Dream Quest Images, the feature film visual effects division of The WaltDisney Company, has wrapped production on more than 300 visual effectsshots for INSPECTOR GADGET, Walt Disney Pictures' live-action version ofthe '80s Saturday morning cartoon. The film follows the escapades ofInspector Gadget, the bumbling bionic detective, played by MatthewBroderick and his nemesis, the villainous Claw, played by Rupert Everett.The film is directed by David Kellogg and produced by Jordan Kerner, RogerBirnbaum and Andy Heyward. Dream Quest Images produced the CG deployment ofGadget's many physical extensions. To bring the bionic extensions to life,visual effects supervisor, Richard Hoover, and a team of digital artists atDream Quest Images recreated Stan Winston's designs as computer generatedimagery (CGI) and animated the moving parts, such as the Gadgetcopterblades, the rocket launcher on Gadget's hat and his 14-foot-long legextensions. Dream Quest's Art Department also designed Gadget's fingeraccessories and streetwise dashboard CG character and customized Gadget'sStan Winston-designed leg extensions for use on the Gadgetmobile. DreamQuest Images used Alias|Wavefront Maya Cloth to recreate and extendGadget's clothing as his 3D leg extensions rocket him skyward. These shotswere created by placing Matthew Broderick on 3-foot painter's stilts andhaving him run on a treadmill against greenscreen while suspended fromwires. After tracking his movements, digital legs were tracked and animatedand parts of Broderick's body were manipulated on the live-action plate toexaggerate his body language. Dream Quest Images is currently in productionon several major motion pictures, including BICENTENNIAL MAN, MISSION TOMARS, SHANGHAI NOON and GONE IN 60 SECONDS. Dream Quest has among itsfeature film credits the Academy Award-nominated films ARMAGEDDON andMIGHTY JOE YOUNG.
