High-Definition
Underlying many of the trends this season has been a major shift in the technology used to record and deliver images — high-definition (HD). Mainstream episodic television has embraced HD as its lower resolution predecessors have been put out to pasture. HD delivery requirements are a major driving force behind innovations in television visual effects production requiring major changes in tools and approaches in the production of visual effects.

Why all the changes? The great thing about HD (detail, color, realism) is also its biggest challenge to the crafts — visual effects as well as its sibling production departments (props, production design, makeup, hair). Everything needs to be carefully considered because everything will be seen. For visual effects teams, increased detail means increased processing power needed to render images within a television schedule, increased storage to hold the elements and final images, increased skill levels by artists, new hardware and so on down the pipeline.

Managing the increased size of HD images in a production environment is also critical. Modern VideoFilm turns to a data management team to prepare workstations before artist sessions and archive them after sessions. Modern VideoFilm visual effects supervisor David Carriker says HD calls attention to the smallest flaws in production from cue marks on the stage floor to scuff marks on set walls to glitches in costumes, makeup and hair. “You’ve got to be that much more careful,” says Carriker, “since everything shows up.” Modern VideoFilm’s post-production clients often turn to Carriker and his colleague, visual effects supervisor/producer Mark Spatny, to fix the flaws resulting from technology meant to make things more detailed.

See how a nondescript city transforms into Paris in this shot from Alias. © ABC.

Kevin Blank, vfx supervisor for the hit series Alias, delivers about 10 shots per show with some episodes having as many as 50 shots. For Blank, HD means that his “garage band” of freelancers cannot get images as easily as they used to. Says Blank, “The biggest cost factor and hindrance of HD production is the fact that all of the original source materials have to come off the D5 (an HD tape format). A D5 machine costs tens of thousands of dollars so my artists cannot afford them. So we have to pay several hundred dollars an hour to transfer plates to Firewire drive. For less complex shots like wire removals, sometimes it’s more expensive to get the shots from the D5 into the computer than it costs to do the shot!”

Still, the move to HD has reduced the technical distinctions between visual effects for feature and television in terms of detail, color space and realism. More and more the things separating the two specialties involve budget and schedule rather than technology.

Technology Alliances
Since the time of the nickelodeon, visual effects work has required a combination of invention and artistry. What’s new is the rapidity with which television visual effects teams are bringing to television technologies once reserved for features and high-end commercials.

Some television visual effects providers ally themselves with hardware and software vendors (including non-traditional imaging technology companies such as Lockheed) to cut costs or get the first chance to play with esoteric imaging technologies. This is more than just getting a beta version of the latest compositing software. Being first on the block with a new optical or digital solution might mean an advantage over a competitor as well as opening creative avenues for the show’s writers.