Retouching Dr. X and Magneto (http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/24/cannes.xmen.ap/index.html?section=cnn_showbiz)

Shame there's no "before and after" pics so we can see if they're as good as described.

Guess that you'll have to see the movie!

I suppose that it was going to happen. They've been talking about virtual actors for years. Creating creatures like Gollum from Lord of the Rings (just to name one) by motion-capturing an actor was the first step. The various scenes in Star Wars where they completely CG replicated some of the main actors was the next step. I guess that it wasn't going to be long before they started blending the two. As if the stars didn't already look perfect and attractive enough - us mere humans don't stand a chance.

Rent King Kong disc 2 (much better than disc 1). There's some mind-blowing how-to footage with virtual actors. They show outtakes from LOTR where a virtual army is running away instead of fighting due to a programming error. They also cover the roto/paint department in depth, it turns out it's just like what we do here only with much (much) better tools. (you can also watch it here (http://www.kongisking.net/kong2005/proddiary/) in postage-stamp size and reverse order)

Here (http://www.fxguide.com/article357.html) are some before and after shots of the X-men retouching, and here (http://www.lolavfx.com/index.php) is the website of the company that did it, for X-men and many other films.

Thanks Doug. Pictures a bit small to have a really good look, but don't look too overdone.

i watched a very strange movie recently on the Sci-Fi channel. i think the name was 'Immortal'. some of the actors were total cgi while others were totally real and yet others seemed to go back and forth between the two. it was an interesting mix (and a bit of a strange story).

craig

Thanks Doug. Pictures a bit small to have a really good look, but don't look too overdone.


If you click on the red square at the bottom right of each pic you can make them much bigger.

Thanks Goose, was in a bit of a rush this afternoon, so forgot to enable javascript (I enable it on a site by site basis using ScriptBlock) so the red sqs didn't work for me.

Obviously once enabled problem solved.

I had heard about this before going to see the movie so I was looking out for it. Although it was quite impressive there were moments where their wrinkles seemed to "travel" or to pop in and out as if there was a layer mask that wasn't quite following their movements precisely. I'd have to see it again though just to be sure.

There is supposed to be a Magneto movie where both characters are much younger and they will supposedly be using this technology throughout the movie. Looks quite interesting.

I can just imagine both actors in overalls and rainbow beenies holding oversized lollypops and draging a little red wagon so that they can later be morphed down to 7 years old. :)