The amount of prep time a director spends with the VFX Team is inversely proportional to the amount of money facility makes. The most money is made on shots that are fixed in post.
Dan Chuba
Features
The Hole 3D
- Feature
- Bold Films
- Supervised Stereo cinematography of plates on RED camera.
- Extensive experience managing RED's Focal Length vs. Frame Rate interdependence, and it's effect on our stereo space.
- Set up and supervised in house team of artists, and were able to double the VFX shot count for the same budget and same schdule. Stereo was much easier than I was led to believe, but you have to start by shooting the plates well.
- Won 1st Place at Venice Film Festival for Best Stereo Feature.
Notorious BIG
- Feature
- 20th Century Fox
- Pre-Vised major action scenes and concert sequences.
- Set up and supervised in house team of artists for this project.
- There was no post work for us on this project.
Freezer Burn
- Feature
- Panacea Entertainment
- Solved a very strange optical illusion in critical shot.
- It looked like the lead actor was strobing as he ran against a patterned wall, but when you watched it frame by frame it was not there.
- Lots of rotoscoping and plenty of careful colour correction solved the problem, very challenging.
In the Name of the King
- Feature
- BrightLight Pictures
- VFX Producer during prep and shooting for this 1400 VFX shot film.
- Established in house pre-vis team to temp all VFX sequences.
- Went back to Slither (below) once it was in post.
Man About Town
- Feature
- Designed and pre-vised high speed travelling / transitional sequences.
- Shot plates for transitional sequences in Vancouver, and all other VFX sequences.
- Post continued at Rainmaker after I left to work on Slither.
Slither
- Feature
- Strike Entertainment
- Established in house pre-vis team to temp all VFX sequences.
- Supervised main unit 35mm plate cinematography.
- In house team was expanded to handle half the shots.
- Supervised London, Toronto, Vancouver, LA vendors.
- Winner of the Fangoria Chainsaw award for Highest Body Count…
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
- Feature
- Warner Bros.
- Additional VFX Supervision for Vancouver sequences.
I Robot
- Feature
- Fox
- Designed methodology for Lanning House Sequence: huge mansion is destroyed by Robot - realised via miniature build and shoot, 3D particles, 2D.
- Supervised Main and Second unit Plate photography for this sequence, but not the post.
Santa Clause 2
- Feature
- Disney
- Pre-vised major action scenes with Director and DP.
- Designed Ice Globe environment, ultimately creating fantastic 30’ by 90’ translates.
- Supervised all plate photography.
- Worked closely with Tippett Studios who did all CG Reindeer shots.
- Supervised Digital Effects in Toronto and Vancouver, liaised with Tippett Studios in San Francisco and editorial in Santa Monica.
Down to Earth
- Feature
- Paramount
- Supervised plate photography and designed look of heaven.
- Worked creatively with Inferno artists to final shots.
Other Side of Heaven
- Feature
- TriMark
- Shot plates in Cooke Islands and New Zealand.
- Supervised all digital work, including the creation of a large Storm at Sea Sequence.
Bait
- Feature
- Built and shot miniatures for high speed pyro sequences.
- Models were build from steel plate to all re-takes, and to allow them to withstand intense heat.
Warriors of Virtue
- Feature
- Law Bros Ent. / MGM
- Joined production at start of post.
- Shot VFX miniatures and elements.
- Worked closely with LA, Toronto and Vancouver vendors to design and deliver sequences.
Revenge of the Radioactive Reporter
- Feature
- Pryceless Prod
- Supervised all physical effects including construction of large bubbling vat of nuclear wastes, and all gunplay.
Johnny Mnemonic
- Feature
- Tristar
- Designed ‘Upload’ sequence with C.O.R.E .
- Playback Graphics Supervisor and Download Sequence designer.
Masala
- Feature
- Supervised plate photography and miniature photography.
- Supervised photo mechanical compositing of shots.
- Also acted as Physical Effects Supervisor on set.
White Room
- Feature
- Alliance Entertainment
Time Runner
- Feature
- Image Entertainment
- Designed and shot Video Playback for exploding space station sequence.
- Supervised miniature pyro photography.
- Supervised photo mechanical compositing of shots.
The Gulucci Brothers
- Feature
- My first 35mm Feature Film.
- I started as a Camera Dept PA, and became Second Camera Assistant.
Welcome to the Parade
- Feature
- 16mm Feature which I co-DP'd with Jon Joffin.
- After lighting the scene I'd pick up the Nagra and Boom the shot. I would always leave a hole to avoid the boom shadow.
