Film Technologies

The latest of technologies in films are cameras, CGI (Computer Generated Images) and editing software. We were asked to look into these four things and see how Working Title, Warp Films and Hollywood would use them, if they use them and why some may be able to use them more than others.

Warp Films use small amounts of the latest technolgy as they are only a very small business compaed to other institutions and so get small amounts of funding. For example, 'Rubber Johnny' was created by Warp Films and only lasted 6 minutes as an experimental film to see what uses they could put CGI to. The camera shots are filmed with infared night vision using a digital camera - showing that they have the use of modern cameras. Also, it is  edited using fast transitions, colour correction and sound effects - displaying the use of editing software and possibly up to date software, due to the complexity. From my research, i cannot find that there are any plans in Warp Films to use 3D films, as with their small budgets, they can only usually ever make socially realistic dramas.

Working Title do not have extensive use of new technologies, however they do use more than Warp Films. Working Title have made no 3D films, or revealed plans for the future involving 3D. They also do not use a lot of CGI, but again, there is more than Warp Fims. This may be due to the majority of their films being drama and comedy and so do not need many added extras otherwise their films will be less realistic. However, editing software is used with a passion. In Hot Fuzz and Shaun of The Dead, the shots are fast paced and there is a lot of transitional editing. Working Title may use software such as 'Avid'.

Hollywood have by far the biggest budget, therefore by far the largest amount of new technologies and discoveries in film-making. For example, 'Avatar', the most expensive movie ever made was filmed specifically in 3D over a period of 10 years. Unlike other 3D films, it was actually recorded using a 3D lense. Also, Avatar was edited using a whole range of software such as:

Autodesk Maya (most shots)

Pixar Renderman for Maya

Autodesk SoftImage XSI

Luxology Modo (model design, e.g. the Scorpion)

Lightwave (low-res realtime environments)

Houdini (Hell’s Gate scenes, interiors)

ZBrush (creature design)

Auodesk 3ds max (space shots, control room screens and HUD renderings)

Autodesk MotionBuilder (for real-time 3d visualisations)

Eyeon Fusion (image compositing)

The Foundry Nuke Compositor (previz image compositing)

Autodesk Smoke (color correction)

Autodesk Combustion (compositing)

Massive (vegetation simulation)

Mudbox (floating mountains)

Avid(video editing)

Adobe After Effects (compositing, real-ime visualizations)

PF Track (motion tracking, background replacement)

Adobe Illustrator (HUD and screens layout)

Adobe Photoshop (concept art, textures)

Adobe Premiere (proofing, rough compositing with AE)

many tools developed in-house

ETC. These films receive huge funding which is why it is able to be made up almost entirely of CGI.