Visual effects supervisor Mark Bakowski breaks down key sequences from Ridley Scotts Gladiator II, including the Colosseum ship battle, the rhino and baboons.One of the most stunning sequences in Ridley Scotts Gladiator II is a naval battle that happens inside the Colosseum. Oh, and also, there are sharks. Visual effects supervisor Mark Bakowski recalls first hearing about the sequence in pre-production. I remember sitting there with the producer who was showing me pictures and pointing at them and then looking at me, and then pointing at them, he tells befores & afters.The plan was to shoot the audacious scene wet-for-wet as much as possible, relates Bakowski. Theres a very large water tank in Malta, and so the idea would be when youre looking down, you put a big ol bluescreen in the background, and wed do a very small set build of the Colosseum. We knew wed need to use a CG Colosseum anyway, but wed get the water interaction with the tank.Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures.Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures.That was the plan, adds Bakowski, but it didnt come to pass because the actors strike came along and we had this week and a half where all the actors had gone, but the stunties were still knocking around because they werent SAG. So, in that time, Ridley said, Well, lets just shoot the boats. But the tank wasnt ready, so we had to shoot the boats dry instead. It was meant to be a rehearsal. Of course, it wasnt a rehearsal.Ultimately, the director was happy with what had been filmed dry. There were definite advantages to shooting dry because you shoot so much faster, says Bakowski. Imagine moving a camera around on a boat; everything just takes time. Ridley could shoot the pace he wanted to. The die was cast and we didnt really want to intercut them too much. Obviously if someone falls into the water and is swimming in the water, those really were shot in the wet.Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures.Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures.In the end, the sequence was filmed dry, then wet in a tank, as well as in an underwater tank, and on stage at Shepparton. Those four shooting scenarios were ultimately brought together by Industrial Light & Magic (also responsible for the sharks).What helped us was the burning sail gag, advises Bakowski. It wasnt planned that way, but it really worked as a glue because if you put embers and smoke into all these things, its like, Oh yeah, its the same place.Filling out the ColosseumThe Colosseum itself, seen in that naval battle as well as in many other sequences, was a mix of a practical build and then extensive CG extensions. Production designer Arthur Max orchestrated construction of the arena in Malta amounting to about one third of its real height, and approximately one third the way around. ILM then constructed the Colosseum as a digital asset (in addition to ILM, other VFX vendors on Gladiator II included Framestore, SSVFX, Cheap Shot, Ombrium and Exceptional Minds).Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures.Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures.Interestingly, Bakowski consulted a professor of history at Oxford about the VFX build for the Colosseum, especially in relation to the awning shadesThe Velariumat the top of the arena, and it was built to match the accurate historical data. However, according to Bakowski, something was amiss.It didnt look like the first Gladiator at all. It was accurate, but not aesthetically pleasing. Our real one just didnt work in the same way, so very quickly we adjusted ours so that it matched Gladiators look in terms of the design.Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures.Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures.For crowds, production was often able to film with around 500 extras in Matla. That was always a fun game, notes Bakowski, because Ridley shoots with 10, 12, 14 cameras at times. Theyre all pointing different directions, and then youve got this 500-person crowd, so youre trying to work out what the hell do we do with this crowd? Youve got to try and place your bets about where to put them and hope the cameras are going to catch enough important bits of the action. Additional crowds were CG, achieved via a separate motion capture shoot and then generation by ILM. Some crowd tiles with the extras were also utilized.Wider shots of Rome, especially those of characters arriving into the city, made similar use of both practical sets and digital augmentations. We had a practical build of an archway which went up about 30 feet, details Bakowski. On top of that, its a top up where they couldnt build any more, which had a bit of a bluescreen for shadow casting and that was it. The suckling wolf is visual effects. Theres a practical river that special effects supervisor Neil Corbould built, which we extended a little bit. And then on the hillsides theres Rome which was all visual effects instead of being a car park, which is actually what was there [in the plate].The opening battleGladiator II begins with the Roman invasion of Numidia. The naval siege against the Numidian fortified walls was actually filmed in Morocco, where there was no water. Neil Corbould orchestrated the movement of Roman galleon ships in the desert using massive 20 axle plant movers, usually relied upon to move oil rigs. ILM then added the ocean, ships and extended a real-world castle in Ouarzazate, Morocco for where the Numidian army defends its homeland.Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures.Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures.The practical photography gave you this thing to hang onto every time, states Bakowski. Thats whats great about it. Even if you replace it all, youve got the sense of intent. Youve got the sense of what these shots should be about, how the light would work, and something to hang on to.One particular challenge for this battle, from Bakowskis point of view, was oars. We had to think about things like oars, whether to have them there or not. In the opening battle, we had no oars, theres no point. You cant see the oarsmen because theyre all under inside. So obviously we didnt want those random oars thrashing about in the desert, so there we went with CG oars. Whereas in the Colosseum set, you had to have oars because you could see the oarsman rowing the whole time.Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures.Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures.Creature features: a rhino, and baboonsAnother dramatic sequence that takes place inside the Colosseum was the rhinoceros battle, which sees a mounted rhino take on some new gladiators. A rhino in the Colosseum was imagined for the first film, with some CG tests even carried out by Tippett Studio, but was never shot. On Gladiator II, production filmed with a Neil Corbould-made rhino animatronic. It was driven around via radio control on wheels, explains Bakowski. It had a gait that wasnt necessarily scientific in how it moved, but we got away with it.Framestore then delivered a CG rhino (and sometimes CG rider) for the sequence, with ILMs Colosseum and crowds making up the backgrounds. Framestore would utilize the saddle and parts of the stunt performer rider where they could. It did work pretty well and we could retrofit [our CG rhino] to what the practical rhino was doing, says Bakowski. That gave us the bouncing up and down, it gave everyone eyelines and it was nice reference in terms of kicking up dust. We could keep a lot of that dust. We added more, but it certainly did no harm, and it was pretty damn cool.Framestore was also responsible for the baboons (suffering from alopecia) that are unleashed on the gladiators in another fight, a sequence that was tricky owing to the level of interaction between gladiator and animal. It was the toughest sequence, I think, views Bakowski. Conceptually, because, well, baboon alopecia, its an unusual thing. No ones seen one until this movie. But the physicality of it was interesting as well, because baboons are small, like four and a half feet. We tried to get the smallest stunties we could, but theyre just not four feet tall as you can imagine. We got the smallest ones we could to do the fighting, but youve got to work with what youve got, so theres some big old stunt men running around there.Prosthetics designer Conor OSullivan built a torso of a baboon for close interaction shots, including for a moment that involves biting. Framestore then meticulously removed the stunt performers and baboon prosthetics from the plates and replaced them with their CG creatures. Bakowski observes that the visual effects work was particularly challenging due to the frenetic action of the baboon fight and the incorporation of a short shutter. It was a tough, tough, tough sequence. But we got there in the end.The post How visual effects put ships (and sharks!) in the Colosseum appeared first on befores & afters.

The much-awaited Senna on Netflix has stormed the charts, racing to the top slot in the global non-English TV series rankings. Picma Post brings out their stunning VFX breakdown, showing the kind of artistry and accuracy that brought Ayrton Sennas legendary story alive.From high-speed thrills to intimate character moments, Picmas team collaborated closely with Netflix and director Vicente Amorim to ensure authenticity and emotional depth in every frame. Utilizing advanced techniques, and contributions from partners like Scanline VFX, Quanta, Miagui, and Eyeline VFX, the visuals really come alive with the passion, teamwork, and resilience that defined Sennas journey.As Ayrton Senna himself said: I am part of a team. So, when I win, its not just me. I finish the work of a huge group of people. This thought best captures how the genius artists involved have worked with dedication on producing this series. Vai Brasil!The post Senna VFX Breakdown by PICMA POST appeared first on Vfxexpress.

The Animation Society of India organized an enlightening Game Gurukula event on December 7, 2024 at Prasad Studios, Chennai. The event brought expert-led sessions and interactive discussions to deeper dive into the world of gaming.The session on Intellectual Property creation, led by Harish Chengaiah, the founder of Outlier Games, was one of the brightest highlights. Harish presented rich insights into the importance of IPs in the gaming industry, building strategies for IPs, and their role in long-term growth and innovation.Another interesting session was game art, where Somneel Saha and Sougata Mukherjee from Create On Games presented their experience in the creative process behind game art and all the possibilities it brings into the industry. Panel discussions concluded the event, with sessions on game design, production challenges, and emerging trends. Game Gurukula 2024 is a must-attend for gaming enthusiasts.The post TASI Presents Game Gurukula 2024: A Gateway to the Game Industry appeared first on Vfxexpress.

On December 12, 1980, a few hours after the opening bell rang on Wall Street, shares of Apple Computer officially began trading. The numbers, by todays standards, werent that impressive.Apple raised roughly $100 million in the offering (about the equivalent of $383 million in todays dollars), selling 4.6 million shares at $22 each. Today, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) has a market cap of $3.75 trillion and shares trade at around $248. There are a few more shares on the market now toocurrent outstanding shares of Apple top 15 billion.The public trading debut of this company, which has risen to such prominence in the tech world, wasnt viewed as especially important news at the time. The Wall Street Journal ran a story about it, but way back on page 12 of that days paper. (Stories about Ronald Reagans cabinet picks were the bigger news of the day.)Individual investors in Massachusetts, meanwhile, were prohibited by state regulators from buying the companys shares, as they were deemed too risky as defined by rules at the time that sought to protect investors from companies not having a strong earnings foundation. (The law mandated that per-share offering prices could not exceed 20 times earnings. Apple debuted at about 90 times earnings.)Shares were also not offered in Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, Michigan, Alabama, and Oklahoma.It sounds truly unfathomable now, but keep in mind that at the time it went public, Apple trailed Tandy Corp. in PC sales.Adjusted share priceLets pretend that you lived in a state that allowed the sale of the stock on this day 44 years ago. And, whether by hunch or a stock tip from a time traveler, you decided to plunk down the $22 ($84.23 in todays dollars) to buy one share of the company on the day it debuted.With the number of stock splits the company has rolled out in the ensuing years (three 2:1 splits, one 7:1, and one 4:1), that one share now would be 224 shares. And that $22 investment would be worth $55,552.Had you really rolled the dice and sunk $1,000 in the company, that investment now would be worth about $2.5 million.Stock sellersWhile today Apple might be a must-have stock for some investors, that was hardly the case when it began trading. In fact, shares of most stocks didnt regularly show the sort of gains investors see today. In 1980, for example, the entirety of the Dow Jones Industrial Average only increased from $838.74 to $963.99. At the time, the rate of return for a three-month certificate of deposit (CD) was a jaw-dropping 16%, which was a very attractive alternative for some buyers.Four years ago, Fast Company tracked down some Day One investor groups that had sold shares on IPO day instead of holding onto them. None said they regretted the move.One investor, who worked with the venture arm of Continental Illinois Bank, which was the largest-selling shareholder on IPO day, said, We were convinced this was going to be an educational playcomputers in schools. We had no concept of a personal computer market.That company had invested $504,000 in Apple in August 1978. Its IPO stake was worth $40 million and it sold $5 million of that at the IPO, locking in sizable gains and still holding onto another 1.5 million shares (todays value: $83.3 billion).No Apple employees sold any stock on IPO day, largely because of lockup rules preventing it. But given that Apple had seen its sales grow by a factor of 150-fold from 1977 to 1980, some could have been rewarded for holding on a bit longer.To really see returns, however, they would have had to have been very patient. Apple shares didnt show any noticeable movement until around 2005.

Whod have thought Sofia Richie Grainge two-stepping on TikTok could cause such a stir online?The 26-year-old can be seen dancing alongside her friend, influencer Jake Shane, in a TikTok video posted November 28. Looking chic in a camel-color sweater and skirt combo, she did a little two-step and shimmy alongside Shane, as they sang TikToks current favorite song Messy by Lola Young. @octopusslover8 happy thanksgiving @Sofia Richie Grainge Messy Lola Young The 14-second clip, which has scored nearly 24 million views, seems innocent enough. And Grainges casual moves, since dubbed the Sofia Richie Dance, have since inspired thousands of copycats looking to jump on the next trend.New fave dance unlocked, a creator wrote next to a video of her mimicking Grainges moves, garnering more than 7 million views. Another said she was practicing her Sofia Richie dance in the kitchen for absolutely no reason. A third received upwards of 1.3 million views on a video showcasing similar moves on a New York City street, and a fourth creator described the Sofia Richie dance as her Roman Empireanother term that originated on TikTok to describe something someone thinks about often. @manondevelderx I dont know what this is but I like the song original sound LOLA YOUNG LIVE The fact that such simple moves can even be called a trend has infuriated the internet. What Sofia Richie did was just called vibing yall, one TikToker said in her analysis of the trend. Its pretty normal for people who like music, she added with more than a hint of sarcasm. Other commenters beneath the videos are baffled by all the fuss. Im not understanding this trend, one wrote in a roundup of videos posted by the original singer, Lola Young. Is the dance in the room with us? added another. @lolayounglive this trend #lolayoung #lolayoungfan Messy Lola Young The platforms rapid-trend cycle and the algorithms emphasis on quick, engaging content means users slapping a name on something and calling it a trend is a surefire way to go viral. When it comes to TikTok trends, the more accessible, the betterand what could be simpler than a backwards step, a shimmy, and a two-step? Ultimately, this results in a flattening of personality in the chase for clicks. But, you must admit, the dance is catchy.

Architecture studio ODP Architects has broken ground on the 56-storey Villa Miami skyscraper in Miami, which will be wrapped in an "exoskeleton reminiscent of a faceted diamond" and topped with a helicopter landing pad.Villa Miami has an approved height of 650 feet (198 metres) and is being constructed in Miami's East Edgewater neighbourhood.It will contain 70 residences as well as amenities such as a pool deck, spa, member's and yacht club, dock, a ground-floor restaurant and a rooftop helipad.ODP Architects has broken ground on a copper-clad skyscraper in Miami"With waterfront homes in the sky, adorned in bronze, and anchored by a helicopter pad above and a dock below, this exceptional residential complex stands as a beacon of opulence and exclusivity," said ODP Architects.Renders of the skyscraper show a tower with a tapered base wrapped in a glass, concrete, and copper metal facade. The copper soffits run along the perimeter of the tower and extend slightly over its top while forming expansive triangles at the base.Glass terraces and cladding fill in the remaining facade, with bevelled corners extending through the copper border.It features a glass tower with bevelled cornersAccording to ODP Architects, the tower's copper "exoskeleton" and faceted glass facade were informed by "the interplay of light on water" in the neighbouring Biscayne Bay."The architectural design of Villa Miami draws inspiration from the mesmerizing interplay of light on water and the serene tranquillity found in the adjacent bay," said the studio.Read: Eight upcoming skyscrapers set to change the Miami skyline"The project showcases a striking geometric facade. To enhance this design, an exoskeleton reminiscent of a faceted diamond or precious jewellery piece is introduced. This exoskeleton serves as a set of prongs that elegantly encase and support the glass form."At the tower's base, geometric glass panels indicate more "active" spaces such as the restaurants and member's club, which span levels two through five.A dock and rooftop helipad are key featuresInterior renders show a palette of wood, "exquisite stones", metal and largely white walls throughout the residences."These elements combine to create an atmosphere of refined elegance and unparalleled sophistication," said the team.A palette of wood, stone and custom millwork will be used throughout the interiorAccording to developers Terra, One Thousand Group and restaurantuer Major Food Group, Villa Miami will offer an "unrivalled" experience in "service, cuisine and design"."Our thesis for Villa Miami merges world-class design, culinary excellence and the finest living standards," said Terra CEO David Martin. "This project elevates the luxury condo market while embracing a low-density approach that enhances exclusivity."The tower is slated for 2027 completion.Recently, Terra worked with Arquitectonica to complete the "tallest skyscraper in Miami Beach" and Dezeen rounded up several other skyscrapers set to be completed in the city.The images are by Binyan StudioThe post Miami skyscraper by ODP Architects to be "beacon of opulence and exclusivity" appeared first on Dezeen.

The latest edition of our weekly Dezeen Agenda newsletter features plans for a medical district in Sharjah. Subscribe to Dezeen Agenda now.Renzo Piano Building Workshop announced its plans for the Jawaher Boston Medical District in Sharjah, featuring healthcare facilities within a park, which will feature a 1,000-by-500-meter park with a central canopy shading its medical buildings.Aviation authority concerns delay US tallest skyscraper plansThis week's newsletter also featured news that plans for the Legends Tower supertall skyscraper in Oklahoma City were postponed due to aviation concerns, designs ofFrida Escobedo's limestone-clad wing for The Met and an interview with NASA's Nujoud Merancy.Dezeen AgendaDezeen Agenda is a curated newsletter sent every Thursday containing the most important news highlights from Dezeen. Read the latest edition of Dezeen Agenda or subscribe here.You can also subscribe to our other newsletters; Dezeen Debate is sent every Thursday and features the hottest reader comments and most-debated stories, Dezeen Dailyis our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours andDezeen In Depthis sent on the last Friday of every month anddelves deeper into the major stories shaping architecture and design.The post Dezeen Agenda features Renzo Piano's plans for the "hospital of the future" in Sharjah appeared first on Dezeen.

Midcentury Italian lighting designer Angelo Lelii created this Polifemo lamp in 1956. The unusual design features a stem interrupted by a sort of brass eyeball with a plastic diffuser. The eyeball illuminates and can be pivoted. The design is inspired by, and named for Polyphemus, the cyclops from Homer's Odyssey. (The shape of the top of the lamp is meant to reference a wine goblet; in the story, Ulysses got Polyphemus smashed on wine in order to escape from his lair.) The lamp was put into production by Lelii's company, Arredoluce, from the mid-'50s until at least the '60s. Today you can find them on vintage sites, but they're rare, sought-after and pricey.