Category: Uncategorized

  • Let’s all move to LA, in 2049

    Los Angeles in 2049 is an over-populated metropolis, threatened by rising sea levels, and featuring vastly different scale buildings, from sprawling favelas to mile high pyramids. That’s how the city is presented in Blade Runner 2049, which had to show a location 30 years into the future from the original Blade Runner and had the benefit…

  • What happens in Vegas

    In the third act of Blade Runner 2049 we arrive at a stark orange-y Las Vegas, now a wasteland where the replicant and Blade Runner K (Ryan Gosling) has sought out the old-school Blade Runner Deckard (Harrison Ford). Much of the visual effects work in that sequence was handled by Framestore (overseen by visual effects…

  • More Joi: how the giant ‘Blade Runner 2049’ hologram shot was pulled off

    As a follow-up to my earlier coverage of Double Negative’s ménage à trois hologram work for Blade Runner 2049, overall visual effects supervisor now shares with vfxblog how Dneg also carried out the stunning giant hologram scene also featuring Joi. This time, actress Ana de Armas is playing Joi as a hologram advertisement as she…

  • Special effects secrets

    For SYFY WIRE, I got to chat to the team at Blood Brothers FX about the joy of practical effects for horror films (warning, slightly gory).

  • How ‘Blade Runner 2049’s’ virtual ménage à trois was made

    The ménage à trois between K (Ryan Gosling), his companion hologram Joi (Ana de Armas) and Mariette (Mackenzie Davis) in Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 is a stunningly realised sequence. It involves the real human Mariette interacting with K, while also ‘merging’ at times with Joi. The sequence involved significant visual effects planning and execution,…

  • How ‘Blade Runner 2049’s’ virtual ménage à trois was made

    The ménage à trois between K (Ryan Gosling), his companion hologram Joi (Ana de Armas) and Mariette (Mackenzie Davis) in Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 is a stunningly realised sequence. It involves the real human Mariette interacting with K, while also ‘merging’ at times with Joi. The sequence involved significant visual effects planning and execution,…

  • Kill mouths and fridge monsters

    For SYFY WIRE, I got the chance to speak to Rodeo FX about their impressive work for IT. In particular, I love that the VFX in this film never takes over – in fact, there’s a very cool mix of practical and just another digital to tell the terrifying story.

  • VIEW preview: ‘Guardians Vol. 2’ VFX supe Christopher Townsend talks shot iterations

    It’s not very long until the VIEW Conference in Turin, Italy, which kicks off 23 October. One of the amazing things about this event is the high calibre of speakers – we’re talking major visual effects supervisors, animation directors and leaders in VR and other creative content industries. Oscar-nominated visual effects supervisor Christopher Townsend is…

  • New VFX Voice is out!

    The October 2018 issue of VFX Voice is now out, and includes a bunch of articles I was able to contribute: The Lego Ninjago Movie – had a chat to Animal Logic about the film. Blade Runner – talked to chief model maker Mark Stetson about the miniatures for the original film. VES 70 –…

  • Here’s what ONE animator can do in Unreal

    I spoke to Peter Monga about his Morgan Lives in a Rocket House show being developed in Unreal Engine. The amazing thing is, he’s doing it along. Coverage at Cartoon Brew.