Rez-Illusion Visual Effects has completed 136 visual effects shots for Fox Searchlights THE HILLS HAVE EYES (opening March 10).
Directed by Alexandre Aja, the film is a remake of Wes Cravens 1977 cult classic and tells the terrifying story of the Carter family that strays unwittingly into a government atomic testing zone while traveling and becomes the prey of cannibalistic mutant human monsters.
Rez-Illusion founder and visual effects supervisor Jamison Goei supervised the two-month shoot in Ouarzazate, Morocco, with the CGI done in the Los Angeles studio.
Our goal was to create seamless, transparent effects that helped the director tell a truly frightening story with great visuals that enhance the film, said Goei. The audience will not even be aware that they are watching visual effects sequences. Everything will appear as if scenes were shot without the aid of CG.
The film begins with a scene leading into the main titles where three scientists are caught in a desert sandstorm while conducting research in full radiation suits. The entire desert scene was scanned into the computer, where 90% of the sandstorm was digitally created by the Rez-Illusion team. The billowing sand was composited using multiple layers of white talcum powder driven by a fan and filmed against a black background to create dust particles. The layering of sand elements in the composites entailed substantial rotoscoping to create the illusion of depth within the scene. Color correction was key in maintaining continuity from shot to shot throughout the sequence.
For several scenes focused on the disturbingly deformed face of a mutant girl named Ruby, the team developed a distortion technique to control the look and feel of the deformation. Three black dots were placed on the actors face and then motion tracked. Using these tracking points allowed artists to maintain a rigid underlying bone-structure, thereby avoiding the rubbery look that warping can cause if not done skillfully, according to Goei.
Rez-Illusion also performed various wire removals, blood and fire enhancements, set extensions, reflection removals and created several muzzle flashes and 3D objects.
Other film credits for Rez-Illusion include: Albert Brooks LOOKING FOR COMEDY IN THE MUSLIM WORLD (Sony Pictures Entert.), Wes Cravens CURSED (Dimension Films), SANTAS SLAY (Media 8), UNCLE P (Beacon Family Films) and Project Greenlights FEAST (Dimension Films).
Goeis work in visual effects has been recognized by the DVD Exclusive academy with awards in 2000, 2001 and 2002, and two nominations in 2003. He recently received a 2005 nomination for DRACULA III: LEGACY.
Other Rez-Illusion credits include:
Visual Effects Producer: Laura LeFaivreLead Compositor: Sookie ParkDigital Artists: Chad Goei, Noll Linsangan, Wing Kwok and Tom HaneyDigital Matte Paintings: Laurent Ben-Mimoun
For more information on Los Angeles-based Rez-Illusion Visual Effects, visit www.rez-illusion.com.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
