How exactly does Wētā FX take on set performance capture and translate it into living, breathing apes?
Find out in this in-depth VFX look behind the scenes of ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’.
Wētā FX artists on the ‘punk’ Suko, ‘gangster’ Skar King and ‘cat-like’ Shimo they crafted for ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’
Plus, how that iconic shot of Kong and Godzilla running side by side was made for the film.
Hear from director Wes Ball and VFX supervisor Erik Winquist on ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’
Get an early perspective on the film's visual effects work.
Behind the Oscar-nominated short ‘WAR IS OVER!’
How the short was made, including how Wētā FX used Unreal Engine to craft the film's stylized look and feel.
‘It’s almost like a painterly process to bring in these aberrations’
The Deep Defocus toolset at Wētā FX. An excerpt from issue #14 of befores & afters magazine.
‘The water needed to have a performance’
How the ‘NYAD’ visual effects team helped turn Annette Bening into an open ocean endurance swimmer.
How Wētā FX made a missile peel around Supergirl, and two Flash characters do the dos-a-dos
Breaking down key moments from the Flash/Batman/Supergirl vs Kryptionans battle.
Wētā FX used mocap and early blocking to help choreograph the Optimus and Noah vs. Scourge scenes in ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’
Plus, how the studio directly honoured the transformation of the G1 toy of Optimus Prime.
Going deep on muscle strains
Why Wētā FX changed its animation system and adopted new deep learning methodologies for ‘The Way of Water.’
There are 17 stitches in that insane ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ oner
Here’s how Wētā FX helped make it possible, and what things you should look out for in the background of the fight
Real-time depth compositing with an AI-assist
Behind the system Wētā FX invented for ‘The Way of Water’.
The 2-day virtual production shoot that led to the most touching moments in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’
Also, how the stunning CG dog Cosmo was created, and the insane 120 fps shoot behind that corridor oner fight scene.
‘We got them running full tilt and acting all crazy, but then we also sped it up 8%’
How practical and digital combined to make that crazy episode 5 ‘Last of Us’ clicker battle.
‘The Cokey stuffy would be resting on a C-stand, and the actors would go up and touch her nose and interact with her’
Wētā FX breaks down their delivery of Cokey the bear for ‘Cocaine Bear’.
The water droplets on the kids fighting on the beach in ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ took 8 days to simulate
Covering the CG characters with photoreal drips via a thin film solver was just one of the many water simulation challenges on
The insider guide to the art and tech of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’
A new VFX Notes breaks down the big ticket VFX items in the film.
‘I like the idea of doing a real place, underwater tank, LED screen, animatronic and CG, and then glueing them all together’
How ‘Emancipation’ VFX supervisor Rob Legato designed the Will Smith vs alligator scene.
Strange designs
Wētā FX unleashes zombies, and strange environs, for Multiverse of Madness.
Why the CG water in ‘The Way of Water’ looks so good
Performance capture that could be done simultaneously above and below water, a new muscle strains system away from blend shapes, and new
How that shocking DC villain splitting scene was made
(It came as somewhat of a surprise to the VFX team behind it, too)
The surprising inspiration for that crazy Warg in ‘The Rings of Power’
Chihuahuas can be scary. But the real reason it served as reference for the Warg was: reality.
How those Talokan underwater scenes in ‘Wakanda Forever’ were made
Find out more details about how the civilization under the surface was brought to life by Wētā FX, including all that corn.
‘Avatar’ changed performance capture, 3D and virtual production
"You are on Pandora."
Performance, hair and…sequins: Wētā FX on its toughest tasks in ‘She-Hulk’
The VFX studio’s history in crafting photoreal CG humans and human-like characters was further extended on the series.
Working on ‘She-Hulk’ gave animators a rare chance to bring a fully CG photoreal female character to life
Wētā FX on the unique challenges of this superhero.
Get my new book in PRINT or on KINDLE.
Issue #67: The visual effects of Masters of the Universe.
Latest limited edition t-shirt: Pseudopod.
