Adamantio claws that sprout from the knuckles, incandescent rays that start from the eyes, whole worlds that come to life from a green screen. At the cinema, especially in superhero films, we are used to seeing impossible things. But have you ever wondered how these effects are born? How much work and how much technology do they hide behind a single scene of a few seconds? To find out, we went to find the friends of Edition (Italian digital effects), a Milanese company that represents excellence in the field of visual effects internationally, to follow the whole process from the inside. We transformed Andrea into a superhero and followed the entire production process. Let’s see together, step by step, how to make the magic of cinema.
The difference between special effects (SFX) and visual effects (VFX)
We start to clarify that we often call “special effects” what are actually visual effects. But what is the difference?
- The Special effects (SFX) exist practically from the dawn of the film: they are those physically made on the set during filming, such as a controlled explosion, a machine that overturns, artificial fog, prosthetic makeup.
- The Visual effects (VFX) are instead created or digitally manipulated in post-production, after filming has been completed. Adamantio’s claws or laser rays we are talking about in this article are a perfect example of VFX.
How visual effects are created
The creation of a visual effect (VFX) follows several fundamental phases. Let’s analyze them in detail:
Step 1: We start from the filming
For our experiment, the Edi team came to our Geopop studies to shoot the initial scene, and first of all they were drawn “X” black among the knuckles of Andrea’s hand, the so -called “marker”.
These serve as reference points that are applied to the body, objects or in the environment, and allow the software to “map” the scene and to precisely recognize the exact points in which, subsequently, the digital elements will be inserted.
Step 2: tracking and layout
Once the video clip is obtained, the real digital work begins. The first phase is the Tracking: The goal is to analyze every single frame of the video to reconstruct the exact movement of the camera in a 3D space.
It is like creating a sort of body digital twin, which moves in perfect synchrony with its real counterparty. This skeleton will serve as “magnet” for all effects that will be added after.
Step 3: the construction of the asset
At this point, the competence department proceeds in modeling the claws. This process is called the creation of theasset And it consists of several phases:
- Modeling: using computer graphics software, the “modelers” build the three -dimensional shape of the claws, calling their geometry;
- Texturing and Shading: At this stage the material and the superficial aspect of the claws is defined. Are they metallic? Lucid or opaque? For our claws, a material similar to adamantio, shiny and with metal reflections has been chosen.
- Rigging: here the 3D object is equipped with an internal “skeleton” with controls, the rig. This transforms it into a kind of virtual puppet, allowing the animators to move it, fold it and, in our case, to let him out and return.
At this point we move on toanimation real, where the speed and dynamics with which the claws come out, a frame by frame is decided.
Step 4: give realism with light, lighting and rendering
The phase of lighting (lighting) is crucial. Virtual lights are therefore created that replicate the real ones on the set to ensure that the digital object is hit by the light and projects the shadows in the same way as real objects.
Once animation and lights are ready, we move on to rendering. The computer takes all the information (3D model, materials, animation, lights) and “translates” them into a sequence of highly resolution final images, one frame at a time.
Step 5: Laser rays
And for laser rays? Here we enter the domain of the department FXwhich deals with simulating phenomena such as fire, smoking, fluid or, in fact, energy. Digital “curves” have been designed to create the laser. A first set of curves defines the incandescent core, while a second layer, more “disturbed”, gives it movement and instability. Many small particles are then added to simulate the pulviscolo and the heat emanated.
To get to a first result to go to the next department, in the case of this clip, they served about three or four days of work.
Step 6: Compositing
We are at the last ring of the chain: the compositing. Here all the elements created so far are assembled and merged together.
To perfectly integrate the claws, it is necessary to create occlusions in the skin to make them appear as if they really came out of the hand.
For laser, secondary effects are added to further increase realism and give the whole a more “cinematographic” effect:
- The glow of the laser that illuminates Andrea’s face
- The sparks and subcutaneous lightnings indicating the accumulation of energy
- THE’heat wave that distorts the air around the laser
- The Cracks on the lens of the camera when it is hit
- THE’chromatic aberrationan optical defect of the lenses to increase the realism of the digital image
- Finally, a light grain On the whole image to mix the digital and real elements.
