Creepy thriller THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES hits theaters Friday, January 25 featuring approximately 60 visual effects shots provided by Cinesite. Directed by Mark Pellington, the film is based on the true story of a bridge that collapsed during the 1960s. According to the legend, strange phenomena were reported prior to the collapse, including visions of the mysterious Mothman of the title. The images of the Mothman used in the film were very quick, according to Cinesites visual effects supervisor Laurel Klick. "In one shot a reflection floats across a mirror, you almost can't make it out," Klick explained. "You know there is an eye, a face, and something soft and blurry." To create the mirror shot, artists used a combination of flat art and a live-action plate. Cinesite was also responsible for building a computer-generated bridge, river and factory. Two of the bridge shots, including the river underneath and a chemical plant in the background, were completely CG, with the bridge created entirely in Maya. Other shots in the bridge sequence blended live-action, miniature and CG techniques. Cinesite used proprietary software to create and control the water under the bridges in the night shots.
