Following on from the blogs we wrote on how we often use more traditional techniques
for special effect shots, we've just completed a sequence for All That Remains that relied heavily on a miniature model.
The sequence required two actors to unearth a cathedral bell
that has been buried beneath a pile of rubble (from the atomic blast) and to
then raise it on a make-shift stand, with the scene ending on the bell ringing
out once more across the wastelands of Nagasaki on Christmas Eve night.
It’s a very important scene in the film (and a very symbolic
one) so we spent a lot of time experimenting with different ideas for how we
were going to pull this off. After rendering some test footage with a computer generated
3D version of the bell, we decided to opt for a far more traditional technique.
Model miniatures have
been used in the field of film special effects since the very beginning; in
fact, one of the iconic images from the early film period is a still from George
Melies' A Trip to the Moon – which shows
the man in the moon with the rocket stuck in his eye. The effect was achieved
with the use of miniatures.
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| Concept art for George Melies' A Trip to the Moon - 1901 |
Maybe the most magical aspect of miniatures is that, even
today, with the stunning photo-realism that can be achieved with CGI, miniatures
are still very much part of the special effects tool box, and indeed, in many
cases, the best tool for the job.
In our case, the miniature was shot against a greenscreen and was then composited into a CGI rendered backdrop with the two actors (also shot against greenscreen) – so it was very much a case of traditional and modern FX techniques working together to achieve our effect.
In our case, the miniature was shot against a greenscreen and was then composited into a CGI rendered backdrop with the two actors (also shot against greenscreen) – so it was very much a case of traditional and modern FX techniques working together to achieve our effect.
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| The miniature bell lying in miniature rubble |
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| As it appears in the scene. |
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The bell hanging from it's make-shift support. 
A Message of hope rings out - this shot is a composite of CGI, live action and miniature.
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We've just released a new trailer for All That Remains - you can check it out on our Facebook page!
