2:07 pm: The editor points out that Jono Davis voices Robbie Williams, not Williams himself.
