VIRTUAL VÉRITÉ ©2016 Disney

USING TECHNIQUES HONED ON TWO OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE FEATURE FILMS, GRAVITY AND AVATAR, FILMMAKERS CREATE A COMPLEX CG WORLD FOR A HUMAN BOY RAISED BY WOLVES IN INDIA

BY BARBARA ROBERTSON

he feral boy tries to capture the magic of the ’s animal guides, protec- Mowgli, the only live-action Mowgli’s animated feature while embrac- tors, companions, and enemies. actor in the film. adventures ing technology available in 2016. is , the Legato was the overall visual Twith animals “The film plays homage to black panther that leads Mowgli effects supervisor for The Jungle in India have the 1967 film, but it’s a movie to the wolf den. Lupita Nyong’o Book, with Andy Jones the been a familiar part of many rooted in real life,” says Visual and Giancarlo Esposito provide overall character animation people’s lives since Rudyard Effects Supervisor Rob Legato. mother and father wolves Rak- supervisor. The Moving Picture Kipling first published his series “It’s a fun experience, and part sha and ’s voices. The Ben- Company (MPC) created all the of children’s stories in maga- of that fun is getting dark and gal tiger threatens CG animals and environments zines during 1893–1894. The scared. When the tiger is chas- Mowgli’s life using ’s for 1,200 shots, which comprise collection, now known as “The ing Mowgli, that tiger looks real. voice. , a bear that speaks most of the film. Weta Digital Jungle Book,” has inspired com- Your heart will be pumping like with ’s voice, guides handled a sequence with King ic books, cartoons, animated crazy. But the film also has light Mowgli away from danger with Louie and various monkeys (see movies, and live-action films. moments, comedy, and music.” help from Bagheera. Along the “Monkey Business,” page 14). The most famous of these The tiger, however, is CG, as way, Mowgli encounters the Adding the environments and adaptations is, arguably, Dis- are all the animals in the film. dangerous and manipulative characters to live-action plates ney’s popular animated feature, Ninety-five percent of the movie animals , a python voiced filmed with Sethi took nearly the 1967 . And it was shot in sets on greenscreen by Scarlett Johansson, and King 1,000 postproduction artists is from this film that Director Jon or bluescreen stages. Louie (), an in the two studios more than Favreau drew inspiration for this Produced by Pic- -like ape based on a year. year’s CG/live-action “re-imag- tures, The Jungle Book, features the prehistoric Gigantopithecus. At MPC, Visual Effects Super- ining.” Favreau’s The Jungle Book an all-star cast of voices for Lastly, Neel Sethi plays the child visor Adam Valdez oversaw the ABOVE LEFT, MPC CREATED BAGHEERA, THE BLACK PANTHER, AND ALL THE ANIMALS IN THE FILM EXCEPT THE MONKEYS. AT RIGHT, WETA DIGITAL CREATED AND THE OTHER APES.

work of 600 people in the previs using the motion- light is accurate,” Valdez says. over there, the open sun beyond. and Bangalore, India, who were capture stage and virtual cine- “We had gray models, no texture It was essential to have his on the show at any one time, matography were the director, yet, but we could show him pre-lighting brought on set.” and 800 people overall. Also Director of Photography Bill where the light was, how much at MPC, Ben Jones supervised Pope, Legato, Jones, Production fill there would be, how much TALK TO THE ANIMALS character development, Audrey Designer Christopher Glass, Val- bounce. Michael worked with Bill Ferrara supervised the envi- dez, a crew from Digital Domain, to light every scene and create Earlier, during the previs shoot, ronment work, and Peta Bayley editors on the film, and others. key angle frames that went stunt actors in motion-capture and Gabriele Zucchelli were “The coverage, the editing, beyond previs, and then we put suits had played the part of the animation supervisors. all the choices were made by them on an iPad so Bill could animals. During the live-action One key to these postpro- these people, not previs people,” remember his lighting while on shoot, puppeteers in blue suits duction artists’ success was the Valdez says. “Rob Legato and set. Gravity had just come out gave young Actor Neel Sethi eye previsualization process (see Bill Pope were shooting with with its pre-lit shots designed lines. “Directing and Lighting Previs” the virtual camera. Andy Jones in the computer and brought to “They were like stand-ins,” on CGW.com). was helping stage the action. set, so we referenced that idea.” Valdez says. “Often they had directed people Once Pope approved the sock puppets on their hands, EXPERT PREVIS in the motion-capture suits lighting, the MPC team created but there were also puppets on set. Bill [Pope] was talking 360-degree panoramas and on set that helped when Neel “Picture stepping onto a with Christopher Glass about loaded them onto iPads using needed to make contact.” motion-capture stage,” Legato the look and light. So we had a an app called “Location.” On set, At peak, 78 animators at MPC says. “[Neel Sethi] is in a mo- group of filmmakers creating Pope and others could point performed approximately 70 tion-capture suit. On the previs. That gave it intention, the iPad toward the bluescreen animals that appeared in the are gray-shaded pieces of wood tone, style, and look from the stage and see a 360-degree film. Of those animals, the hero and ramps that create a lumpy beginning. I thought our biggest view of the corresponding CG animals and several secondary landscape. On the computer, challenge would be how to scene lit by Pope. animals talked. we have facsimiles of the places make the light connect between “It is like looking at a scene Animation Supervisor Peta we want to shoot. We have what would be filmed and CG. in Google Street View,” Val- Bayley divided the MPC team people in motion-capture suits But, Bill [Pope] was lighting from dez says. “When a person is into groups under seven leads representing the animals. On the beginning, from previs.” surrounded by bluescreen, it’s assigned to specific sequences, the computer, we see a cartoon After previs, Pope sat with difficult to know there’s a big with each lead animator having version of Mowgli and facsimiles Lighting Technical Director tree over there. But, Bill wanted a deputy who helped handle of the animals. As we tell the Michael Hipp at MPC to refine to know when Mowgli walked the information flowing through. actors how to move, we block the lighting. through the tree’s shadow. With Each lead worked with riggers to out the scenes.” “Because we use a raytracer the iPad panoramas, he could develop the hero characters and Working together to create now [ RenderMan RIS], the see the tree, the dappled light to create the hero characters’

MARCH. APRIL 2016 CGW 11 ALL THE ENVIRONMENTS ARE CG. A TEAM TOOK 20TB OF PHOTOS AT 43 LOCALES IN INDIA TO PROVIDE REFERENCE AND PHOTOGRAMMETRY.

“bibles.” In addition to Bayley, animal’s mouth moved when the same weight, but we also believe Baloo is a bear. So, that Overall Animation Supervisor eating or chewing, to see if we had to adapt.” balance was the most difficult.” Andy Jones worked at the studio could incorporate that detail,” Legato adds, “At first, the Once the director approved for much of the project. Bayley says, “at the way they animators nailed each mouth the animals’ performanc- “We were so lucky to work vocalize, lick lips, and groom, as fluctuation. But, people don’t es, the characters moved with him,” Bayley says. “Often well as their breathing patterns. enunciate every syllable. When into technical animation – we hear feedback on a project When they pant, you can see it we tucked it back, it became techanim – for secondary secondhand or thirdhand. It was in their throats and diaphragm, more believable.” muscle and skin movement, helpful to have him here; he’s a and we could incorporate that The most difficult animals, and for fur and hair grooming. very talented animator. It was movement with dialog to help according to Bayley, were the “Ben Jones completely rebuilt motivating to have someone of sell the idea that the character snake Kaa and the bear Baloo. how we do muscles and tissue,” his caliber in-house.” made that noise.” “A snake is not inherently ex- Valdez says. “He created new The challenge for the an- The team amassed a large pressive,” Bayley says, “so it was ways for the muscles to react to imation team was to create library of animal reference, a massive challenge. We didn’t physics and interact with each believable performances for including facial close-ups. They want to introduce things that other, and new ways for the animals that, by nature, vocalize had video footage of the actors don’t exist onto that face.” skin to receive information from but don’t speak dialog. doing voice recordings and of The bear presented the other the muscles. We had multiple “Andy Jones kept taking us the actors in other films. And, side of the coin – an animal that influences to manipulate fine back to the sensibility of the they referenced studies of ani- is somewhat anthropomorphic details in the skin. Ben worked a film,” Legato says. “If it were mal behavior. Animators would by nature. lot with the character modeling real, how would you shoot it? sometimes get approval from “Baloo was the most lively and and asset departments.” So, if an animal could talk, what the director on performances had the most range of emotion,” Rather than rely on dis- would it look like?” based on reference footage and Bayley says. “We found some placement maps for detailed Thus, rather than relying combinations of reference that fascinating footage of bears. textures, modelers built those on motion capture for facial they found. Their range of emotion in their details into the models. expressions and lip sync, the “Sometimes, we matched mouth is incredible. And, there’s “In the past, we created wrin- animation team turned toward reference second by second,” so much character in Bill Murray’s kling via displacement maps,” photographic reference. Bayley says. “It’s difficult to stray voice, so we wanted to keep the Valdez says. “We shied away “We looked at the way the from the reference and still have sense of him. But you want to from using geometry due to

12 CGW MARCH. APRIL 2016 MPC UPDATED ITS CUSTOM FURTILITY TOOL TO MANAGE THE INTERACTION BETWEEN CG FUR AND WATER, AND RAYTRACED THE VEGETATION, FUR, AND WATER WITH RENDERMAN RIS.

render times. But, I like geometry. Valdez says. “In the lazy river artists, lookdev artists, environ- planned photo shoots. I like to have faces and polygons sequence, Mowgli rides down ment artists, and technical ani- “I learned where in India we reacting with light. Any time you a river on Baloo’s belly. So we mators. These artists created 58 could find the species the art have geometry, you get more had to work out how to make different sets and 224 subsets department wanted,” Ferrara realistic light play. You can’t sim- the bridge between water and for the film. says. “Then I scheduled three ulate light that well with maps.” fur simulation.” “We had the wolf den and photo sessions in different To alleviate the burden of high its subsets; peace rock where seasons. We had people go to sampling rates with raytracing, THE JUNGLE all the animals drink water 43 locations all over India. They MPC collaborated with Pixar and Shere Khan shows up; the shot 20TB of photographs. From and Disney on de-noising tools. The lazy river sequence was one home jungle where the wolves those, we could do photogram- “Raytracing is the way to go of many environments the crew and Mowgli train, run, and play; metry and start to build our sets. forward because it gives you the at MPC needed to create for this the lazy river with Mowgli and We built 1,200 assets, more or obvious realism everyone seeks, largely bluescreen film. Baloo; Kaa’s jungle, which is big less, for this show.” but it demands that everyone “Filling up the screen for 90 and scary; and more,” Ferrara Although Ferrara was initially raise their game,” Valdez says. minutes with the bulk of the says. “At the beginning of the worried about building the veg- “The lighting department has to frame is intimidating,” Valdez show, I wasn’t exactly terrified, etation, she and the team dis- be more physical in their setups. says. “This movie is somewhere but I thought, oh my God, how covered that sets with rock for- Lookdev people need to create between an animated feature will we build these massive mations were more challenging. more robust surfaces that and an Avatar type of movie. The jungles with flowers and vege- “You can hide imperfections in work in all lighting cases. Asset environments team had proba- tation everywhere? At different the chaos of a jungle,” she says. people have to provide more bly the single most complicated times of days. In different “Your eye looks at it as a whole. realistic objects.” contribution to the film.” seasons. In stereo.” But with a big rock formation, To groom and move the To populate the environment They started in India. Glass you analyze the information. animals’ fur, the team used with rocks, ground, and vegeta- and his art department created Rocks were unforgivable.” and updated MPC’s seasoned tion, Environments Supervisor rules for the vegetation based For rocks, the team typically custom Furtility tool. Audrey Ferrara led crews in Lon- on species growing in India, and used photogrammetry for the “We had new levels of inter- don and Bangalore that grew to provided reference material. structure and photos for the action between fur and water,” 120 artists – modelers, texture Working from that, Ferrara textures. The more complex

MARCH. APRIL 2016 CGW 13 shapes of the plants, though, ground. We had to add details meant modelers sculpted those to glue all the components by hand working in Autodesk’s together. Dead leaves, moss, Maya, SpeedTree’s vegetation dust, pebbles in the little cracks software, and Pixologic’s ZBrush. between a root and a rock.” “The challenge was to glue all Although artists placed most those assets together,” Ferrara of the assets by hand, a custom says. “You can’t just place one procedural tool helped scatter tree on one rock on one piece of small elements, like twigs and

Mowgli overhead like a rock or biped, but it was probably “Sometimes Jon [Fav- MONKEY star who’s crowd surfing.” 10 feet tall. We received con- reau] would send selections To create the final shots, cept art and previs models, from films, moments we BUSINESS Weta Digital artists and and then went through our could use as a template for animators replaced the design process.” shots,” Miller says. Artists at Weta Digital creat- blue-suited stagehands Because Christopher For King Louie’s body ed one main sequence in the with monkeys and added a Walken would provide performance, the crew film. The sequence begins CG jungle with vegetation. King Louie’s voice, Weta motion-captured Director in the forest. Mowgli is on a The vegetation interacted Digital artists sculpted a Favreau playing the part, perch, until, suddenly, he’s with Mowgli and with the fire facial model with geometry but the combination of captured by monkeys that brigade of monkeys passing matching Walken. Then, us- Favreau’s body performance drag him to the temple of him along overhead. ing their experience in incor- and Walken’s facial perfor- King Louie and his minions. A “We made minor improve- porating Andy Serkis’s facial mance didn’t, as Miller puts confrontation there leads to ments in our Lumberjack shapes to create Planet of it, “play nicely together.” a song and dance moment. program in terms of the tree the Apes’ Caesar, a tech- “We tried to find pieces Mowgli escapes. And King dynamics to give animators nique honed in other films as that worked to craft a new Louie comes to his demise as more control so they could well, they began modifying performance,” Miller says. the temple falls to ruins. drive the primary interac- forms to roughly match the “Jon [Favreau] gave us a Dan Lemmon was visual tions,” Miller says. “Then the volume and shapes of an run-though of the scenes effects supervisor when effects team managed the orangutan’s face. to establish a tone, so we Weta Digital joined the simulations. We also added “We studied photography, could pick out actions here production in early-fall instancing to our proprietary video reference of Walken and there. But, this was used 2014. Keith Miller took over renderer, Manuka, to handle performing his lines in the only as reference for anima- as supervisor a year later, the large numbers of heavily sound booth,” Miller says. tors. Any pieces we wanted as Lemmon moved on to detailed trees.” “We tried to incorporate to use were more easily preproduction for the third The monkeys – King Lou- corners of his mouth. His keyframed.” Planet of the Apes film. ie’s minions – were species signature wrinkles. The line “On most shows,” Miller specific to India: pig-tailed above the ball of his chin. SONG AND DANCE says, “we integrate a CG and lion-tailed macaques, It’s an iterative process. character into a live-action zippy langurs, and gibbons. You always run the danger Animators also used key- environment. This show was In Disney’s 1967 film, King of anthropomorphizing to framing rather than motion unusual. We have a single Louie was an orangutan. such a degree that you lose capture for King Louie’s live-action element, Mowgli, In this film, he is an orang- the feel of the character and minions. As it turns out, the that we integrate into a full- utan-like prehistoric ape what you would expect an motion-capture techniques CG world.” called a Gigantopithecus, ape to do.” the crew had used for Planet The kidnap moment is a which, unlike , Animators had video of of the Apes were not appro- perfect example. might have lived in India. Walken voicing the dialog priate for the monkeys in “It’s fun to look at the “We didn’t have a lot of for reference, but because this film. plates,” Miller says. “It’s a information about it,” Miller he had read the lines in the “The chimpanzees in bluescreen environment says. “Fossil records don’t recording booth, they also Apes do knuckle walking with 20 or more stagehands tell us whether the Giganto- turned to reference of the that you can mimic with in bluescreen suits passing pithecus was a quadruped actor in other movies. humans,” Miller says. “But

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