Today through this blog we will see how to make VFX look incredible with Pre-Vis or Pre-Visualization.
Before making a movie the director needs to have clear visuals about the story in his/her mind.
Similarly to make final decisions about the VFX artists need to have a clear visual breakdown of the visual contents.
Actually Pre-Visualization is the process of visualizing the complex scenes in a movie before filming.
We know that storyboards provide a general look of each scene but Pre- Visualization indicates the scene that VFX artists need to have.
In case your film has lot of computer graphics and unique creatures then your filming will be within a background of blue or green screens.
But how your live actors will perform the way you want; it would be better if they could see the final version and here comes Pre- Visualization.
From mid-1990s digital Pre- Visualization became an essential tool in the big budget feature film.
Why Pre-Visualization For VFX Is Needed
Animated Pre- Visualization helps VFX Supervisors to improve and experiment on camera movements, lighting placement, staging and duration.
If virtual camera movement or action sequences are badly timed without Pre- Visualization then the film’s narration will miss the attention from the audience.
A good Pre- Visualization for VFX can differentiate between a good movie and a great movie.
A Pre- Visualization VFX Supervisor not only decides shots but the whole sequences, the camera angles, spacing, lenses and everything about a film.
Modern Pre- Visualization team uses computer animation to show the director’s choices in motion.
The Pre- Visualization starts at the pre-production stage and it provides entire cast and crew clear vision about how the actions would be during the shooting process.
Action sequences need to be choreographed and showcased in the form of Pre-Visualization animatics to the cast and crew before the shooting stage.
Pre-Visualization for VFX is usually created by 3D tool in virtual environment.
Pre-Visualization gives an opportunity to the director to look at his film being constructed in a virtual environment.
Pre- Visualization VFX artists make changes according to the wish of the director in the images.
A director can actually see their film’s storyline in the Pre-Visualization process.
Making Use Of Pre-Visualization In Movies
In the like Movie Rise of the Planet of Apes group of Pre- Visualization artists choreographed every shot featuring a digital ape; VFX artists created rough version of the complex shots.
Pre-visualization VFX artists created about 1500 shots for Pre-Vis with 50 artists working on different stages for this movie of Ape.
In case of this movie static storyboard failed to convey enough description because it had too much action.
Pre-Visualization animatics of Apes gave clear idea about the director’s vision to the VFX artists from focal length to lighting.
Why Pre-Visualization For VFX Is Needed
Animated Pre-Visualization helps VFX Supervisors to improve and experiment on camera movements, lighting placement, staging and duration.
If virtual camera movement or action sequences are badly timed without Pre-Visualization then the film’s narration will miss the attention from the audience.
A good Pre-Visualization for VFX can differentiate between a good movie and a great movie.
A Pre-Visualization VFX Supervisor not only decides shots but the whole sequences, the camera angles, spacing, lenses and everything about a film.
Modern Pre-Visualization team uses computer animation to show the director’s choices in motion.
The Pre-Visualization starts at the pre-production stage and it provides entire cast and crew clear vision about how the actions would be during the shooting process.
Action sequences need to be choreographed and showcased in the form of Pre-Vis animatics to the cast and crew before the shooting stage.
Pre-Visualization for VFX is usually created by 3D tool in virtual environment.
Pre-Visualization gives an opportunity to the director to look at his film being constructed in a virtual environment.
Pre-Visualization VFX artists make changes according to the wish of the director in the images.
A director can actually see their film’s storyline in the Pre- Visualization process.
For the above bridge shot computer generated Pre-Visualization was done on detail measurements, compositions and camera positions by Weta Digital’s previs VFX artists.
VFX artists used software like Maya and After Effects to create the Pre-Visualization of the shots.
Artists decided about camera angles, shot durations, focus point while working on pre-visualization.
In Pre-Visualization for VFX artists can handle digital cameras, colour, texture, characters and lot more elements to create stunning visual contents.
Pre-Visualization process also empowers the editor with the footage that they need to make the movie as stylised as possible.
The above Pre- Visualization image is from Robert Stromberg’s directed movie Maleficent.
Maleficent’s Pre-Visualization was handled by VFX Company The Third Floor and Supervised by Mark Nelson.
Pre-Visualization Supervisor Mark Nelson said in one of his interview that “We replaced creatures with various designs four or five times throughout the Pre- Visualization process and that is the kind of job during Pre- Visualization.”
Film Maleficent had 1,200 Pre-Vis shots and 30 different sequences.
Pre-Visualization may look like simple grey shapes with characters or it may look like sophisticated stunning video games.
Laurent Lavig did the Pre-Vis for the movie Matrix Reloaded.
In case of Matrix Reloaded Pre-Vis artists worked on set planning, stunt planning, shoot planning and VFX layout.
Pre- Visualization artist may add temporary music and dialogues into the edited rough version of the complex shots.
Pre-Visualization had been used in movies like Matrix Trilogy, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, X-Men and others.
Best Software For Pre-Visualization VFX
In case of complex VFX scenes, Pre-Vis has to be successful.
One can find great Pre-Visualization resources out in the market.
For big movie project director hires VFX Company to do the Pre-Vis.
But in case you are not in a position to hire Pre-Vis team then you can use Software like Lightwave 3D, Maya, Autodesk MotionBuilder, Softimage XSI which are commonly used for Pre-Vis.
Some artists also rely on less technically challenging 3D modelling and animation software like iClone, Real3d, Poser etc.
FrameForge 3D Studio is also the Pre-vis storyboard software widely used by VFX Supervisor.
FrameForge 3D Studio creates virtual sets, locations by using simulated cameras, actors and materials in the 3D environment.
With the help of Pre- Visualization software director along with VFX Supervisor can create the 3D animated sequences to analyse and measure the accuracy of the shooting material.
An outstanding Pre- Vis work can offer platform for more creativity and innovation in the VFX field.
Pre-Vis Saves Time And Money
Pre-Vis helps in communications process, when still storyboard fails to deliver the thoughts of the director to the production team at that time moving pre-visualization makes the concepts clear.
Many filmmakers are opting for Pre-Vis in the current scenario as it has great benefits.
Pre-Vis allows in selecting a shot through trial and error method and this saves time, directors get the planned and refined idea about what to shoot and this saves lot of time.
With Pre-Vis VFX artist can test out all the subtle camera options which could be quite impossible on the day of shooting.
Even Pre-Vis helps to cut out the unnecessary materials from the production stage; director can avoid the unnecessary props and save the money.
Pre-Visualization offers cheap and flexible test platform for experimentations.
Connect with Us to and get to know about Pre-Visualisation.
