[&] SIGGRAPH 2015 - Image Engine Presents : Breathing Life Into CHAPPiE

Image Engine Presents:Breathing Life Into CHAPPiE
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CHAPPiE BREAKDOWN REEL from Image Engine on Vimeo.

Image Engine Design Inc.
Chris Harvey, Overall Visual Effects Supervisor
Mark Wendell, CG Supervisor
Mathias Lautour, Look Development Lead
Earl Fast, Animation Lead

1300+shot
1000 robot shot
70 screentime for chappie alone
4社で分担
Image Engine
THeEmbassy
Ollin
Incessant Rain

State poly count 3,226,042
Final State poly count 3,976,511

筐体にシールやいたずら書き
コンセプトアートは、 WETAが担当
Studying Sharlto
at the end of the day it would be Sharlto's performance that had to come through.
analyse locomotion
can't just look cool, it has to move right
collection and study of real life reference

各種パーツは現実世界いある道具やパーツをリファレンスにして現実感を増している。
新品ではなくある程度ダメージをおった感じに。
機械式の実物大アームを作って、動きや構造のリファレンスに

work continued back at the facility
assets(model, texture, lookdev)
new development ( small team efficiencies )
modnight dailies and 24 hours tripes

VFX on-set team
incredible family atmosphere!

On-set with Neill Blomkamp
Neill Shoots fast!
Interesting locations
Encouraging INteraction
Story / Creativity First ... collaboration

リファレンス用のグレー球をあらゆるロケハンの場所に置いて撮影しまくる

■Data Acquisition
HDRIs
volumes along character path
dual height for triangulation
calibrated texture and look-development photography
photogrammetry sets
measurements
the grey suits and Weta Costumes
fx elements

900以上のプレビズ作成
900+ previz shots
insanity full on, but ....
win-win for everyone
editorial got to cut with far more representative shots
less than 80 VFX shots on the cutting room floor
VFX got full acess to the film right from the start
the ability to be VERY pro-active arather than reactive
continutiry

■アセット制作
Matching WETA practical 実物模型をリファレンスに
Asset Complexity
Hold up for close-ups　クローズアップにも耐えるように
Multiple Variations　様々な筐体バリエーションを作成
Calibration　色のキャリブレーション、ディテールを正しく表現
One Asset for All　使い分けしない

●Calibrating the references:
HDRI Lookdev Shoot
Capture Reference Elements
Capture Lighting Setup

macbeth Color Checkerと、リファレンス球で色を合わせる
どのアセットも、実物と、CGアセットと同じような見映えに。
アクターはグレーのスーツ、帽子を被って演技

●Lookdev Shoot Benefits:
Reasonably Cheap
Single Setup
Great Results
Good Accuracy
Big Time Saver

■Texturing chappie....
Standard Mari texturing workflow
538 UDIM Tiles
42 texture channels
14 variations
Most texture tiles at 4K
Total texture disk 152.3GB

●Shader development
Physically plausible shading &lighting
Full Raytraced
Gaffer for shading
Interactive rendering
Using IPR scenes from gaffer
Advanced Components

デカールを着けたり外したり、ペイント有無など、シェーディンググラフで様々なバリエーションが作れる



●Damage stagte lookdev changes...
Geometry Change
Isolated with tags
Texture variation
Globally
Locally (per-object)
Shader branches
Shader values
Accesories

●Additional droid variations...
●Additional lookdev setups...
Vasiation eyes
Battery LCD screen with varying levels

■ROTOMATION
Benefits for PRoduction
actor driven performances as directed by neill blomkamp
no guess work for shot composition
no delays for motion / performance capture setup

Sep 2013 Principal photography
Test screening
Post Vis
テスト試写をして、観客の印象、評価を

Jan 2014
900+ Previz



COMPARISONS
PLATE / POSTVIS / ANIM / FINAL
CHAPPIE
MOOSE

FLUID/ORGANIC HUMAN MOVEMENT
EXTENDPERFORMANCE TO THE 'FACE'
FULL RANGEOFEMOTIONAL EXPRESSION
LIMITED POINTS OFARTICULATION
COMPLEXINTER ACTION AND MOVEMENT

●MOOTH
TANK ON LEGS
ANIGMGRIT AND SIMULATIONS
飛ぶシーンの撮影はドローンを参照に。

■MARKWENDELL
Oppotunities to streamline chappie
Automate Damage States
Automate some FX Simulations
Reduce lighting

Bullet proof for lighters
VFX supe specifies the correct damage states
Simplify maintenance for Modeling
Simplicity lookdev

Master geometry file contains ALLrequired meshed for all states
Damage States
Proxies/LODS
Graysuit Scans
Easier for modeler to keep track of global changes in one file
Every shot geomety....

A single master shader file is built
All relevant switches and parameters are exposed
A definition file is built to capture these paramaeters
Save out a config file for all damage state

VFX Supe specifies correct damage states
Lighter simply "Gets" the asset
Under the hood:
asset loaded into maya
Shotgu
is queries for damaage state string
That's it ... Ready to render
Similar system also used for
Battery State
Moose Damage States

420 Necklace "Bling" Shots in the film
Tried several approaches in Houdini:
Wire Solver
Concave Rigid-body Simulations
4つのチェーンリング、リングの集合の構造、衝突判定をして描く。

How do we automate these FX sims so that the first pass is hands-free?

Containers for geometry caches and cameras
Each Department publishes their work into a bundle
Bundle published are automatically QC renderd
Approval of QCDaily in Shotgun.

420 Shots, 26 min of screen time
-400 sims over the course of the project
sim times :45 minites to 8 hours
So how did we do?
25% of the shots went through without intervention
40% went through with minor tweak s either in animation or FX
35% required more complex intervention or were here shots

●Lighiting - GOALS
Photoreal
"Accurate"
Match the plate!
Perfect reference :actor in graysuit
Build HDRI- Textured geometric light rigs
Project plate onto rotomated characters

Reduce chances for artist error (eg Damage States)
Free up artists for other tasks (eg Necklace automations)
Increased productivity

●ARTIST
Assets
willingness to push and be pushed
RnD and Pipeline
smoothing road
Tracking
the shot foundation
Animation
finding his soul
Lighting
subtle nuances of ...

cf.
http://nofilmschool.com/2015/08/breaking-down-vfx-chappie-neill-blomkamp-image-engine-bts
http://www.fxguide.com/featured/the-practical-and-digital-tech-behind-chappie/