No real apes, and of how the rise of the apes 2? -Rise of the apes 2, rise of the apes, movie special effects-IT news
No real apes, and of how the rise of the apes 2?

NET friend Paco:

Went to the cinema at the weekend saw the rise of the apes 2: Battle of the dawn, was shocked by images of thousands of orangutans, and hear shooting without using as Gorilla, how it was filmed it?

Tencent technology:

Three years later, rise of the apes came again over more than 2000 gorillas not only facial expression vividly, talking, riding, shooting, war. Of course, they're not real Gorilla, relying instead on computer-generated effects.

Are these convincing Gorilla roles, both thanks to the orangutan actor who failed to show up good performance also depends on the Visual effects company Weta Digital (Weta Digital) best motion-capture technology in the world.

What is motion-capture technology?

In film production and video game development world, motion capture is usually used to record the actions of human actors, and converts it to a digital model to generate a two dimensional or three dimensional computer animation.

With the rise of the apes, for example, the film pieces need to go through three processes:

1. capture photograph: actors need to wear special clothing and balaclavas, many parts of the body stuck on the transmit signal of the capture points, these capture points are light-emitting diode, there are 48, you can remotely control, with the light condition adjust brightness. Actor's movements into signals from nature photography camera to capture, and eventually spread to the computer terminal.

2. computer rendering: digital animation makers make Gorilla 3D models, and actors performing face transplants the action to 3D Gorilla model, gorillas live.

Actors look to capture data with hoods, enter facial Solver software, transitions from face to face of the apes. Chimps look like was requested by the animators built out. Their hair, shading, texture mapping, shadows are rendered by a computer effects, typically 200 to 1000 processors simultaneously.

3. Add special effects: "retouchers" picture taken dressed in original bizarre human actors "p" is ready to come alive on the changing ape.

A "p Division" to a few months to put the human rider "p" clean, then can animate p orangutans. Meanwhile, computer motion capture filming outdoors and in all environments, making matching stereo image of the environment. Finally, hair, wrinkles, such as more detailed treatment, synthesis, we see the movie screen.

On the technical side of the rise of the apes 2 has any breakthroughs?

The rise of the apes 2 strictly speaking not a breakthrough technological leap, but the rise of the apes just dealing with dozens of orangutans and filmed in part on location and will have to deal with in the rise of the apes 2 2000 orangutans, 85% need scenes of on-location shooting. The rise of the apes 2 realized for the first time "outdoor scene multiplayer capture technology."

To this end, the crew was originally attached to the performers wearing reflective material can upgrade to infrared LED series, these LED each have different frequencies, so staff know exactly which determines which data came from, will not cause the "light pollution". Only suitable for indoor use large-scale photography equipment have also been transformed, developed by WiFi connection terminal wireless camera, very small.

In addition, the aging company WETA has also developed a new path-tracing renderer Manuka, able to handle a large number of apes appears shot. One of the key scenes such as the Kaiser to lead all gorilla and human confrontations, this scene has too many gorillas, must therefore be rendered competent Manuka can handle it.

Lack of motion-capture technology, and what prospects?

Appears to be very high on the motion capture, also have their own flaws.

First, the high cost of the whole system, for low-cost films, is a big burden. In addition, the use of limited scope, and the need for specialized technical personnel to operate, also demanding for the acting skills of the performer.

Most of all, it can only collect "physical" action. If you want to shoot a character fly overhead lens, you also need other technical instruments to assist. Similar to the rise of the apes 2 Milo's character is nothing because it is impossible to find the baby to do motion-capture performances, so you need to hand-drawn animation.

For now, motion capture is still an emerging technology, is still in the "primary stage". But a bold imagination, we might be able to see this technology in the future "back to Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and other dead stars, sparkle of Hollywood's golden age will be recreated on screen. At that time, that actors are not old, always shooting scenes will become a reality, and is no longer a terrorist pig knife. In addition, looks set to motion-capture technology in virtual reality, human-computer interaction, the shine on the sport training and game development.