ESC’s work on the trilogy set new vfx standards. Here the Sentinels retreat as the Zion crane tower attacks with gunfire in Matrix Revolutions. Courtesy of ESC Entertainment.

Third, ESC demonstrated that major film projects can be developed and delivered on “value priced” production equipment. ESC’s pipeline, for example, contains industry basics such as Windows 2000, Dell hardware (more than 2,000 CPUs for render processors and workstations), Alias’ Maya (previs and animation), mental images’ mental ray (rendering) plus 70 terabytes of data storage and a high-speed network to tie it all together. “We are one of the few visual effects facilities — outside of some mom-and pop companies — to be completely Windows-based,” asserts Davila.

This combination of custom software and off-the-shelf hardware allowed ESC to scale up operations quickly and more cost-effectively than other options. It got hairy early on. Recalls Libreri, “ESC opened its doors a couple of weeks before principal photography started. We had to deploy methods and technologies to capture images and information from set. We had a couple of workstations that we bought from Circuit City to do the previsualization for the ‘Burly Brawl’ and build the asset database.”

With each Matrix installment, ESC had to top itself. Above, the Sentinel descends upon the Swarm in Revolutions. Courtesy of ESC Entertainment.

Fourth, ESC re-confirmed the importance of attracting and retaining top-notch talent. At the height of the workload on the sequels ESC employed more than 300 artists and engineers; it now employs about 175. The company’s location on a converted Navy base in the San Francisco Bay gives professionals an alternative to both giant ILM and boutique commercial shops.

Libreri and Davila realize that in order to attract the best talent, their playground must be cooler than its competitors.’ And while many visual effects practitioners long for the big score or the indefinitely long gig, people will move.

“Everybody has the chance to contribute,” says Libreri. “Nothing is set in stone.” During the avalanche of production training, new hires on the company’s proprietary systems became a priority. Libreri credits the open professional atmosphere at ESC as being one of its greatest draws: “The company is still small and informal enough for people to participate in more than one job or area of expertise.”

Finally, and most importantly, the ESC team did great work — they (along with several other facilities) created visuals to match the Wachowskis’ vision. To Libreri this is the most important legacy of ESC’s Matrix experience as it hurtles into the future. “Our job,” he notes, “is to give directors the tools they need to create things they’ve never seen before.”

ESC’s work on this fight scene between Neo and Smith helped make it memorable to audiences.

Predicting the future of ESC, though, is a tough proposition. Only time will tell if ESC continues to thrive with or without Warner Bros., or if it will inevitably go the way of Boss, Cinesite, Warner Digital, Manex and other distinguished predecessors. There is no escaping the reality that ESC now finds itself competing with the likes of ILM, PDI and Imageworks, among others, who are used to working with multiple clients.

Controlling costs is always a factor. But ESC is mindful of how its relationships with creative teams, hard core imaging technology and talent retention are designed to deliver the best possible images at reasonable costs. According to Davila, “The toughest thing is to deliver the effects you promised at the cost you promised.” He suggests that ESC’s remarkable ability to evolve so quickly during the Matrix experience is a testament to its artists, engineers and managers.

Which is why the most revealing part of the ESC story is that a dedicated and talented group of artists and engineers have already created a world-class visual effects company. The big effects studios do not have the market for visual effects innovation sewn up. There is still opportunity for upstarts and startups.

Visual effects producer Rick Baumgartner is working on the NBC show Las Vegas at Stargate Digital. He can be reached via his Website: www.vfxproducer.com.