(c) Photofest / Getty Images
' Ex Machina' New sci-fi movie that wins the Academy Award for Visual Effects and updates the possibilities of independent films
2019.12.28
Whitehurst overcame difficulties
One of the highlights of this film is the depiction of the female AI Eva, who will be confronting two humans. Except for the parts that transmit minute movements, such as the face and fingers, and parts that are covered with mesh material, the cylindrical parts such as the arms, torso, and legs are see-through, and the design shows a mechanism similar to human muscle tissue.
Usually, to express such a design, a person is filmed using performance capture, and then a CG version of Eva is created based on that footage and then composited into the filmed background. A typical example would be James Cameron's " Alita: Battle Angel " (2019).
“Alita: Battle Angel” trailer
However, due to the limited budget, it was not possible to carry out large-scale filming such as performance capture. In addition, there was also an intention to make use of the actors' performances as they were, rather than reconstructing them with CG. The method adopted was to add CG one frame at a time to match the filmed material.
In addition to this mind-boggling task, the CG team was hit with further misfortune - the use of the anamorphic lens mentioned above. Normally, CG production software comes with camera lens data installed, and the CG is created based on the data of the lens used during filming. This makes the CG blend in more naturally when combined. However, the lens used in this production was old, and the data was not included in the CG software. As a result, the CG team had to adjust the CG by comparing it with the actual background so that it would blend in better with the filmed materials.
"Ex Machina" Film (C) 2014 Universal City Studios Productions LLLP. All Rights Reserved.
However, VFX director Whitehurst worked closely with the three CG production companies, Double Negative, Milk, and Utopia, and through meticulous management he overcame this difficult task.
Indie films show a new vision
The wonderful locations found through painstaking research around the world and the realistic studio sets provide an environment where the actors can concentrate on their acting. Vikander's calculated acting, in which she doesn't blink and is conscious of even the angle of her head, draws the audience into the psychological battle between AI and humans.
Among all of this, the CG stands quietly, but its quality is extremely high. The restrained VFX in this film was completely different from the other nominated works. It was the VFX team that took to the stage at the awards ceremony, but I think many people saw Vikander as Eva. In fact, the visuals in this film were so outstandingly well-made that it seems appropriate to give a shoutout to the main staff who worked on the visual effects as well.
"Ex Machina" Film (C) 2014 Universal City Studios Productions LLLP. All Rights Reserved.
Could a future where subscription-based streaming services such as Netflix collect viewing data from subscribers around the world and AI advances story development? However, looking at the recent trends in the Academy Awards, I can't help but feel that now, more than ever, we are looking forward to wise people struggling and struggling, turning unexpected encounters into Being There, and continuing to steadily create.
I can't help but feel that the film's award for Best Visual Effects sends a Arrival that it believes in the new visions and diversity of themes that indie films have, and in the passion of the filmmakers who face the constraints of a production environment.
reference
https://www.studiodaily.com/2016/02/vfx-supervisor-andrew-whitehurst-on-ex-machina/
https://www.fxguide.com/fxfeatured/ex-machina-the-making-of-ava/
https://www.dneg.com/ex-machina-wins-best-vfx-oscar/
Text: Koji Eguchi
Video producer. Mainly focusing on advertising, but active in a wide range of media. Has won numerous advertising awards at home and abroad, including at Cannes, and contributed to this article from the unique perspective of a producer with a wide range of production experience, including Koji Fukada's "The Man from the Sea" (2018) and VR exhibiting at SXSW. Also posting on "note".
"Ex Machina"
Blu-ray: 1,886 yen + tax / DVD: 1,429 yen + tax
Publisher: NBCUniversal Entertainment
Film (C) 2014 Universal City Studios Productions LLLP. All Rights Reserved.
*Information as of December 2019.
(c) Photofest / Getty Images
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