Making MoviesMaking Movies

Making MoviesMaking Movies

ConceptConcept StoryboardingStoryboarding SoundSound Character DevelopmentCharacter Development Layout and lookLayout and look EffectsEffects AnimationAnimation LightingLighting

ConceptConcept

Pixar’s Lasseter is a genius – Pixar’s Lasseter is a genius – “Nothing gets in the way of the “Nothing gets in the way of the story”story”

StoryboardingStoryboarding

Explicitly defineExplicitly define– ScenesScenes– Camera shotsCamera shots– Special effectsSpecial effects– LightingLighting– ScaleScale

Used as guide by Used as guide by animatorsanimators

SoundSound

Voice recording of talent Voice recording of talent completed before animation completed before animation beginsbegins

Animations must match the voice Animations must match the voice overover

A puppeteer once told me that the A puppeteer once told me that the voice makes or breaks a charactervoice makes or breaks a character

Character DevelopmentCharacter Development

300 Drawings300 Drawings

Character DevelopmentCharacter Development

40 Sculptures40 Sculptures

Character Character DevelopmentDevelopment

Computer Computer ModelsModels

Layout and LookLayout and Look

Build sceneryBuild scenery Match colorsMatch colors

MatchmovingMatchmoving

CG camera must exactly match the real CG camera must exactly match the real cameracamera– PositionPosition– RotationRotation– Focal lengthFocal length– AperatureAperature

Easy when camera is instrumentedEasy when camera is instrumented Hard to place CG on moving objects on Hard to place CG on moving objects on

filmfilm

MatchmovingMatchmoving

MatchmovingMatchmoving

Square patterns in live action Square patterns in live action made it easier to track – furniture, made it easier to track – furniture, wall paperwall paper

2D – 3D conversion in Maya2D – 3D conversion in Maya

WaterWater

Particle Sim and Particle Sim and IndentationIndentation

ToolsTools

CompositingCompositing

CompositingCompositing

LightingLighting

Facial AnimationFacial Animation

Facial AnimationFacial Animation

FurFur

ClothCloth

Buttons and Buttons and CreasesCreases

TextureTexture

CompaniesCompanies

PixarPixar DisneyDisney Sony ImageworksSony Imageworks Industrial Light and Industrial Light and

Magic (ILM)Magic (ILM) Rhythm and HuesRhythm and Hues Pacific Data ImagesPacific Data Images

(PDI)(PDI)

Dreamworks Dreamworks SKGSKG

Tippett StudiosTippett Studios Angel StudiosAngel Studios Blue SkyBlue Sky Robert Abel and Robert Abel and

AssociatesAssociates Giant StudiosGiant Studios

Toy Story (1995)Toy Story (1995)

77 minutes long; 110,064 frames77 minutes long; 110,064 frames 800,000 machine hours of rendering800,000 machine hours of rendering 1 terabyte of disk space1 terabyte of disk space 3.5 minutes of animation produced 3.5 minutes of animation produced

each week (maximum)each week (maximum) Frame render times: 45 min – 20 Frame render times: 45 min – 20

hourshours 110 Suns operating 24-7 for rendering110 Suns operating 24-7 for rendering

– 300 CPU’s300 CPU’s

Toy StoryToy Story

Texture maps on Buzz: 189 Texture maps on Buzz: 189 – (450 to show scuffs and dirt)(450 to show scuffs and dirt)

Number of animation ‘knobs’Number of animation ‘knobs’– Buzz – 700Buzz – 700– Woody – 712Woody – 712

Face – 212Face – 212 Mouth – 58Mouth – 58

– Sid’s Backpack - 128Sid’s Backpack - 128

Toy StoryToy Story

Number of leaves on trees – 1.2 Number of leaves on trees – 1.2 milmil

Number of shaders – 1300Number of shaders – 1300 Number of storyboards – 25,000Number of storyboards – 25,000

Toy Story 2Toy Story 2

80 minutes long, 122,699 frames80 minutes long, 122,699 frames

1400 processor renderfarm1400 processor renderfarm

Render time of 10 min to 3 daysRender time of 10 min to 3 days

Direct to video filmDirect to video film

Toy Story 2Toy Story 2

Software toolsSoftware tools

– Alias|WavefrontAlias|Wavefront

– Amazon PaintAmazon Paint

– RenderManRenderMan

Newman!Newman!

Subdivision-surfacesSubdivision-surfaces

Polygonal hair (head)Polygonal hair (head)– Texture mapped on armsTexture mapped on arms

Sculpted clothesSculpted clothes

Complex shadersComplex shaders

Devil’s in the DetailsDevil’s in the Details

Render in colorRender in color Convert to NTSC B/WConvert to NTSC B/W Add film effectsAdd film effects

– JitterJitter– Negative scratchesNegative scratches– HairHair– StaticStatic

ImagesImages

ImagesImages

ImagesImages

Stuart LittleStuart Little

500 shots with digital character500 shots with digital character 6 main challenges6 main challenges

– Lip syncLip sync– Match-move (CG to live-action)Match-move (CG to live-action)– FurFur– ClothesClothes– Animation toolsAnimation tools– Rendering, lighting, compositingRendering, lighting, compositing

Stuart LittleStuart Little

100+ people worked on CG100+ people worked on CG– 32 color/lighting/composite artists32 color/lighting/composite artists– 12 technical assistants12 technical assistants– 30 animators30 animators– 40 artists40 artists– 12 R&D12 R&D

Shooting Film For CGShooting Film For CG

Actors practice with maquettesActors practice with maquettes Maquettes replaced with laser dotsMaquettes replaced with laser dots

– lasers on when camera shutter is closedlasers on when camera shutter is closed After each take, three extra shotsAfter each take, three extra shots

– chrome ball for environment map for chrome ball for environment map for Stuart’s eyesStuart’s eyes

– white and gray balls for lighting infowhite and gray balls for lighting info

Match-movingMatch-moving

Film scannedFilm scanned Camera tracking data retrievedCamera tracking data retrieved 3D Equalizer + Alias Maya to 3D Equalizer + Alias Maya to

prepare (register) the digital prepare (register) the digital cameracamera

Once shot is prepared, 2D images Once shot is prepared, 2D images rendered and composited with live rendered and composited with live actionaction

Final FantasyFinal Fantasy

http://www.arstechnica.com/wankerdesk/01q3/ff-interview/ff-interview-2.html

Final FantasyFinal Fantasy

Main characters > 300,000 polysMain characters > 300,000 polys 1336 shots1336 shots 24,606 layers24,606 layers 3,000,000 renders (if only rendered once)3,000,000 renders (if only rendered once)

– typically 5 render revisionstypically 5 render revisions– render time per frame = 90 minrender time per frame = 90 min

Most layers per shot 500Most layers per shot 500 934,162 days of render time on one CPU934,162 days of render time on one CPU

– they used 1200 CPUs = 778 days of renderingthey used 1200 CPUs = 778 days of rendering

Final FantasyFinal Fantasy

Renderman (Pixar) used for renderingRenderman (Pixar) used for rendering– direct illuminationdirect illumination– many hacks to fake global illuminationmany hacks to fake global illumination

Maya used for modelingMaya used for modeling HairHair

– Modeled is splinesModeled is splines– Lighting and rendering complicated as Lighting and rendering complicated as

wellwell

Making MoviesMaking Movies

Production TeamProduction Team Production LineProduction Line Special EffectsSpecial Effects

Production TeamProduction Team

DirectorsDirectors ModelersModelers LightingLighting Character Character

AnimatorsAnimators Technical DirectorsTechnical Directors Render WranglersRender Wranglers Tools DevelopersTools Developers

Shader WritersShader Writers Effects AnimatorsEffects Animators Looks TeamLooks Team Security OfficerSecurity Officer JanitorJanitor LackeyLackey

Render-FarmsRender-Farms High DensityHigh Density

• Up to 132 Processors• Up to 132 Processors for every clusters. for every clusters.• Up to 66 • Up to 66 cluster ncluster nodes with odes with rroom for oom for n networkingetworking && s switches witches

Pixar's new RenderFarm Pixar's new RenderFarm ::– 1024 Intel Xeon 2.8 GHz processors 1024 Intel Xeon 2.8 GHz processors (5 times (5 times

faster old RISC processors).faster old RISC processors).– IInside of eight new clusters running Pixar's nside of eight new clusters running Pixar's

own RenderMan software. own RenderMan software. – 22 terabytes of memory terabytes of memory – 60 terabytes of disk space.60 terabytes of disk space.

First product: First product: "The Incredibles""The Incredibles"RackSaverRackSaverBladeRackBladeRackSystemsSystems