Summary
Acclaimed award-winning VFX artist Robert Legato breaks down how his and James Cameron’s work on creating the visuals forAvatarhelped pave the way for the development of 2019’s live-actionThe Lion King. Directed by Jon Favreau, the movie retold the tale of the 1994 animated Disney classic of the same name, as a young lion cub must rise and embrace his calling amid tragedy, trouble, and betrayal. WhileThe Lion Kinghas been subject to the same criticismsthat other Disney live-action reimaginings have faced, its effects were still celebrated as the feature became a box-office success.
Recently, Legato sat down withCorridor Crewto look back on the 2019 feature for “VFX Artists React to Bad & Great CGi 139.” Check out the video below:
The VFX supervisor explained that while most of the “live-action” footage was the product of hard-working animators, shots were still approached as if they were being performed by actors, witha large studio space full of cranes, dollies, and other mechanisms to capture specific motions for scenes. Legato stated these innovations helped capture “simple little things” only performing actors could invoke.
HowAvatar’s Fantastical World Helped Pioneer VFX
Cameron Helped Innovate The Use Of Motion Capture.
As such, while Disney’s “live-action” movies such asThe Lion Kingmay be hotly debated, there is an incredible amount of work dedicated to making each feature come to life.
About 13 years before Cameron was ready to bring theAvatarworld to the big screen, painstaking work was placed into bringing Pandora to life. With the aid of Weta Workshop, the production used a virtual camera system to visualize performers in real-time as their animated counterparts as they filmed, while actors wore headsets that recorded their performances. While these techniques are commonplace as seen withThe Lion Kingand beyond,Cameron’s work laid the foundations.
Avatar: 10 Ways The Original Movie’s Special Effects Were Groundbreaking
Avatar: The Way of Water is already shaping up to be a visual feast, but the innovations of the first movie aren’t to be underestimated.
WhileThe Lion Kingand other features would employ these techniques, Cameron would not settle on simply relying on the techniques he utilized before with hisAvatarsequels. With the simultaneous filming ofThe Way of WaterandAvatar 3, the director further pushed technical innovation by taking over a year todevelop techniques that capture an actor’s performance underwaterwith little interference. WithAvatar: The Way of Waterreviews praising the visuals and the sequel earning heavy award-season attention, it is clear that Cameron remains a visual-effects innovator to this day.
While motion capture is quite commonplace in the film industry, Legato’s exploration is a reminder of the incredible work put into it. Between those involved with capturing the performances and the support of those involved on the sound stage, to the animators who help add incredible detail, there is plenty of heart and effort placed into the process. As such, whileDisney’s “live-action” moviessuch asThe Lion Kingmay be hotly debated, there is an incredible amount of work dedicated to making each feature come to life.
The Lion King,Avatar, andAvatar: The Way of Waterare available to stream on Disney+.
The Lion King
Cast
Jon Favreau directs this 2019 live-action adaptation of Walt Disney’s popular film, The Lion King. Starring Donald Glover, Alfre Woodard, Seth Rogen, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, this release follows young Simba as he grows up to become a mighty lion and take vengeance on his dastardly uncle, Scar.
