For over two decades, Wicked has transported theatre audiences into the untold story behind The Wizard of Oz (1939). Bringing its magic to the screen required a spectacle that not only honoured its Broadway origins but expanded beyond them. Among the many key collaborators in this transformation was Industrial Light & Magics Pablo Helman, production visual effects supervisor. In a recent conversation, Helman shares with ILM.com the challenges and triumphs of adapting this theatrical phenomenon for film, seamlessly blending practical techniques with cutting-edge visual effects to create an enchanting cinematic experience.By Jamie Benning(Credit: Universal)The Musical ChallengeHelman admits that working on Wicked (2024) was an entirely new experience for him compared to his experiences on films like the Star Wars prequels (1999-2005), The Irishman (2019) and The Fabelmans (2022). I think I was ignorant, in that I thought for the last 30 years that my job started with the images and ended with the images, he tells ILM.com. Normally music is something that happens later on. But with this movie, not only is there pre-recorded material but there is live singing. And theres connections that are being made between the actors while they sing. Things that change between them that makes them elicit other reactions. And youre there three feet from the action with the music happening. That translated into how we approached the visual effects. It makes all the difference.But understanding how to integrate those effects meant first understanding director Jon M. Chus vision.Getting into Jon M. Chus HeadHelman is known for his thorough preparation when working with directors, and his collaboration with Jon M. Chu on Wicked was no exception. Its my job to get into the directors head, he says. When I first interviewed with him just to see how we would click, I did a lot of research on him as a filmmaker. How does he use the cameras, camera movement, lighting, sequencing, editingall of it. So we basically had the same language because I kind of cheated a little bit. I made it my business to understand how he goes about his process.He explains that Chus methodology is unique. He has an incredible vision for the movie, and then hes open enough to let the movie happen to him. Sometimes the movie develops in a way that is unexpected, and it grows in a specific way or something happens, and then he says, I never thought of it this way. Look, thats great. We have options.The funny thing about it is that once the project concludes, Helman continues, a little bit of their filmmaking stays with me as a kind of a tool set of things, that once in a while I pull out, and that helps me with something else. Every director is different. Everybody has a different process of understanding the storytelling.Unlike directors who rely heavily on previsualization, Chu prefers a more fluid, organic approach, embracing spontaneity throughout the filmmaking process. He doesnt use pre-vis the way some directors do, Helman says. Wed sit at a table with the heads of department, with Alice Brooks (Director of Photography), Myron Kerstein (Editor), with Nathan Crowley (Production Designer), Paul Corbould (Special Effects Supervisor), Jo McLaren (Stunt Coordinator) with a model of the set for that scene. And then we give him a little stick with a little Elphaba and other characters and he goes in and shows us what the scene is about. And when there is music, he plays the music from his phone. Then he does the movement of the actors with Chris Scott, the choreographer. And so we video those sessions and then we all go away and try to figure out how were going to achieve Jons visionbetween all of us.I did a lot of listening, because I hadnt worked with Jon before, Helman continues And Jon and Alice and Myron kind of grew up together from school, and they have been working together. And so for me to come in, its like, are they going to let me in? And they opened their arms and let me in. And it was a wonderful experience.(Credit: Universal)(Credit: Universal)Building Oz: The Role of Practical Sets and the Practicalities of Shooting a MusicalNathan Crowleys elaborate practical sets played a crucial role in grounding Wickeds fantastical world. Helman reflects on how these sets benefited both the cast and the visual effects team. You want to chase the truth as much as possible, he says. Yes, there were nine million tulips planted, but they were planted a hundred miles from the set. But there are benefits.He elaborates on the process of blending the practical and digital elements. Theres a shot in the beginning, of kids running through the tulips towards Munchkinland, and the matte line is around the kids. You know, after that, its all visual effects. Is it useful? Yes, for the actors, they have something there. But we changed the lighting, added the sun, and completed the tulips in post. The final look is a collaboration.The barley fields posed another challenge. We planted real barley, but during the first take, you couldnt run through itit was too dense. We had to shave it down and then digitally replace everything to maintain the illusion.Helman explains that the scale of the production meant nearly every frame of the film required some level of visual effects intervention. There are 2,200 visual effects shots in the movie. So every shot is a visual effects shot. Because this is a musical, all the actors are wearing really big earpieces that had to be replaced in 3D. There were also mics on their chests.The scale of the sets also dictated when practical elements could give way to digital enhancements. The interior sets go up to 25 feet and the exterior sets go up to 55 feet and then after that we take over as visual effects, says Helman. Special effects were really big too.Paul Corbould and his team built a huge train. But the gears were not moving. So thats where visual effects lends a hand. And the gears under the train are visual effects. And the inside of the train is visual effects because there was a small section built, but not the whole thing.And then the train was very reflective, Helman continues So if the camera follows it, then you have the reflection of all the lights and everything else that had to be recreated and painted out. So yes, there is a combination of reality and not reality. Its a realization that we are creating an illusion, all of us. And we all contribute little by little to that illusion. And then in post, we put it all together and complete it.(Credit: Universal)(Credit: Universal)Striving for Authenticity: Cynthia Erivos Green TransformationHelman and his team explored multiple approaches to achieving Elphabas distinctive green skin, testing a range of methods to determine the best solution. Yes, we did a lot of testing, he recalls. We did different tests of what would happen if we used green makeup, what would happen if she didnt have makeup, but we were there to fix everything that couldnt be done.Ultimately, it was actor Cynthia Erivo herself who made the final decision. Cynthia said, I need to be green. I think I need to be that person, Helman explains. And I know its three hours in the chair, but I need to put in that time to become that character. And it made a difference, I think.Even with practical makeup, the visual effects team played a crucial role in refining the look throughout the film. We still have visual effects in every shot, Helman says, citing the long shooting days, the strain of makeup on Cynthias skin, and even the challenges of contact lenses. She had contacts. And I knew from other experiences like The Irishman that after a while the contacts start moving and the actor starts looking cross-eyed. So we had to fix all kinds of things.Additionally, subtle digital enhancements were required for continuity. The makeup went to the middle of the lip, but not into her mouth, for obvious reasons. So, as I said, we had to adjust every shot, he adds.(Credit: Universal)(Credit: Universal)Flying Monkeys and Magical TransformationsOne of the many visually striking sequences in Wicked is the transformation of the flying monkeys. Helman describes the scene as both challenging and rewarding. Its almost a horror scene. The monkeys are in pain, their wings breaking through their backs. Its unnatural, which adds to the horror, he explains. We used feathers flying around to give a sense of atmosphere and depth. The horror of it had to be mitigated somehow. So there were times when we went too far. There were times when we didnt go far enough. And then we all kind of adjusted.Helman emphasizes the importance of storytelling in visual effects. Theres the fact that these monkeys need to fly away in like four shots. So how do you tell that story in its specifics in four shots? They need to get the wings, try them, and then be either successful or not. And so all that stuff is storytelling. Its part of what we do in visual effects. The animation team led by David Shirk did a great job.(Credit: Universal)Grounded MagicMagic is, of course, central to Wicked, and Helmans team took a deliberately subtle approach to its visualization. The Grimmerie posed unique challenges. It wasnt really thought out when we were shooting, he admits. Most of the time, Cynthia was in front of a blue square, gesturing as directed. But we ultimately made it so that the words became golden, with pages moving. It feels tactile and grounded, not over-the-top. We werent going for that kind of fantastical thing, because its been done before. Even if we were doing a visual effect, it had to look practical.Elphabas imperfect spellcasting in this scene also adds another layer to her character. Due to her inexperience, shes not very good at casting spells. Every time she does, something bad happens, Helman says. Its relatablemagic grounded in imperfection, just like life.(Credit: Universal)(Credit: Universal)Defying Gravity: A Pivotal SequenceThe Defying Gravity sequence is a pivotal scene bridging the two films, requiring a seamless blend of practical stunts and digital effects. Cynthia performed many of her own stunts, including being flown on wires and complex rigs, says Helman Weve seen people flying before. You could just have somebody being wired in and you can say to that person, now youre moving right, now youre moving left, left to right and right to left. But those kinds of things dont work. Cynthia was being flown 200 feet around the blue-screen set, singing! She is really trying to keep herself from the forces that are trying to throw her in different directions. And you can really see that shes doing it. That contributes to the reality of the visual effects work we do.Helman also highlights Elphabas emotional arc in her final scene through the use of light and symbolism. You start from the bottom in the darkness towards the light and you go out on the balcony towards the sun, and then the sun starts coming down throughout that sequence towards the end of the movie. If you have seen the play, you know that at the end of the first act, the cape gets bigger and bigger. So the question is, how do we translate that? Do we do it? Is it going to be laughable? The cape is a visual effect, because we couldnt use a real one due to the wires. Throughout that sequence, everything becomes pictorial. And by the time we get to that shot, basically, its a spiritual, religious picture. The clouds are very Renaissance Italian, with the sun behind them and theres all kinds of volume shadows and volume light coming through. And then all of a sudden you realize, oh my goodness, the cape is huge. What happened? Are you inside her mind, or is that a literal thing? Probably not. And then she does the war cry and the camera pulls back out and you think the movie ends, but she turns around and goes away flying. And then the audience is thinking, wait, wait, where are you going? Then the movie ends to get them ready for part two.But all those kinds of things are not by coincidence, Helman adds Theyre each thought out in terms of structural storytelling, building expectations.(Credit: Universal)(Credit: Universal)The Collaborative SpiritThe scale of Wicked was immense, involving contributions from more than 1,000 visual effects artists across five countries, ILM in San Francisco and Sydney as well as teams at Framestore, OPSIS, Lola, Outpost and TPO. Helman is quick to credit the teamwork behind the films ambitious visual effects. Were working together for three years to make these movies. And so Im really grateful to all of them. Robert Weaver and Anthony Smith were the ILM visual effects supervisors, and David Shirk was the animation supervisor. Great collaboration and lots of fun.Helman is philosophical about the creative challenge. On set sometimes you get into some arguments or differences. Or as Jon calls them, offerings. Sometimes you say, Im offering you this solution, or you can go this way or we can go another way.This cooperative effort was essential on a production as challenging as Wicked. Its 2,200 visual effects shots, but every department played a role in making the world of Wicked believable, Helman explains. He highlights the importance of working closely with Nathan Crowley, Alice Brooks, Paul Corbould, and the rest of the team.Alice, Jon, and I talked a lot about it, Helman says. He describes how lighting played a crucial role in integrating visual effects with the cinematography. The lights were on the set, but we removed them. If you look at a movie that was shot in the 50s, theres a certain look to it, but you have to achieve a certain look from behind the camera. But thats not so anymore. You can put light sources wherever you want. And if youre careful with them, when you remove them, there is no such thing as unjustified lighting.By ensuring that visual effects supported rather than dictated the cinematography, the team was able to create a seamless blend of practical and digital elements.(Credit: Universal)(Credit: Universal)A Lesson in ArtistryFor Helman, Wicked reinforced his philosophy that visual effects shouldnt be impeding anything. Whatever the director wants to do, wherever they want to put the camerathats what were there for, to encourage that kind of storytelling.The grueling 155-day shoot, filmed in continuity across both parts, pushed the cast and crew to their limits. Helman acknowledges the toll such a long production can take: After day 70, its like everybodys done. Its like, elbows are outGet out of my way, why are you looking at me like that? Those kinds of things happen. But despite the fatigue, the shared vision kept the team pushing forward. It is a long project, but its a good thing because it gives you kind of a sense of not worrying about anything else, but what you have in front of you.The audiences response helped reaffirm the purpose behind the work. Its one of those pictures that I had to go to the theater to hear the peoples reactions. I usually dont do that. But this one I did, and it reminded me of why we do what we do, which is to make art that is being shared.Reflecting on the experience, Helman expresses gratitude for the people who made it possible. You can have a great project, great people, or great financial satisfactionif youre lucky, you get two out of three. But the most rewarding part is the collaboration. At the end of the day, its about the people you work with.As Wicked continues to enchant audiences worldwide, Industrial Light & Magics artistry stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation in storytelling.(Credit: Universal)(Credit: Universal)Jamie Benning is a filmmaker, author, podcaster and lifelong fan of sci-fi and fantasy movies. Visit Filmumentaries.com and listen to The Filmumentaries Podcast for twice-monthly interviews with behind-the-scenes artists. Find Jamie on X @jamieswb and as @filmumentaries on Threads, Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 2025 Academy Award nominations and ILM visual effects teams received two nominations in the Visual Effects category. ILM Visual Effects Supervisor Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser was nominated for his work on Fede lvarezs sci-fi/horror-thriller Alien: Romulus and ILMs Pablo Helman and David Shirk were each nominated for their contributions to Jon M. Chus musical fantasy film Wicked. In addition to its nomination for visual effects, Wicked received nominations in nine other categories.Sepulveda-Fauser said, Working on Alien: Romulus with Fede, a director with such a bold and compelling vision, was an absolute pleasure. I am incredibly proud of the beautiful imagery ILMs Sydney and San Francisco teams brought to the screen. Bringing this project to life has been nothing short of extraordinary.Helman and Shirk were equally effusive in their praise for their teams on Wicked with Shirk noting, Im so excited for our nomination and honored to be part of such an amazing team! I was frequently awed by the artistry and passion of the crew. Its an incredible thrill to see our contribution recognized for a film that is so emotional, and optimistic and has connected so strongly with audiences. Helman added, It was such an incredible experience to be part of the production of Wicked and I feel so honored to be nominated! This film was such a passion project for every member of the cast and crew. Our effects teams around the world put their heart and soul into the work and I couldnt be more proud of the teams effort, it truly defied gravity. The nominated films were selected by the Academys Visual Effects branch based on peer voting at the annual Visual Effects Bake-off event. Of the 10 films invited to participate ILM contributed to half of those in contention including Alien: Romulus, Deadpool & Wolverine, Gladiator II, Twisters, and Wicked. The 97th Oscars will still be held on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC, streamed live on Hulu and air live in more than 200 territories worldwide.

ILM visual effects supervisors are honored in the Special Visual Effects Category.Today, BAFTA announced their 2025 nominees of which two Industrial Light & Magic productions received nominations in the Special Visual Effects category. Gladiator IIWicked were each nominated alongside Better Man, Dune: Part Two, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.Congratulations to production visual effects supervisor Mark BakowskiGladiator II, and to production visual effects supervisor Pablo Helman and ILM visual effects supervisor Anthony Smith for Wicked. And congratulations to everyone at ILM who contributed to these incredible films.The EE BAFTA Film Awards ceremony will be held at the Southbank Centres Royal Festival Hall in central London, and broadcast onClick here for a complete list of the BAFTA nominations.

The ILM Vancouver artist details her globe-trotting career path from special make-up effects to art direction to effects supervision.By Lucas O. SeastromLost Ollie (Credit: Netflix)Ultraman: Rising (Credit: Netflix)For decades, a significant aspect of Industrial Light & Magics company culture has been defined by the atmosphere in dailies. These routine sessions where the effects team reviews work-in-progress and provides feedback are common across the industry, but ILM has always prided itself on its distinct style that encourages open and equal communication. Tania Richard had spent some 15 years working in visual effects before she joined ILM in 2018 as an art director at the Vancouver studio. And as she puts it, ILMs collaborative dynamic really shines in dailies.While working on Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), Richard was at first surprised when visual effects supervisor Grady Cofer would call on her in dailies, seemingly at random. Grady wouldnt hesitate to call my name out and ask me what I thought about something, even if it wasnt something I was working directly on, Richard explains. He valued everyones opinion, and made you feel part of the overall process. Earlier in my career at other studios, dailies was pretty quiet and you didnt speak up very often. Everyone has their own way of approaching things in dailies, but at ILM its always with the intent of creating a collaborative experience.As ILM has continued its global expansion which now includes studios in Vancouver, London, Sydney, and Mumbai, in addition to its San Francisco headquarters seasoned professionals from across the effects industry have joined the ranks. Each brings their unique experience working on diverse projects and often in many different types of roles. Richard is no different.Growing up in Sarnia on the southern border of Ontario, Canada, Richard had what she describes as a creative upbringing. Both of her parents had their own artistic pursuits, and her mother in particular encouraged Richard and her brother (now a storyboard artist) to make careers out of their passions. Though she aspired to work in filmmaking from her time in high school, Richard chose to study traditional fine art while studying at McMaster University southwest of Toronto. But I was lucky in that the university also had film theory courses, she notes, so I studied film theory as well as fine art.With this unusual blend of disciplines, Richard was able to both learn academic theories and create artworks that attempted to realize them in aesthetic form. She studied sculpture, drawing, print-making, art history, and painting, as well as film theory. Her fascination with the concept of film spectatorship inspired her to focus in painting. There was a film theorist, Laura Mulvey, who talked a lot about the male gaze in spectatorship, Richard explains. I studied her a lot, as well as Cindy Sherman, who would often photograph herself in these film-looking environments and settings. I ended up doing something similar where Id start by creating these film stills, photographing myself dressed up in various situations, and using that as reference for my paintings.To this day, Richard is fascinated by the intersections of artistic craft and theory, in particular the way that filmmakers code their works. It can almost be a language, a communication between the filmmaker and the audience, she says. Somebody like [Andrei] Tarkovsky puts these little codes throughout his filmmaking, whether its sound like dripping water or a cuckoo, or a visual like apples. They were all meaningful to him on a personal level. You see and hear these codes throughout all of his films, and if you were familiar enough with them, it was almost as if he was talking to you in a way, on another level.At ILM, Richard has worked with director Shannon Tindle on both Lost Ollie (2022) and Ultraman: Rising (2024), and she describes the filmmaker along similar lines. Hell reference the same films in his creative process, like Kramer vs. Kramer [1979], for example. He loves that film, and Im aware of that because Ive worked with him long enough and had enough discussions with him to know that when I see something in the way a frame is composed or an animation performance in one of his films, I can understand where his influence is coming from. Its special. It makes you feel like youre connecting with the filmmaker on another level.As she finished her undergraduate studies, Richard jumped into work at Toronto-based FXSMITH, a special effects company founded by innovative makeup designer, Gordon Smith. Initially thinking shed be working on a local television show, Richard soon discovered their teams assignment was the feature film X-Men (2000). Initially, Smith had his new hire drawing concepts for characters requiring prosthetics, and as production commenced, Richard was part of the on-set team creating the extensive make-up for Rebecca Romijn as Mystique.It was a great experience and I had my foot in the door, says Richard. But this was back around 1999, and the transition from practical effects to computer effects was happening. For X-Men, we worked closely with the visual effects team on set because they had to pick up a lot of our work in post-production and refine it. In talking to some of the crew there, they encouraged me to move into visual effects.Concept art by Richard for Mystique (Rebecca Romijn) in X-Men (2000) from 20th Century Studios (Credit: Tania Richard).Richards brother was then studying classical animation at Torontos Sheridan College, a school that had graduated a number of artists later hired by ILM. If the Sheridan opportunity hadnt worked out, I mightve gone for a PhD in film theory, Richard notes. Joining the schools postgraduate visual effects program, her main professor was Richard Cohen, recently returned from a stint at ILM as a CG artist on Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Death Becomes Her (1992).There were about 12 of us in the class, and Richard [Cohen] felt that rather than having us all isolated and doing our own thing, we should make a short film together, says Richard. If I had not done that, I mightve focused more on the animation side. But on the group project, we leaned into each others strengths, and because I had a painting background, it was clear that I was the concept artist, matte painter, and designer on the team. I did do some animation, but I learned that it wasnt my strength. She adds that although she intended to create traditional matte paintings for their film (ultimately titled The Artist of the Beautiful), Cohen urged her to learn Photoshop and embrace the emerging computer-based tools.As she finished her studies at Sheridan, Richard had already begun professional work, initially as a concept designer for 2003s Blizzard under production designer Tamara Deverell. She then became a digital matte painter at Toybox, a local effects house that was soon acquired by Technicolor. Eventually, a former colleague invited her to come to Sydney, Australia where Animal Logic was developing the animated feature Happy Feet (2006). I was young and up for the big move, so I said yes, Richard comments. That was back when 2 D projections were the thing, so I did a number of those mattes on that feature.During this period, Richard encountered a number of important mentors, among whom was the late visual effects producer Diana Giorgiutti, with whom Richard served as a concept artist on Baz Luhrmanns Australia (2008). We were on location in Darwin and Bowen for something like seven to nine weeks, Richard explains. Di had me working directly with [production designer] Catherine Martin. She had me sitting with editor Dody Dorn for a week. Dody had cut Memento [2000]. We were together early on when she had voice recordings of the actors reading the script and she wanted some images to cut in with them. Id be mocking up frames for her and she explained to me the compositions they needed. She was really generous with her time.Soon, London-based Double Negative came calling, and Richard spent nearly a decade in the United Kingdom working on everything from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) to Interstellar (2014). As visual effects art director on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), she again found an important mentor in production designer Stuart Craig, whod overseen the visual development of the entire Potter franchise. After creating elevation and sectional drawings for sets, Craig tasked Richard with building digital mock-ups, and together theyd determine the preferred camera angles for which Richard then created detailed concepts.Stuart had worked with set designer Stephanie McMillan for many years, says Richard, and they would often go onto set together and shoot the space in black and white. That helped them analyze the composition before they started adding color and texture, which only came after they were happy with the black and white composition. When I built my models, I rendered them in black and white as well, so I was approaching it instinctively in a similar way. Stuart loved it and helped me understand why it was a good approach. Rather than going full-tilt and adding lots of texture and detail right from the beginning, you start to learn that actually you might never see a particular area because of the way its being lit, or something like that. You learn to focus in an efficient way on where to add that structural detail, where to hit the image with color to have the most impact. It was a brilliant lesson from Stuart.Shooting reference photography for Australia at Kakadu National Park. (Credit: Zam Wimberley).With producer Diana Giorgiutti (Credit: Will Reichelt).Shooting background photography in Scotland for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Credit: Tania Richard).A return to Animal Logic for 2018s Peter Rabbit was Richards ultimate springboard to ILM. With the opportunity to work closely with director Will Gluck, visual effects supervisor Will Reichelt, and associate visual effects supervisor Matt Middleton (the latter of whom are both with ILM now), she came to realize that effects supervision was her chosen path. Will [Reichelt] had me run lighting dailies and look after the assets while he was busy on set, Richard explains. I was also really involved in the DI process and had a team of artists who I delegated a lot of design work to, so in many ways, it felt like a natural transition.In early 2018, the ILM Art Departments creative director David Nakabayashi and senior producer Jennifer Coronado convinced Richard to make another move, this time back to her native Canada to work at ILMs Vancouver studio. It was a significant decision, as Richard was then considering a move to New Zealand for a brief respite from active work. But the opportunity to join ILM was too important to pass up.ILM was the pinnacle, Richard says frankly. For anybody who is around my age and grew up with Star Wars, you see ILM as the height of where you want to be in the industry. But I wasnt sure I had what it took to be a part of the company, so it was a surprise when they reached out. I barely took any time off between working on Peter Rabbit and coming to ILM.Initially working as an art director, Richard describes her first impressions of ILM as overwhelming, exciting, and different. After assisting Vancouvers creative director Jeff White on some initial project bids, she was soon working on Disneys Aladdin (2019). The ILM Art Department is incredibly talented and is really the best of the best, Richard notes. Theres so much you can learn from them. She continued as an art director on Space Jam: A New Legacy, for which ILM was responsible for integrating the classic Warner Brothers animated characters with live action footage.There was a lot of artwork created at the beginning of Space Jam, Richard explains. The spirit of it evolved quite a lot over the course of the show. I had a wonderful team, and I really loved working on Bugs Bunny! [laughs] Grady Cofer had me doing paint-overs on some of the characters, which I really enjoyed. The whole team was involved in refining the final looks of each character, including the textures crew, the groom artists, the modeling team, and the animators. Im always blown away when I see animation come through.It was after Space Jam that Richard made the transition to associate visual effects supervisor on Lost Ollie. Im a bit like the righthand person or wingman for the visual effects supervisor, she elaborates. We work very closely with production and our department leads and supes to help establish looks, refine shots, and execute what needs to be done in post to maintain a certain level of quality and consistency. I had been slowly navigating into an effects supervisor-type role for a while, but I wasnt sure if I had all the skillsets to be able to do it. I talked to Jenn and Nak about it, and they were very supportive and helped to guide me into this position along with Jeff White and [executive in charge] Spencer Kent.Lost Ollie (Credit: Netflix).I think I just got really lucky, Richard continues. I believe that Jeff had Ultraman in mind for me, but it wasnt quite ready yet. [Visual effects supervisor] Hayden [Jones] and [visual effects executive producer] Stefan [Drury] were working with Shannon Tindle on Lost Ollie, so I had a chance to establish a relationship with the same client. I think thats why they thought it might be a good starting point for me. It was a smaller project, and I love the hybrid between live action and CG characters. Its probably what Im best at and what I love to do the most. I ended up diving in heavily on two episodes, and then I stayed in the background on the final two because that was when I started transitioning to Ultraman: Rising.The move into supervision has allowed Richard to focus more on refining her approach to communication and collaboration between the artists and the clients. On Ultraman, Hayden was great at encouraging the team to ask questions and offer up suggestions with Shannon, she notes. Whats great about Shannon is that he creates an environment where its okay to suggest something that might not ultimately be the right idea, but its great to put it out there and see if it works. [ILM executive creative director] John Knoll is very similar. He embraces that exploration and isnt afraid to try something.Richard emphasizes that part of being a supervisor is having an ability to read the room and understand the personalities of the artists and how they like to communicate. And as an artist herself, Richard brings her own unique blend of experiences. Ive been lucky to have had a toe in the practical side of things very early on. Ive also worked with some really talented people who come from an earlier generation of filmmakers. I hope that some of that knowledge translates in my communication with the artists. Both Grady and Hayden like to do quick paint-overs on things in dailies, and thats something I like to do as well. If words dont quite explain something, sometimes a quick drawing or paint-over can act as a visual reference. Many supes like to do that.As so many have attested, its the people that have truly made the difference at ILM in its 50 years of storytelling. Have curiosity about the people youre working with, Richard says, and have empathy for them. Try to understand where your colleagues may be at a certain point in time. You can use that to develop relationships throughout your career, which is so important.Ultraman: Rising (Credit: Netflix).Read more about Richards work on Ultraman: Rising here on ILM.com.Lucas O. Seastrom is the editor of ILM.com and a contributing writer & historian for Lucasfilm.

ILM teams from around the world earn recognition for projects as diverse as Wicked, Gladiator II, Ultraman: Rising, Deadpool & Wolverine, and What If? An Immersive Story.Today, the Visual Effects Society announced their nominations for the 23rd Annual VES Awards, recognizing visual effects artistry and innovation in features, animation, television, commercials, games, and new media. Both ILM and ILM Immersive received 19 nominations in total.Nominations in the overall film and television categories include Outstanding Visual Effects In A Photoreal Feature for Twisters, Outstanding Visual Effects In an Animated Feature for Transformers One and Ultraman: Rising, and Outstanding Visual Effects In A Photoreal Episode for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season 2).In the Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project category, ILM Immersive received a nomination for What If? An Immersive StoryD23 Real-Time Rocket.ILM has received nominations in many other categories including Outstanding Environment in a Photoreal Feature for Rome in Gladiator II and the Emerald City in Wicked, as well as Outstanding Environment in an Animated Feature for Transformers Ones Iacon City. Alien: Romulus, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Gladiator II have each picked up nominations for Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project, while Venom: The Last Dance joins Twisters with nominations for Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature.A complete list of all of the VES nominations may be viewed at this link. The VES Awards will be held on February 11, 2025, at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. Congratulations to our ILM and ILM Immersive teams!

Today, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced their longlists for the 2025 EE Film Awards. 10 films will advance in the Special Visual Effect category. Members of the SVFX chapter vote to determine the longlist and the nominations. In the final round of voting, all film-voting members will vote for the overall winning film.ILM contributed to 4 of the ten films that have advanced to the next round of voting including Alien: Romulus, Deadpool & Wolverine, Gladiator II, and Wicked.The next round of voting, to determine the nominations, takes place between January3rd and 10th. The final round of voting, to determine the winners takes place between January 22nd, and February 11th.

The visual effects supervisor talks Cassandra Nova, Gambit, and more.By Dan Brooks(Credit: Disney)In a surprise twist midway through Deadpool & Wolverine, our titular protagonists are marooned in the Void: a Mad Max-like wasteland of desert and forgotten heroes. Their time in this multiverse purgatory takes up a significant chunk of the movie and features many of its greatest moments, from surprise character appearances to action set pieces, and Industrial Light & Magic was charged with bringing it all to the screen. Just from reading the script, visual effects supervisor Vincent Papaix knew that this section of Deadpool & Wolverine would be key to the movies overall success.Everybody was super motivated, he tells ILM.com, and we all knew that this movie was going to be special.Deadpool & Wolverine went on to become the biggest R-rated movie of all time following its theatrical release this summer, a true cinematic event during a challenging time for the film industry. To mark its arrival on Disney+, ILM.com caught up with Papaix to discuss how ILM realized some of the blockbusters impressive visual effects in the Void sequences. Grab a chimichanga and join us.(Credit: Disney)A sunny day in the VoidAs fantastical as the Void may sound, director Shawn Levy and star/producer Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) aimed to make it a believable setting and something that fans could relate to. They really wanted it to feel as grounded and real as possible, Papaix says. To achieve this, the filmmakers started the old-fashioned way, more or less.One thing for them was to shoot in natural conditions. Thats why most of the shoot was outdoors, Papaix says. So they shot in a landfill in the UK and in various locations in the UK to get that kind of natural light feel.This did create certain challenges, however. You dont control the elements, Papaix says simply.When Deadpool and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) first arrive in the Void, they quickly proceed to beat the tar out of each other. This fight was shot outdoors in summer 2023 and then, due to the writers and actors strikes, finished in winter 2024. As a result of the pause and change in seasons, the color of the sky appeared slightly different. Though Levy and Reynolds initially hoped to digitally correct any inconsistencies in the look of the sky, ILM encouraged the filmmakers to keep this to a minimum. One thing that was great about working with Shawn and Ryan and [Marvel visual effects supervisor] Swen Gillberg was that they are very collaborative, Papaix says. We did a few shots and a few tests and we realized the best outcome was to embrace the plate. So, based on the plate, if its sunny, lets try to augment that. If its stormy, lets try to be more stormy and then well look at how it plays in the cut. And every shot was kind of hard to direct in that way. Its making sure that it plays nicely, but if you look at the sequence, theres some variation as you would have in a natural daylight. You can be in an area and within 10 minutes it can be from sunny to cloudy to stormy, depending on what is happening. So we focused on making it look as real as you can.Finally, to increase the grandeur of the Void, from scale to background elements, ILM came in to digitally augment what was captured in-camera.Our work was focusing on creating a seamless transition from the foreground set to a CG extension of the Void, Papaix says. Overseeing adding everything that was needed to the Void, including the detritus. There are all those different objects scattered throughout the Void. So obviously [we were] making sure they integrated, but the Void needed to feel real, and not feel like the foreground was on a stage in bluescreen extended into a CG world.(Credit: Disney)(Credit: Disney)A new villain emergesThe evil twin of Charles Xavier, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin) debuts in Deadpool & Wolverine as the ultimate authority in the Void. Unpredictable and hugely powerful, shes a frightening villain that Wolverine and Deadpool must overcome. With guidance from Levy and Reynolds, ILM set out to illustrate her abilities in a subdued but unnerving way.She can control a lot of things with her mind, Papaix says. They wanted something fairly subtle to not overpower what was the power. It was important to show what it was doing to the people and not too much to [show] the power itself, not too much magic or anything. So it was more a subtle distortion to explain that theres something happening.And what Cassandra does is indeed creepy: She seems to have a predilection for passing her fingers through the skulls of her enemies, including the Merc with a Mouth.We went through different aspects, from being creepy and caressing his face with almost spider-like fingers. All that was digital and a very complex simulation to kind of deform the masks in CG. What gets tricky is that its easy to do a collision, but we had to do a half collision and half penetration going through. So thats actually a very complex simulation to control. And it was fully art-directed, meaning we had to control every aspect of the effect. We started with the performance of the fingers, and once we had the right emotion, then we worked on the simulation of how the mask should deform and, at the same time, kind of breaks open to let the finger go through. In the end, Papaix was more than happy with the result.I read a lot of great reactions. People felt an itch, a little bit. It feels creepy but in a good way, because thats definitely what the filmmakers were after.(Credit: Disney)Johnny Storms quick exitCassandra sends Johnny Storm (Chris Evans reprising his original Marvel role from the Fantastic Four films) to a truly unfortunate demise, ripping off his skin and driving him into the ground. Its a shocking momentgruesome with a dark sense of humorin a movie full of them.This was part of the script from day one, Papaix says. That was a moment that was very important for the filmmakers. But where to begin for an effect so unlike anything previously seen in a Marvel movie? Ripping out the skin was very graphic, so we had to study images.ILM turned to Real Bodies: The Exhibition, a long-running museum showcase that features actual human specimens, for reference. It made for a decidedly unique creative process. The real [body in the exhibit] is very dry and has been preserved. We wanted to make it look fresh, so we had to add a lot of blood and liquids to make sure we felt that this just happened. So we are dripping blood, dripping fat. That was very gross. The daily session with the artists was always interesting.Once ILM knew how the effect should look, they began building a digital Johnny.The way we proceeded with this was creating an asset, Papaix explains. So a skeleton asset, we called it, with all the flesh and all the organs in there. We based everything, all the proportions, on Chris Evans. We have his scan. We created a digital version of Chris for Johnny Storm, even for the Human Torch version when he was on fire.Then it was time to get down to the de-skinning business.So we started from that and then we ripped off his skin. Its pretty much what you can imagine, but in CG, Papaix says with a laugh. The shell of the clothes and skin were removed, revealing the skeleton with all the flesh. We tried to create some strings of blood coming out of him. In an effort to maintain the series comedic tone, ILM added some elements to hopefully make this scene a little more Looney Tunes and less Hellraiser.It was kind of a cartoony moment, but in a good way he has that moment blinking his eyes, and its like, What just happened to me? And then he drops.(Credit: Disney)(Credit: Disney)Gambit gets his dayThe Void segment culminates with Deadpool, Wolvie, and a band of fan-favorite heroes launching a siege against Cassandra and her forces. While fans delighted at seeing each back in action, one required visual effects that are essential to the character.A lot of attention was put to Gambit [Channing Tatum], Papaix says. We studied a lot of the comic books to see what was happening with his cards and [mutant power]. In the comics and iconic X-Men cartoon, Gambit charges playing cards, resulting in a purple glow; when he tosses them, they leave a trail and explode on impact. We went for a various range of showcasing the power to the point that I remember a version where we probably went too far too glowy and too flamey-looking. And thats something that was not pleasing to Shawn, for good reason. He wanted to be grounded, again, to reality. So the cards its the X-Men and all, but its important to have the cards telling the story.As a solve, ILM illustrated a slower buildup of Gambits mutant power. We were focusing mostly on the card and the energy within the card. There was a closeup in the cavern, when you see the card activating, and its within the pattern of the card. For the battle, we made some trails to be able to see it, because a card is very small. True to the comic.(Credit: Disney)(Credit: Disney)A lasting collaborationDeadpool & Wolverine is a success for Papaix on several levels, from the commercial and critical reception to more personal reasons.I had the chance to work on the first Deadpool in 2016. Time flies. So this one already was quite special in my career, and having the opportunity to supervise the third one was also quite special. Knowing that Hugh Jackman was attached as Wolverine, there were so many good things.But looking back at the film, he seems to mostly value the time with Levy, Reynolds, and Marvel. They were great collaborators. Obviously, hes a director and he makes his call, but he was very keen on hearing peoples suggestions. But the collaboration for me is one of the highlights of the show with Swen and with Marvel, and pitching those ideas to Shawn and Ryan. They also thanked us. We know thats something that not every filmmaker does, but at the end of the project we got a thank you video from Ryan and Shawn to share with our team at ILM, and its always fun to see that they appreciate the work. Obviously, they see the people on set, but when you do post-production, they receive the image. So they dont really realize that we were 275 people making this happen. We did about 30 minutes of the movie, 614 shots, but it was a global team. It was mostly Vancouver and San Francisco, but also other ILM sites working with us. But it was 275 people. Thats quite a big group of people making it up to show those crazy visual effects on screen.(Credit: Disney)Dan Brooks is a writer who loves movies, comics, video games, and sports. A member of the Lucasfilm Online team for over a decade, Dan served as senior editor of both StarWars.com and Lucasfilm.com, and is a co-author of DK PublishingsStar WarsEncyclopedia. Follow him on Instagram at@therealdanbrooksand X at@dan_brooks.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences yesterday announced shortlists in 10 categories for the 97th Academy Awards: Visual Effects, Sound, Documentary Feature Film, Documentary Short Film, International Feature Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Animated Short Film, and Live Action Short Film.Ten films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 97th Academy Awards. The Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the shortlist. All members of the Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view excerpts and interviews with the artists from each of the shortlisted films on Saturday, January 11, 2025. Branch members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.ILM is thrilled to have contributed to five of the ten films named to the list including: Alien: RomulusDeadpool & WolverineGladiator IITwistersWickedNominations voting begins on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, and concludes on Sunday, January 12, 2025. Nominations for the 97th Academy Awards will be announced on Friday, January 17, 2025.The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC, streamed live on Hulu and airs live in more than 200 territories worldwide.

The visual effects supervisor sheds light on the process behind developing the series fantastical realm.By Jay StobieThe Two Trees of Valinor in a shot from Season One (Credit: Amazon).Based on the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, Prime Videos The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022-Present) stands out as a sweeping epic taking place during Middle-earths Second Age, a period which predates the timeframe depicted in The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) and The Hobbit (2012-2014) film trilogies by thousands of years. In order to bring a cinematic scale to the streaming series, The Rings of Power team enlisted Industrial Light & Magics own Jason Smith to be the production visual effects supervisor.With a formidable rsum that includes work on everything from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Transformers (2007) to The Revenant (2015) and Bumblebee (2018), Smith brought his accumulated expertise to bear as he guided ILM and the series other visual effects studios on their journey through seasons one and two. Smith graciously took some time to speak to ILM.com in order to discuss his work on The Rings of Power and highlight ILMs extensive contributions to crafting showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKays vision for Middle-earth.An Epic EndeavorAs the senior visual effects supervisor on the project, my job is to work with the showrunners to help them put their story visually on the screen, Smith tells ILM.com. This monumental responsibility encompasses hiring vendor studios and planning out the work, being on set and instructing the shoot during principal photography, and shepherding the shots through post-production. So it kind of includes everything. Its a real privilege because, on this project, I was one of the first handful of people who joined. We got to take on some challenges in Middle-earth that hadnt been done yet, like Nmenor and the living Khazad-dm.With a background in blockbuster films, Smith has witnessed how studios approaches to episodic and theatrical productions have grown more alike in recent years. The bar has been raised by so many great shows over the last 10 or 15 years that the expectation is that [series] quality is film quality, Smith observes. Nevertheless, there are notable distinctions involved in making a series that Smith also treasures, such as the approval process and the collaborative spirit of the showrunners, in this case J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay. Theres quite a lot of freedom to throw out ideas, to suggest things, and to help to guide the visual storytelling with those guys. Our work with the directors is more about prep and being on set, truly. So thats a key difference there. It leads to a little bit more autonomy in post, which I really appreciate and love.Such a rapport is essential, especially given the volume of visual effects shots associated with The Rings of Power. Nothing can prepare you for the number of shots on one of these shows, Smith shares. Because lets say youve got 6,000 shots, and at the peak, maybe you have half of those in play. If you just imagine what its like when 3,000 shots have one-minute reviews crossing your desk, if you do the math, it catches up with you very, very quickly. It turns the whole thing into this ballet, and it gives me a lot of respect for the production teams at the vendors and here [at Amazon]. Its astoundingly good, they keep us all organized in spite of ourselves. Smith estimates that, in the first season, ILM worked on around 1,000 effects shots under the supervision of Nigel Sumner. ILM was our lead house on season one and did a lot of work, along with Wt [FX], Method [Studios], and others.Season Two concept art by Saby Menyhei (Credit: ILM & Amazon).ILMs InnovationsA capacity for collaboration proved to be a vital strength demonstrated by Smith and ILM, particularly when it came time for Mount Doom to unleash a volcanic eruption and transform the Southlands into the infamous region of Mordor. ILM played a huge role in the volcano. We went into that with complete ownership of it, Smith recalls. The volume of shots that came in for the sequence necessitated that the work involve three vendors. We had Weta doing some really big pyroclastic cloud shots that cut back to back with ILM shots, and ILM and Weta both cutting back-to-back with RSP [Rising Sun Pictures] for some pyroclastic clouds and raining lava bombs.The challenge of coordinating with other studios resulted in a clever solution whose ingenuity was defined by its simplicity. We treated all three companies like they were the same company, no secrets, sharing everything fearlessly, Smith states. For the vendors, sharing their works-in-progress amongst one another provided a common frame of reference for the elements they were bringing to life, whether that be the darkness of a cloud or the intensity of an ember. Everybody pulled it off amazingly well, Smith beams. Most people who see [those scenes] would never actually detect the different styles in play, as those shots cut back-to-back. Its a testament to those teams being willing to work together.Early in season one, the scenes involving Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) adrift on the Sundering Seas required yet another imaginative remedy from ILM. When we read the scripts for season one, an amazing amount of it took place on the ocean. So I immediately wanted to go to ILM with that work, Smith details. They created a setup we called it a machine so people outside of visual effects could sink their teeth into it it was a very robust procedural ocean that let them tune the [waters] parameters, like the wind and height of the waves. [ILM visual effects supervisor] Nigel Sumner was leading the charge on that. Smith was impressed by the Ocean Machine, as it allowed the team to turn out photoreal plates once the scenes parameters were set.However, Smith adds that of course, theres artistic work involved in every single one of those [plates]. In our show, every time the ocean is there, its telling a story, so we had adjustments to make across the board. At the extreme end of the spectrum , there was a gigantic storm one with an epic Middle-earth scale but all of that stuff came out of that same engine with the same artistry behind it. Smith teases that ILMs season one advances also paid dividends for water-related shots in season two. I will say that, without knowing exactly whats coming except for having read Tolkiens books [laughs] I would anticipate that we should be getting a lot more use out of the ocean machine.A Season One shot depicts Galadriel and Halbrand aboard wreckage on the Sundering Seas (Credit: Amazon).Season Two SensationsAfter praising ILM for its marvelous work across both seasons, the latter of which was supervised by Daniele Bigi, Smith shifts his focus to his favorite contributions from ILM that have shown up in the early episodes of season two. For instance, the shows sophomore effort affords us an opportunity to meet the Elven elder, Crdan (Ben Daniels), who resides on an idyllic shoreline. Theres a matte shot, an environment shot, pulling back from Crdans boathouse at the Grey Havens, and the work is just so photographic-looking, Smith elaborates. In an interesting twist, the tranquil locale was actually built upon a set standing in the parking lot next to an industrial park. The water is flawless, the fjords are so beautiful, the lighting is wonderful, and the composition is great. That is one [shot], when people see it, we already have people asking, Wait, where did you build that? They were wondering where that was [in the real world], so I think thats a testament to the artistry at ILM.Smiths gratitude for ILMs craft extends to one of season twos most complex sequences. The premiere begins with a flashback to Saurons apparent death, when his rival Adar (Sam Hazeldine) orchestrates a coup against him. Initially reduced to a viscous goo that oozes into Middle-earths cavernous depths, Saurons enduring form subsists on passing rodents and insects until it is able to free itself from its tomb. The squirming coalescence gradually makes its way toward civilization, consuming a traveler and allowing Sauron to assume the human form known as Halbrand. ILM had the guts to take on one of the weirdest things in the whole show, and I mean that with the most excitement that I can communicate, Smith says in regard to the eerie endeavor. It is such an incredible challenge of simulation, and creature rigging, and complex animation, and rendering, and basically every single discipline. [ILM] really hit the ball out of the park with that.Despite these fantastical qualities, Smith sees the importance of grounding such creatures with the properties of real-world references. We found a species of worm that formed colonies and that will contract almost like a muscle themselves, and we combined that with reference of horsehair worms, which are really unsettling in their own way. The final result is really beautiful to watch, and gut-wrenching in a way. It looks like animated SpaghettiOs. Were always looking for references like that, because those are the little handholds into reality that take these creatures to the next level. Storytelling is another key factor in ensuring that the visual effects showcasing Saurons resurrection resonate with audiences. Its so intertwined with the story, its exactly the story that needs to be told about that character. It interacts with an animal, too, which I think is also beautiful work. Thats one of the things Im excited for people to see.Concept art by Dave Freeman (Credit: ILM & Amazon).Final frame (Credit: Amazon).The Wonders of WorldbuildingSmiths passion for Middle-earth and its wealth of creatures can be traced back to his childhood. When I was growing up, the world of Tolkien was a huge deal to me. I loved it, Smith explains, believing Peter Jacksons movies to be some of the best ever made. They really captured my heart. And, being a creature kid at the same time, its a match made in heaven. Citing a popular Tolkien quote I wisely started with a map, and made the story fit that originated in a letter penned by the writer, Smith emphasizes the need to start with the realms foundation, whether that be its geographical details or the intricacies of a fictional language. When were doing fantasy, especially when its a little more imaginative, we have to have that anchor.From hypothesizing how Ents emote to his own attachment to the hill-troll, Damrod (voiced by Benjamin Walker and Jason Smith), Smith reflects back to the moment he learned hed get the chance to deal with more creatures in season two. Patrick McKay said to me that, this season, were going to battle a lot more creatures. Things are getting darker, and we have a story-based need to really bring some of these other creatures into play. A reverence for the natural world was also key for McKay and Payne, as their desire to remain enveloped in the story meant that any magic displayed in the series could not have too much, as Smith puts it, razzmatazz. Smith recounts that the magic of the first season involved beings who manipulated flames, kicked up winds, and threw rocks about. Its almost like the beings who are working with the magic have access to another chapter of the laws of nature, so what looks like magic is their interaction with more advanced, but still physical and grounded, laws, Smith postulates.Its all caught up into these elemental ties, Smith continues. Even on set, when were filming scenes with magic, Daniel Weyman, who plays the Stranger, and I would stand there and pick each others minds a little bit. [Id tell] him, I think that to increase the threat, Im going to have rocks picked up in the wind, so that when youre thrown against the wall, some rocks are hitting all around you. It makes it look like it really hurts. Weyman reciprocated the brainstorming sessions, and Smith himself remains grateful that hes able to bring his ILM experience to the table. I feel really lucky that I got into ILM render support when I did, and that Ive been able to work with the people that I have at ILM. To be mentored by people like [ILM visual effects supervisor] Scott Farrar, [ILM executive creative director] John Knoll and [ILM consulting creative director] Dennis Muren is a real privilege, and I take a lot of the wisdom those guys have said over the years into all of these different interactions and challenges.The Balrog from Season Two (Credit: Amazon).Travels and TriumphsCollaborating with the showrunners and cast members is not the only one of Smiths duties as the shows senior visual effects supervisor that audiences may be unaware of. I shoot all the aerials for [The Rings of Power], Smith reveals. Weve got some drone stuff that happens without me, but so far, Ill say, Ive shot all the helicopter work for the show. Which is great, because then when were designing shots, I have the shots in my head. Traveling around New Zealand and the United Kingdom, Smith found real-world sights frozen rivers, tundras, green valleys, cliffs, waterfalls, and more that fit with the series vision and could be inserted into its story.If you look at the big CG [computer-graphics] establishing shots, almost without fail, they are all based on those aerials, Smith declares. ILM handled such a shot in the season two premiere, Elven Kings Under the Sky, in which High King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker), Galadriel, and Crdan don their rings of power under the cliffside tree. We see a final wide [shot] of that [scene]. That is just a plate we shot not knowing what exactly would be placed there [laughs], and I think ILM did beautiful work of making it look like it was all on purpose the whole time, placing the court of Lindon there at the top of the cliffs. Smith is thankful for the professional atmosphere fostered by the showrunners and producers which permitted him to be a part of those creative solutions. Theres an openness to solutions presented in service of the story. Theres a healthy openness to improvements regardless of the source. I think that creates an environment thats a lot of fun to work in. Its very busy, but its also incredibly rewarding. A wide shot from Season Two (Credit: Amazon).A Philosophy for Visual EffectsSmiths overall approach to the visual effects of Middle-earth has been greatly influenced by his work with The Rings of Power season one producer Ron Ames and their colleagues. Smith understands that there are common misconceptions about what visual effects experts bring to the process of filmmaking, alluding to the laughter among crew members that tends to arise when on-set visual effects teams bring out the gray reference balls utilized for computer-graphics shots. When were doing the visual effects, or were doing previz [previsualization], were making the movie. Were not delaying things with previz, were making the movie, Smith asserts, describing visual effects as no longer being a process that you stamp on at the end, like a postage stamp being affixed to an envelope. Visual effects is the pulp thats tying the paper together. Its touching everything, its influenced by everything, and it really determines so many different ways that you can or cant tell the story.Serving as The Rings of Powers senior visual effects supervisor has made Smith excited for what is on the horizon for his profession. This project has been eye-opening to me. Its incredible the things that we can do and add to make the story more fun. Theres a bright future in front of us where were going to see the lines [between the story and visual effects] blur more and more, and thats actually a good thing. I think people are going to understand that visual effects are there, and that its okay [laughs], Smith assures. Visual effects do exist, and its alright, everyone.Centering his thoughts on the step in the visual effects process that he hopes will become more widely embraced, Smith circles back to the writhing creature that emerged from Saurons corpse in the season two premieres flashback sequence. Stressing that the use of reference by visual effects artists is not just for help-in-case-you-get-stuck situations, Smith theorizes that the right reference can elevate the efficacy of a visual effects teams sheer talent. And Ill tell you what, ILM has talent. We have the top talent in the world. But, what Ive learned is, even with that top talent, if you spend time and effort getting the right reference, then your talent is picking up the baton at maybe 90% and having to carry it to 100%, instead of picking it up at 20% and having to carry it, gasping for air, to 90 or 95%. Thats the truth of it.Smiths outlook on his duty to The Rings of Power and its fans is encapsulated in his final remarks. These projects [have] finite time schedules, and visual effects is a finite resource. Thats where I see my job. I want to make sure that every visual effects artist thats on the show is really putting pixels on the screen that matter, that are telling the story, Smith concludes. I think that my value is trying to emulate Tolkien in laying the best foundation of reality for our audience that we can. Finding as much in our world to resonate with Middle-earth as we possibly can, just like he did with his writing. When he wrote about his big monsters, sometimes its just a spider thats big. I think weve been able to have some fun with that, too. We have one creature in the mud here that was done by ILM in the second season that is along those lines. I think some people will recognize the shared DNA with a small but brutal predator from here on Earth when they see it, and the result is not something Id want to encounter. We try to learn fromthe way that [Tolkien] approached things and take that on as a mantra.Jay Stobie (he/him) is a writer, author, and consultant who has contributed articles to ILM.com, Skysound.com, Star Wars Insider, StarWars.com, Star Trek Explorer, Star Trek Magazine, and StarTrek.com. Jay loves sci-fi, fantasy, and film, and you can learn more about him by visitingJayStobie.com or finding him on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms at @StobiesGalaxy.

Industrial Light & Magic brings creative commotion to the creatures and New York cityscape of A Quiet Place: Day One.By Clayton SandellAlex Wolff as Reuben in A Quiet Place: Day One (Credit: Paramount Pictures).Surviving the extra-terrestrial terror of A Quiet Place: Day One (2024) depends on the critical ability to stay absolutely silent.Setting the third installment of the acclaimed film series in noisy New York City, however, brought an entirely new level of fear to the post-apocalyptic horror world first introduced to audiences in John Krasinskis A Quiet Place (2018), while simultaneously presenting a welcome challenge for the visual effects team at Industrial Light & Magic.ILM visual effects supervisor Malcolm Humphreys says early discussions with director Michael Sarnoski focused on how to bring unique and unexpected aspects to the frightening alien invaders that use a preternatural sense of hearing to stalk their human prey.Among the thousands of New Yorkers running for their lives is Sam, a terminally-ill cancer patient played by Academy Award-winner Lupita Nyongo. Trying to escape the city as the monsters close in, Sam and her cat Frodo eventually encounter Eric, an English law student portrayed by Joseph Quinn. Sam is determined to get a slice of her favorite pizza before she dies.He wanted to make a narrative about how two different people deal with this situation in a big city, Humphreys says of Sarnoski. So this was an interesting take about trying to make something about two strangers that meet while all this chaos is happening.Concept art by Szabolcs Menyhei (Credit ILM & Paramount).A visual effects veteran of films including Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), The Batman (2022), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), Humphreys and his team helped guide Sarnoski and cinematographer Pat Scola through the complex process of making a film that required a large number of visual effects sequences. Sarnoski and Scola previously collaborated on the award-winning film Pig (2021) starring Nicolas Cage.Part of the job at ILM is just understanding the story and where we want to go, and just trying to build a bespoke solution depending on the different types of shots were doing, Humphreys tells ILM.com.One challenge, Humphreys says, was determining how the creatures with hypersensitive hearing might move and behave in a city environment like New York.In the previous films, theyre either just stealthing on a single character or theyre sort of doing a snatch-and-grab, explains Humphreys. So Michael was very keen on expanding that a little bit more. For example, how do they act with each other?During a nighttime sequence set at a construction site, the creatures behave almost like a family gathering for dinner, ripping apart and devouring a fungus-encrusted pod for food. Behind the scenes, the ILM team came to refer to the monsters by the name Happy.Theyre not very happy creatures, so calling them Happy is kind of fun, Humphreys says. Theres a really big mom thats all caked in white, and then youve got the little baby happies. The little ones have slightly bigger heads. Theyre smoother.(Credit: Paramount)When Eric accidentally makes a noise, a nearby creature is alerted and exposes its slimy, pulsating inner ear to listen more closely. Its a tense, relatively long shot that Humphreys says is also one of the films most complex.Theres an immense amount of detail that the modelers, the texture artists, and the effects artists have done, he says. Theres the eardrum thats fluctuating. Youre actually hearing Erics heartbeat, and were pulsing the eardrum and the heartbeat together.You want to get an emotional reaction from the audience, so we want to sit on this shot for quite a while, Humphreys continues. I really, really love this shot.Humphreys credits animation supervisor Michael Lum with helping develop the right movement for the creatures as they do things audiences have never seen before, like scrambling up and over Manhattan buildings.All of the creatures are hand-animated, Humphreys reveals. Theres no crowd system or anything like that. Theyre all handcrafted, which is amazing.Building out New York City was another major aspect of ILMs work on A Quiet Place: Day One that may not be apparent to many audiences, and thats exactly the goal.The areas of New York that appear in the film including the Lower East Side, Chinatown, Midtown, and Harlemwere realized as a massive partial backlot set built at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden near London. Production designer Simon Bowles and his team built two intersecting streets that could be modified and dressed into new locations as Sam, Eric, and Frodo make their way through the city.Most of the backlot structures, however, were only built two stories tall, requiring ILM artists to digitally extend the height of buildings, lengthen streets, and fill in backgrounds.Lupita Nyongo as Samira in A Quiet Place: Day One (Credit: Paramount).We did an immense amount of data capture, Humphreys explains, a process that required 14 days in New York so the team could scan and photograph more than a hundred real buildings in high resolution. We go through a whole process of building out those facades so that they can be used on many, many shots.For certain bits, weve changed quite significantly what you see in the backlot set, Humphreys reports. Theres a huge amount of augmentation and replacement.While Frodo the cat is entirely practical (played by two different feline stars, Schnitzel and Nico), a scene requiring the animal to weave through a frantic crowd running from the aliens required extensive digital artistry from ILM.Michael was adamant that he wanted to use the real cats, Humphreys recalls. There was a little bit of, how are we going to do a shot like this? We cant have a whole lot of people trampling over a cat.The solution was to photograph just the cats performance separately at first, then add people and additional elements later.That shot is actually an amalgamation of hundreds of layers of different crowd people, and really timing and trying to build that shot up so that as an audience member, you get the sense of the chaos, but you also see Frodo enough for him to register, Humphreys adds.The films finale has Sam, Eric and Frodo desperately trying to reach a boat on the East River filled with survivors making their escape from New York. The sequence is built from several different locations, including part of an airfield dressed as a deserted FDR Drive, a pier along the Thames river, a moored boat, and a water tank at Pinewood Studios.(Credit: Paramount)It was a lot of fun, but a lot of moving pieces, Humphreys laughs. Were sort of shooting component pieces and hoping that they all go together.Humphreys says his favorite visual effect is the very last scene in the film. As Sam walks down a Harlem street listening to music, the camera sweeps 360 degrees around her in a single shot lasting nearly 40 seconds. Originally shot on the backlot, Humphreys notes the sequence required complex rotoscoping and compositing, with artists ultimately replacing as much as 70 percent of the original background with images created using the data ILM gathered in New York.We actually captured three or four blocks of Lexington Avenue, so theres a huge amount of data capture for that one shot, Humphreys says. Im really proud of that one.Humphreys joined ILM in 2016 and is based at the companys London studio. But he says the work on A Quiet Place: Day One was a truly global effort.I got to work with a lovely team in Vancouver, in London, Mumbai, and San Francisco, he says. I think were just good creative partners.The one thing you get out of ILM, Humphreys believes, is that it still operates very much like a smaller company in terms of communication and collaboration, which is really refreshing.Concept art by Daniel McGarry (Credit: ILM & Paramount).Clayton Sandell is a television news correspondent, a Star Wars author and longtime fan of the creative people who keep Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound on the leading edge of visual effects and sound design.