There are many ways to do a shot, but ultimately we budget only one version. We better agree on what that is before we shoot it.
Scott Williams - DP
Pilots, Series, and DVDs
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2
- DVD
- Disney
- Worked with Director, DP, Designer and VFX Producer to design and execute shots.
- Directed second unit for every day of the shoot.
- Supervised vendors in Hong Kong and Beijing, I spent several months there.
- Disney purchased Centro VFX in Hong Kong, we were their first Disney project.
- Oversaw in house artists in Los Angeles and Vancouver.
Hell On Wheels
- Pilot
- AMC
- Supervised shooting of plates on location in Calgary, Canada.
- Worked with Art Department and digital artists to build CG train, with great emphasis on the look of the steam and smoke.
- Supervised freelance and facility based artists in LA, Calgary and Vancouver.
Flicka Two
- DVD
- 20th Century Fox
- I shot the VFX plates on set, directing the animals and various elements.
- Set up In House team of artists to execute shots.
The L-Word
- Series Finale
- ShowTime
- Designed and created the iconic “End-of-Series” virtual environments for Los Angeles exteriors.
- For other scenes I set up digital rear projection of LA skyline rather than greenscreen composites for some sets, I’m a big fan of this technology for certain applications.
- Worked closely with director and editor to make sure all of our shots played as a scene, visually building from the photoreal into a stylised fashion shoot style celebration of the cast and their characters.
Rise Against
- Music Video
- Crossroads
- Chicago burns in these great looking shots at the end of the video.
- Designed the shot, phoned in the plate instructions…. ( you know how these budgets are ), I wanted to play with fire again, I’ve done too many happy films lately.
Dolittle 4 & 5
- DVD
- Fox
- Designed shots with Director and DP and Producers.
- Directed second unit for approx. half the schedule.
- Kept the In-House team from Fallen (below) for this production.
- Worked extensively with Hammerhead Korea for half the shots.
- Supervised artists and facilities during post.
Slapshot - the Junior League
- DVD
- Supervised plate shooting for crowd duplication.
- Set up In House team of artists to exectue shots.
JoyRide 2
- DVD
- 20th Century Fox
Fallen
- Miniseries
- ABC Family
- Established in house pre-vis team.
- Designed VFX sequences with Director, DP, Prod Designer and Pre-Vis artists.
- Supervised main unit plate shooting and directed VFX Unit.
- Established in house dept to produce Flying and Redemption scenes.
- Worked with local vendors for the fire swords battles.
Three Moons over Milford
- TV Series
Stargate Atlantis
- Pilot
- MGM
- Established in house pre-vis team to temp all VFX sequences.
- Headed design team for floating city.
- Supervised all main unit plate shooting and directed VFX Unit.
- Established looks and methodologies to be used for rest of series.
- Supervised Digital Effects at Rainmaker.
Karroll's Christmas
- DVD
- Designed VFX with film makers in Calgary.
- Supervised plate photography and digital effects at Rainmaker in Vancouver.
Coors Light
- Commercial
- Mustard UK
- Pre-vised all shots with Director and Producer to fully integrate VFX avalanche with live action before going to camera.
- Supervised Main and Model unit plate photography for this 8 day shoot.
- Creatively developed shots during Inferno and Flame compositing sessions.
Damaged Care
- Direct to DVD
- Supervised plate photography and the execution of the visual effects.
Jeremiah
- Pilot
- I was the Supervising VFX Supervisor at GVFX.
- Oversaw work on pilot and key shots in post.
T Digit
- Commercial
- Hanover Expo, Cine +
- Designed and executed methodology for shooting and posting moving multi camera rigs to deliver up to 32 tiled screens.
- Supervised delivery of a lot of shots in a very short period of time with international vendors.
On Hostile Ground
- DVD
- Atlantis Alliance
- Supervised live action plate photography in Toronto.
- Shot BG elements in New Orleans.
- Supervised miniature shoot.
- Worked with artists to comp plates and elements into a compact mini disaster movie.
Telus : Time Machine
- Commercial
- Big Budet Commerical.
- GVFX was contracted to provide motion control.
- Very long dolly tracks were required and several pieces of custom equipment were required
Must Be Santa
- Miniseries
- Big Budget CBC production.
- I was on set to supervise all of the plate and element photography.
- I designed the look with the director and designer, worked with artists at assorted facilities to get the look within our budget and time line.
- Must Be Santa won the Gemini Award for outstanding achievement in VFX that year.
Due South
- Pilot
- The pilot for Due South was the the very first project GVFX did. We had purchased the first Flint system, indeed the first Discreet Logic purchase in Canada.
- We also did the miniature and digital work in the very last Due South episode.
- It was a good time.
Stargate SG 1
- Multiple Seasons
- MGM/Showtime
- Worked with co-supervisors Bob Habros and Ted Rae to establish looks and methodologies for recurring effects.
- Supervised Main unit plate photography.
- Supervised digital work at all major Canadian and several LA facilities.
The Escape
- MOW
- Series about an escapee from Death Row who eludes his captors during a huge storm.
- We shot in Vancouver during the summer, when remarkably, it does not rain.
- VFX enhanced a large number of shots, adding storms and rain, puddles, wind, etc.
- It looked rather good in the end.
Dodge Sunfire
- Commercial
- National commercial where a Dodge Sunfire jumps across a raised bridge so it's driver can get to work on time.
Final Descent
- MOW
- Columbia Tri Star
- Script : An airliner collides with a light plane just after takeoff, causing its elevators to jam in the full climb position
- Problem : Chaos ensures.
- Solution : VFX on set !
Outer Limits
- TV Series
- MGM Showtime
- VFX Supervision responsibilities included shooting plates with Main and Second unit as well as following shots through post.
- Farmed work to all major Canadian and several LA facilities.
Harlequin Romance
- Miniseries
- Mini Series with a lot of twinning, where one actress played two parts.
- We were billing by the shot, so the production shot very ( very ) long takes....
- Looked good though.
Deadlock 2
- MOW
- I've always liked blowing things up
- This time we blow up an escaping criminal's head.
- It was on my demo reel for years, always got a laugh.
- Strange business we are in.
Tekwar
- Miniseries
- Universal
- Supervised Main Unit plate and Motion Control shooting.
- Set up in house dept in addition to working with multiple Toronto vendors.
- Moved GVFX into digital production by purchasing the first Discreet Logic system in Canada.
Lifeline to Victory
- Miniseries
- World War 2 naval story about U-Boats, convoys and the ships that escorted them.
- We built and shot a 10th scale WW II corvette in late February on Lake Ontario.
- We got great believability in the waves and lighting,
- ... and we all got pneumonia.
Ordeal in the Arctic
- DVD
- True story about how economical VFX saved a movie of the week through great miniature work.
- Crashed a 1/8th scale C-130 Hercules transport aircraft in the arctic.
- Great fun actually.
Matrix
- TV Series
- The series was about a hit man from Hell.
- We created hell through matte paintings and fire elements which were shot upside down to give them a water-like rolling motion.
- It looked rather fabulous.
Kung Fu: The Legand Continues
- Pilot
- One of GVFX's earlier series.
- Miniature temples composited into assorted landscapes.
- Of course they blow up.
Dracula
- TV Series
- My first series after setting up GVFX.
- Several kids go to Europe for a family vacation and find the place over run with Vampires.
- Chaos ensues.
Beyond Reality
- TV Series
- Designed shots with producers, directors and production designer.
- Supervised element shooting and on line compositing of VFX shots.
Hitch Hiker
- TV Series
- I supervised a season when GVFX was just getting started.
- We built and shot some miniatures and did some matte paintings.
- Shots were composited in the Harry.
Secret Service
- Pilot
- Was hired to shoot the opening sequence, which editorial had temped up.
Alligator Pie
- Children's Special
- Worked with my artists and Director to design shots.
- Supervised plate photography and On-Line compositing of VFX Shots.
In the Nick of Time
- Miniseries
- Very fun project, good people to work with.
- Miniature reindeer, very large matte paintings and flying sleighs.
- HoHoHo !
Hidden Room
- TV Series
- Problem solving though Visual Effects in ghost story.
- Fun series, I liked how the people who thought they were being haunted were actually the ones haunting our heroes from the past. Nice twist.
War of the Worlds
- TV Series
I was asked to supervise the VFX for this series and Friday the 13th at the same time.
In house department was expanded to work for both.
This experience set me on the road to setting up my company by showing me I could do multiple projects at the same time.
Odyssey in August
- Short Film
- Supervised physical effects for a director Steve Roscoe, a friend from York University's Film School.
Elle-Vis
- Short Film
- I was the DP for this mocumentroy about female Elvis Impersonators
- Fun project.
Friday 13th, The Series
- Multiple Seasons
- My first professional Supervising gig.
- I was hired as the third guy in the shop, but as everyone left the project I was left in charge.
- I designed and built many of the pieces of custom equipment that would get me started in the business.
- I think I took three days off in the first year, but it was a great opportunity.
Airwalk
- Commercial
- Big City Films
- James Bond style commercial. GVFX provided large scale miniatures, which of course blew up.
The Raccoons
- Animated Series
- My First real industry job, at Hinton Animation Studios in Ottawa.
- I was a matcher, ensuring that the animation plate precisely matched thep background paintings.
