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The much-anticipated sequel to Ridley Scotts iconic Gladiator, Gladiator II promised to transport audiences back to the grandeur of ancient Rome, balancing epic scale with emotional storytelling via superb VFX. At the heart of this ambitious endeavor is the visual effects team, led by Mark Bakowski, Overall VFX Supervisor from Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). With a legacy of crafting unforgettable cinematic worlds, ILM took on the monumental task of recreating the visceral authenticity and historical depth that made the original film so beloved. ILM was aided by Framestore, who was also a major contributor. Framestore delivered 136 carefully crafted shots, including the armoured rhino,12 bloodthirsty baboons and a hauntingly stylized River Styx environment.The wildfires have torn through the Los Angeles area this week, and our hearts go out to everyone affected; the devastation has been horrendous. It has also led to numerous closures, cancellations and postponements including the Oscar Bakeoff nominations. The traditional VFX bakeoff was originally scheduled for Jan. 11th, but the event will now be done virtually. Additionally, the announcement of nominees for the 97th Academy Awards has been delayed 2 days until Jan. 19, with nominations voting extended to Jan. 14. As part of our week of Bakeoff coverage, we spoke to Mark Bakowski in fire-ravaged LA, prior to him flying back to northern California.RidleygramsRidleygrams are Ridley Scotts iconic hand-drawn storyboards, which he uses as a creative tool to visualize and communicate his vision for a film. These sketches are a hallmark of Scotts filmmaking process, reflecting his background in art and design. While not overly detailed, Ridleygrams capture the mood, composition, and framing of key scenes, offering a dynamic and impressionistic blueprint for the film.Ridleygrams from Ridleys Instagram accountAs any VFX supervisor will testify, one of the most distinctive aspects of working with Scott is his use of Ridleygrams. Ridleys sense of perspective and composition is incredible, said Bakowski. I actually just got a book from him about a week ago- a leather-bound book of all his Ridleygrams from the movie, they beautifully track his vision from concept to the final shots. Scotts approach is often spontaneous, drawing inspiration from the environment. Whats amazing is how spontaneous his creativity can be, he explains. Hell spot something on the way to Setmist on the hills in Malta, for exampleand doodle on top of that to say, This is our Rome shot. His Ridleygrams arent just planning tools; they are an extension of how he thinks visually.Scott often sketches these directly on set or during pre-production to guide the crew, especially the cinematographer, production designers, and VFX crew, to ensure everyone clearly understands his creative intent. Their simplicity and immediacy make them a practical and flexible tool for collaboration, helping bridge the gap between abstract concepts and tangible cinematic execution.Ridleys sketches naturally convey depth and perspective, and the director is deeply focused on layering contrast and composition in his imagery. Hell dress a scene with incredible attention to detaileven down to positioning stunt performers based on their look, and who has the most character.That depth-building extends through his multi-camera setups. Our job is to translate his vision into something that feels both epic and authentic, ensuring that every layer of the frame contributes to the illusion of a lived-in world.(Sidenote: There is an upcoming art & making of Gladiator II from @abramsbooks featuring Ridleygrams, to be published in March 2025.)Numidia AttackSet 16 years after the death of Marcus Aurelius, Ridley Scotts Gladiator II begins with an unforgettable naval assault on the city of Numidia. This sequence perfectly encapsulates the ambitious visual effects approach of the film. Shot in the arid desert of Morocco, the scene utilized the Jerusalem set from Scotts Kingdom of Heaven, repurposed and adapted to evoke the grandeur of Numidia. To create the illusion of a Roman fleet engaging in battle, two 150-foot-long practical ships were mounted on transporter rigs by the Special Effects (SFX) team, allowing for dynamic on-set movements. These ships were later completed digitally, with the surrounding ocean and dramatic skies crafted entirely in post-production. Smoke, fire, explosions, and a hail of arrows added layers of intensity, while Ridley Scotts ability to art direct the ocean ensured the sequence met his exacting vision.Final shot combining dry for wet, sky replacement and built on vast practical setsThe battle culminates in a striking scene where Lucius, the films hero, finds himself at the mythical River Styx. This sequence by Framestore, combined practical and digital elements seamlessly. A small beach set was constructed on a soundstage, complemented by digital environment extensions, including a mesmerizing liquid-metal mercury simulation for the rivers supernatural qualities. When Lucius awakens on a practical beach shot in Numidia, the wider and reverse angles relied on footage captured in Malta. These disparate locations were unified in post with digital dressing and seamless transitions between the varied environments.ColosseumRome itself became a character in the film, its monumental architecture and vibrant streets brought to life through a combination of practical sets and digital augmentation. The lower sections of the Roman sets were built practically in Malta, while expansive vistas and upper architectural elements were added digitally by ILM. Despite the grandeur of the Roman scenes, extras on set never exceeded 500, necessitating extensive VFX crowd work. The Colosseum, a centerpiece of the original Gladiator, was revisited multiple times throughout the 1,130 visual effects shots in the new film, blending practical builds with complex digital enhancements to recreate its epic majesty. Ridley doesnt like to overcommit to a plan too far in advance, Bakowski explained. He thrives on flexibilityshooting with multiple cameras and finding the moment as it happens. For us, it meant being ready to pivot at any time. A prime example of this adaptability came during the sequence depicting a naval battle in the Coliseum. Initially planned as a mix of wet and dry shooting, the sequence was disrupted by the actors strike, leaving the team to complete it entirely dry on set. By working closely with the stunts team and leveraging post-production VFX, ILM seamlessly transformed the footage into a believable, high-stakes naval battle.As a result, this battle became one of the most technically demanding sequences in the Colosseum. Shot predominantly on dry land, it required extensive CG water, mast and sail extensions, and integration of long, uninterrupted takes captured from up to 12 cameras. The productions limited use of blue screens presented unique challenges, requiring heroic feats of paint, rotoscoping, and tracking to integrate the live-action footage with CG elements seamlessly. This approach had both advantages and drawbacksoffering more natural on-set lighting and interaction but demanding a Herculean effort from the paint and roto team.Ridley Scott has a natural sense of perspective and depth, comments Bakowski. He understands the depth of a scene. He often jokingly talks about how he invented smoke in movies in terms of depth layering and so on. As the Director loves to build contrast and composition in the way he constructs his images, he will individually dress to camera each of his multiple cameras when shooting. Often hell shoot with eight cameras as a regular thing, maybe 10, or 12. He will dress each camera by the foreground .. saying Okay, I want that stunt man whos got the bigger muscles, that guy has got the nice big nose, hes got character, et cetera, and hell build his scene back, in depth, into the frame. CreaturesIn addition to large-scale environments, the film also featured an array of CG creatures, from sharks and tigers to birds, horses, and even a rhino. One of the standout achievements was the creation of a full-sized white rhino rig, mounted on wheels and radio-controlled for practical interaction and lighting reference. VFX artists then replaced the rig with a fully digital rhino, whose detailed musculature, thick layers of fat, and sliding skin conveyed a sense of weight and momentum. Similarly, Ridley Scotts fascination with a nature documentary featuring a baboon with alopecia inspired the creation of a unique, digitally crafted baboon that became a pivotal character in the story.Final Army ConfrontationThe films climactic finale, set on the outskirts of Rome, showcased the VFX teams ability to unify diverse elements. Split between locations in Malta and the UK, the sequence involved digital extensions to blend the two settings, the addition of armies on both sides of the conflict, and a dramatic horse crash that required intricate CG work. As the culmination of the films 1,130 VFX shots, the finale exemplified the marriage of practical and digital techniques that defined Gladiator II. Through the collaboration of Ridley Scott, Mark Bakowski, and the VFX teams, the film not only honored the legacy of its predecessor but also elevated the art of visual effects in historical epics.
