Definition December 2024 - Web

As 2024 draws to a close, is there hope on the horizon for the production industry? From promising tax reliefs and Pinewood’s new indie film hub to big UK investments from Amazon and Disney, there are signs of green shoots, as we find in our new issue. We also round up the seminal cinematography of the year, chat with the VFX team that brought The Substance’s glorious gore to life, explore the striking visuals of Joker: Folie à Deux, discover what’s in store for EnergaCAMERIMAGE, examine how location scouting is evolving with VP and lots more. Enjoy!

GREEN SHOOTS FOR UK PRODUCTION? THE BIG INVESTMENTS, TAX RELIEFS & NEW INDIE FILM HUB AIDING RECOVERY

DECEMBER 2024 DEFINITIONMAGAZINE.COM

Lawrence Sher, ASC on crafting the captivating visuals of Joker: Folie à Deux

THE DOP CHRISTMAS WISH LIST LOCATION MANAGEMENT GOES VIRTUAL INSIDE THE SUBSTANCE’S OUTLANDISH VFX

DON’T MISS! THE SEMINAL CINEMATOGRAPHY OF 2024

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WELCOME

EDITORIAL Editor in chief Nicola Foley nicolafoley@bright.uk.com

Senior staff writer Katie Kasperson Chief sub editor Matthew Winney Sub editors Zanna Buckland, Chris Young, Minhaj Zia Editorial director Roger Payne rogerpayne@bright.uk.com Contributors Miriam Balanescu, Will Lawrence, Adrian Pennington, Oliver Webb ADVERTISING Sales director Sam Scott-Smith samscott-smith@bright.uk.com 01223 499457 Sales manager Emma Stevens emmastevens@bright.uk.com 01223 499462 | +447376665779 DESIGN Design director Andy Jennings Magazine design manager Lucy Woolcomb Junior designer Hedzlynn Kamaruzzaman Junior designer and ad production Holly May PUBLISHING Managing directors Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck Bright Publishing LTD Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridgeshire, CB22 3HJ, UK Definition is published monthly by Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridge, CB22 3HJ. No part of this magazine can be used without prior written permission of Bright Publishing Ltd. Definition is a registered trademark of Bright Publishing Ltd. The advertisements published in Definition that have been written, designed or produced by employees of Bright Publishing Ltd remain the copyright of Bright Publishing Ltd and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Prices quoted in sterling, euros and US dollars are street prices, without tax, where available or converted using the exchange rate on the day the magazine went to press.

I don’t need to tell you that times have been tough in the world of film and TV production. With the streaming surge subsiding, TV ad revenues shrinking and the long-lasting impact of the strikes – compounded by rising inflation – the industry has faced an undeniably turbulent period. As 2024 draws to a close, is there hope on the horizon? From promising tax reliefs and Pinewood’s new indie film hub to big UK investments from Amazon and Disney, there are definitely signs of green shoots, finds Will Lawrence. Read his report on page 14. We also round up the seminal cinematography of the year, asking the team to make the case for their favourite big- or small-screen storytelling of the past 12 months. Spanning House of the Dragon , Bird , Ripley , Challengers and Wicked , we’ve definitely managed a motley line-up! See if your top show or film made the cut over on page 32. As it’s our December issue, we couldn’t resist a bit of Christmas cheer – Definition style – revisiting the mocap masterpiece that was The Polar Express , as well as bringing you the ultimate DOP Christmas wish list. We also check out the virtual production behind Jimmy Fallon’s festive Holiday Seasoning Spectacular . Just for a bit of balance, we dive into a couple of horror romps this issue, taking a look at Rhoda ’s hellish house share for In Short, and chatting with the VFX team that brought The Substance ’s glorious gore and gruesome transformations to life. We also explore the striking visuals of Joker: Folie à Deux , discover what’s in store for EnergaCAMERIMAGE this year, examine how location scouting is evolving with VP and sit down with the DOPs behind Heartstopper , The Old Man and more. Enjoy the issue, and see you next month!

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CONTENTS

DECEMBER 2024

06 JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX Lawrence Sher gives us the inside scoop on the stunningly shot supervillain sequel 14 GREEN SHOOTS FOR UK PRODUCTION? After a brutal couple of years, there are some signs of hope on the horizon. Will Lawrence reports 19 ENERGACAMERIMAGE An overview of what’s in store for this celebration of cinematography as it returns for its 32nd year 20 THE SUBSTANCE Noid Studio gives the lowdown on the VFX work for this gloriously gruesome body horror 26 LOCATION VIRTUAL LOCATION How does the role of the location manager change in an era of virtual production? We investigate

51 IN SHORT Writer-director Alex Lawther talks Rhoda , his new short film with a horror slant 52 BROADLEY SPEAKING Broadley Studios on the VP that brought Jimmy Fallon’s Christmas show to life 55 TAKE TWO We look back on The Polar Express – a film that delighted and accidentally disturbed

56 THOUGHT LEADER Chris Batten gives us his hot takes 58 HEARTSTOPPER

The DOP on this YA romance series shares how she helped craft the visual language 62 CHRISTMAS WISH LIST The kit that DOPs dream of finding under their trees this year 66 INDUSTRY BRIEFINGS News on the albert Academy, MPTS 2025, the FilmLight Colour Awards and more!

32 2024’S SEMINAL CINEMATOGRAPHY

Our team round up the films and shows that defined the year, sharing the features they loved about them 40 THE OLD MAN In conversation with Jules O’Loughlin, DOP on the second season of this lauded thriller series 44 MUSIC VIDEOS

We take a look at some boundary- pushing music video shoots to find out how they came together

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PRODUCTION JOKER: FOLIE Á DEUX

Lush fantasy sequences, lighting as a character and an ambitious oner: cinematographer Lawrence Sher shares how he crafted the captivating visual world of Joker: Folie à Deux

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JOKER: FOLIE Á DEUX PRODUCTION

2 019’s Joker defied expectations to become a global sensation. Grossing over $1 billion worldwide, it swept awards season and earned 11 Oscar nominations, ultimately securing wins for best actor and best original score. This DC villain origin story even took home Venice’s Golden Lion, a feat virtually unheard of for a major Hollywood studio release – never mind a comic book adaptation. It’s fair to say that its follow-up Joker: Folie à Deux has polarised opinion. Some have celebrated its bold musical elements, powerhouse performances and thematic ambition, while others have been left puzzled by the radical departure from its predecessor. But there’s one thing on which both camps seem to agree: that the film is a visual triumph. Much of that can be credited to Lawrence Sher, the cinematographer who returned to collaborate with director Todd Phillips after the success of their work on the first Joker .

Sher and Phillips have a creative partnership spanning more than 15 years and seven films, including The Hangover series. Their chemistry, finely tuned through years of collaboration, was already crackling long before they decided to reinvent Gotham’s most notorious baddie. “What makes it work is trust, first and foremost,” Sher reflects. “But it’s also about pushing each other in the right ways.” Neither settles for the easiest path and their shared goal, reveals Sher, is to continually challenge one another – always searching for new boundaries to push. In Folie à Deux , they’ve pushed those boundaries like never before. The Joker’s bleak, grimy world is pierced with vibrant, dreamlike sequences and showstopping old-Hollywood musical numbers. These moments – woven into the backdrop of his volatile romance with Harley Quinn (or Lee Quinzel, as she is known here, played by Lady Gaga) – allowed Sher and Phillips to expand the film’s visual

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PRODUCTION JOKER: FOLIE Á DEUX

SWITCHING IT UP Pops of colour and romantic lighting differentiate Folie à Deux from the stylistic choices in the original Joker

THE FANTASY SCENES WERE an opportunity TO BREAK OUT OF REALITY and be more expressive ” language. The sickly greens that defined the first film are still there, but now they’re joined by bursts of primary colours and warmer hues. One of the major challenges for Sher was maintaining continuity with the visual language established in Joker , while introducing new elements that reflected the evolution of the characters and the world they inhabit. Sher’s goal was to keep the ‘DNA of the look’ from the first film, retaining Joker ’s gritty realism while allowing room for stylised, emotional expression. “We want to make it real,

LIGHTING AS A CHARACTER Something Sher kept returning to was the idea of the lighting as a character in its own right. He uses light to transition into fantasy in the rooftop dance scene, for example; a standout sequence in the film. “The first fantasy in the movie is after Joker has been thrown in an isolation cell and everything goes black. At first, the audience doesn’t know where they are, then the first thing we see is a moon that reveals a silhouetted Lee Quinzel dancing – a callback to the Joker’s transformation in the 2019 film.”

while having a point of view,” he explains. “So it’s not total realism – but everything is motivated by the reality, whether it’s the practicals or windows. “The elements in the first one, like the colour of the light and the practicals, we wanted to progress. Even when they are singing, we’re staying in the reality of that space – but obviously the fantasy scenes presented us with good opportunities to break out of that reality and be more expressive with the lighting and colour palette. We can use lighting to show things; to reveal something.”

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PRODUCTION JOKER: FOLIE Á DEUX

IT’S kind of like jazz , HAVING THE CAMERA AND THE ACTORS working together ”

“A soft blue light then reveals the Joker smoking, marking the first time we see him in full makeup. As they join each other and begin to dance, warmer lights seep in and, finally, the Arkham sign appears in a new colour palette while everything else fades away. This is the only light they’re bathed in as the music takes a darker, foreboding turn. So we’re really utilising the lighting to tell the story.” Helping him achieve the vision were Creamsource Vortex lights, which Sher describes as ‘incredible’. “They have a lot of power, and they can represent sunlight or we can put diffusion in front of them. They’re infinitely adjustable colour-wise,” he explains. This flexibility allowed them to swiftly adapt the lighting to suit a given mood or scene. Having everything on dimmers was especially useful for precise control. “We needed to be able to alter everything remotely, like bringing the lights up from nothing or changing between colours on the fly.” He also points to the scene ‘The Joker is me’, in which Joaquin Phoenix sits on a stool in a courtroom, singing into a microphone. “We had to find five or six spotlights that could be operated remotely because we couldn’t pre- programme where the actors were going to move. They were going to turn and move wherever they felt like, so we needed remote-controlled, hidden spotlights ready to follow them.” ALL THAT JAZZ This approach ensured the lighting could respond to spontaneity in the actors’ performances, and it was a method the team used throughout; balancing careful planning with fluidity on-set. “It’s a really wonderful combination of pre-thought and big-picture ideas. We were constantly thinking about how to create an environment conducive to our philosophy of giving actors total freedom.

“In order to give them that kind of freedom, we incorporated environmental lighting into the strategy. We’d plan an idea of how the lighting might work, but then wait for the actors to define what they’d do on that first take,” elaborates Sher. “Whether it was a dialogue-driven scene or a fantasy moment, we let them drive the action.” The DOP encouraged his team to be present and lose themselves in the action, ready to be guided by what was playing out. “It’s kind of like jazz, having the camera and the actors working together,” Sher explains. “I could say: in the next take we want to be here, and when they dip that Arkham sign could come on. So let’s make sure we’re in a nice wide space at this position in the set to be able to capture that, because now I’ve seen it once, we can look for those discoveries and opportunities to visualise what everyone will see on screen. This then allows us to be artful and precise in our

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JOKER: FOLIE Á DEUX PRODUCTION

them in real time; hiding behind cars or a wall, and then exposing them under these Klieg spotlights that mimicked searchlights in a prison.” Eventually, the escapees are located and bathed in a blinding, overexposed white light as all the spotlights combine. “We wanted to bring them down the driveway all the way to the gates and the press, covering that entire environment in one shot. We weren’t simply trying to light up that huge field of view, but also be expressionistic with these classic ‘catching a prisoner’ lights,” adds Sher. THE CAMERA AS A WITNESS When it came to the camera package for Folie à Deux , Sher opted for the ARRI ALEXA 65, the same large format camera he deployed on the original Joker . This continuity maintained the visual flow between the two films, and the 65’s large sensor enabled Sher to achieve the level of detail and depth-of-field he sought.

TAKEN TO COURT The emotional courtroom scene went from locked-down, steady shots to chaotic, swirling motion to build tension

compositions without overthinking it or storyboarding it to death.” One of the most challenging scenes from a lighting design perspective was when Joker and Lee break out of the asylum. Working with a big, nighttime exterior and keen to capture the escape in one continuous shot, the team had their work cut out. “Again, we wanted to give them freedom and be able to cover

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JOKER: FOLIE Á DEUX PRODUCTION

They weren’t travelling light on lenses, with the team utilising a wide variety of glass from different manufacturers to create the film’s distinctive look. Many of the same lenses were used on the first film, with a few additions for Folie à Deux including the MasterBuilt Ultra65, which are designed for delivering vintage- style images through large format cinematography. Other hero lenses included 58mm NIKKOR 213s, 35mm ZEISS Compact Primes, DNA LFs, Leica macros and Vintage 765s from ARRI Rental. Sher’s camera rental house of choice, Otto Nemenz, also built a set of Hasselblad lenses – branded Ottoblads – which he describes as ‘beautiful’. This buffet of lenses gave Sher maximum flexibility to switch between intimate close-ups and expansive wide shots. Much of the final third of the film takes place in a courtroom, as Arthur Fleck stands trial, representing himself in the form of the Joker. The approach to these scenes, particularly for Gary Puddles’ moving testimony, was centred on using camera movement to reflect emotional shifts within the scene. For most of the courtroom sequences, the camera is steady, with actors in one place – “the witness and attorneys stand still and the judge is always in a fixed seat,” says Sher – allowing for precise

scene’s emotional arc, producing one of the film’s most effective sequences.

ONER TO REMEMBER? When asked to pick a visual moment from Folie à Deux that stands out, Sher cites a later shot that appears to be a single take. While avoiding spoilers, he explains, “We did this shot that I hope people believe was one continuous take. To the audience, it had to feel like one shot. That was fun and challenging because it allowed us to construct something driven purely by emotional intent. We wanted to stay with Arthur a moment and explore, ‘What if we never left him?’ Instead of cutting to a wide shot to show where he is, we stay with him as he moves around, gets into a car and eventually runs away. “Even experienced filmmakers have reached out and asked, ‘How did you do that? Was that really one shot?’” laughs Sher. “Todd and I never do flashy things just for the sake of it. It’s always about intent: what we think the audience should feel and what serves the story. When we designed this six-minute shot that never cuts, I didn’t want the audience to just think, ‘Wow, look at that!’ but instead wonder, ‘Wait, did that cut? If not, how did they do it?’ That’s the fun part!”

LENS FRENZY The variety of glass the crew had on hand enabled easy style switching

framing and composition. This structure mirrors the controlled environment of a courtroom, but when Arthur takes on the persona of a theatrical Southern lawyer, the dynamic shifts. Here, a Steadicam introduced a sense of ‘chaos and loss of control’, swirling around the character to visually represent the spiralling tension. That freedom of movement contrasts with the earlier fixed shots, building up intensity as the camera captures the unravelling of the moment. As the scene progresses, it transitions into more tight close-ups, culminating in the poignant moment when Gary confronts Arthur with the line, ‘this isn’t you’. The evolution in camera language – fluid, chaotic motion versus closer, intimate shots – tracks the

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INDUSTRY IN RECOVERY

After a bumpy ride, is the production industry beginning the slow road to recovery? Will Lawrence reports

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IN RECOVERY INDUSTRY

I t is a sad truth that roads to recovery are invariably described as long. It’s even sadder to note that, for many in the UK film and TV production industry, that route has seemed almost endless. Surviving until next year has been the sole aim. Now, as that destination looms, has hope finally appeared on the horizon? When surveying the UK film industry’s broader landscape, green shoots indeed appear to be sprouting. At the cinema, September brought a 21% upturn in box office sales compared to the same period last year – with a significant

contribution from independent films – and big US productions continue to flock to UK studios, lured by tax incentives. Disney, for one, recently announced plans to invest about $5 billion to make more TV shows and blockbuster films in Europe and the UK. This comes on the back of Deadpool & Wolverine , produced at Pinewood Studios, which racked up $900 million in global box office revenues by mid-August. The company already has a long-term lease at Pinewood, and is said to have spent around £3.5 billion on UK productions over the last five years.

Elsewhere, Amazon Prime Video has committed further funding to the UK with its acquisition of Bray Film Studios over the summer. Set on the River Thames, about 25 miles from central London, Bray Studios was the home of the Hammer horror films from the fifties onwards, as well as hosting iconic British movies like Alien and The Rocky Horror Picture Show . Amazon has used the Berkshire site since 2022, working there on both The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Citadel . According to head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios Mike Hopkins, the

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INDUSTRY IN RECOVERY

BRIGHT LIGHTS Pinewood enjoyed a huge hit recently with Deadpool & Wolverine, while the future looks bright for Bray Film Studios whole UK screen sector,” she says, “both creatively and economically.” Amy Jackson, producer of Oscar- nominated Aftersun , The Outfit and The End We Start From , agrees that the IFTC is ‘a vital intervention for the UK industry’. She notes that ‘making British indie films is tough’ but stresses the tax relief will give her the financial support to ‘explicitly filmmakers still labouring on, assistance is finally on hand. Recognising the potential of UK film to be an area for economic growth, the government has announced the Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC). Launched at this year’s London Film Festival (LFF), the IFTC will grant a relief of 53% on qualifying expenditure to first- time productions that have a budget of up to £15 million. Films with budgets of up to £23.5 million are also eligible, though the amount of relief will be tapered off. “The speed with which the UK government has turned this around shows how vital this intervention is for independent film,” notes British Film Institute chair Jay Hunt. “It will have a game-changing impact across the full acquisition ties in with the company’s plan to ‘produce more film and television in the UK’, and will create opportunities ‘with respect to jobs and skills training at all levels of the production process’. This is somewhat positive news, although it offers cold comfort for most; those travelling the road without major studio support have endured a bumpy ride this year as well as the last. The end of the pandemic’s streaming boom, dwindling TV advertising, disruption from the writers’ strike and rising inflation have proved troublesome obstacles. For those working on productions like TV dramas, for example, it’s been especially dire. At this autumn’s Royal Television Society conference in London, Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon conceded that 2023 was ‘horrendous for indies, and this year hasn’t been much better’. While major film production has sped on ahead, a large number of independent filmmakers and TV producers have been left stranded by the roadside. Thankfully, for those independent

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IN RECOVERY INDUSTRY

A thriving independent film sector IS A CRUCIAL PART OF THE INDUSTRY’S ecology ”

“Films need to cost less money, and they must be bolder in that space,” argues Fellner, speaking at this autumn’s LFF and referencing Working Title’s divisive hit The Substance by writer-director Coralie Fargeat. “We’re aiming to start making more under-$15-million movies.” This is a positive move, despite what Bevan calls ‘a shyness at the studio level’ around more challenging films such as Fargeat’s. “But there’s an opportunity there,” he points out. “Right now, what the industry desperately needs is innovative new filmmakers and creative ideas.” Any of these innovative new filmmakers seeking to take advantage of the IFTC will have further opportunities from the summer of 2025, following the launch of the Pinewood Independent Film Hub. Announced alongside the IFTC, the Hub plans to offer sound stages as well as production offices and workshop space in packages specifically tailored to smaller productions. “This is great news for the UK film industry,” says Paul Greengrass, director of News of the World , Jason Bourne and United 93 . He notes that the move should ‘open the doors to new stories and talent’. As well as services and packages to support lower-budget, independent films, the Hub will also offer filmmakers access to the wider Pinewood ecosystem – from camera hire and drone photography through to post-production facilities. Pinewood is, of course, a jewel in the industry’s crown, and it’s fitting that the Buckinghamshire studio is supporting the government initiative. “Pinewood’s

been home to a huge number of all- time-great movies,” says David Puttnam, who produced the likes of Chariots of Fire and Midnight Express . “It’s brilliantly appropriate for Pinewood to offer the next generation of filmmakers a home.” Barbara Broccoli, producer of the James Bond franchise – synonymous with Pinewood – agrees, saying of the launch, “This is good for independent film in the UK. It’s essential for the British film industry that indie films get produced and exhibited.” Indie film is, among other things, a breeding ground for talent. “A thriving independent film sector is a crucial part of the industry’s ecology,” notes Slow Horses executive producer Hakan Kousetta. “It’s where myself and many others started, and is essential if we are to continue to produce talent.” The Hub, he says, will offer ‘vital support for the British independent sector’. Indeed, there is room for cautious optimism, says Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha. “These measures send a strong message to independent filmmakers that we are valued and supported,” she says. “British cinema and screen industries contribute billions to the UK economy. It makes great business sense as well as cultural sense.” The UK film industry is currently estimated at £1.36 billion, employing over 195,000 people, and the government has clearly identified the sector as a target for further investment and growth. For those who survive until 2025, the rocky road to recovery might just be evening out.

focus on bringing stories by British talent to the screen’, while also building out co- production opportunities. She also notes that the IFTC will make UK indie films a more attractive investment prospect for international partners and co-producers, and will bring much-needed backing to the independent sector across the board. In a bid to foster home-grown creativity, films qualifying for the IFTC must have a UK writer or director, or be certified as an official UK co-production. Producing high-quality films on lower budgets is no easy feat, though there is now ‘a real opportunity’, state Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, co-chairs of Working Title Films. Working Title is already focusing on smaller-budget productions. Examples include The Substance – which is doing well in domestic cinemas – and Alicia MacDonald’s new rom com CC: Emily , shot in Manchester earlier this year.

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ENERGACAMERIMAGE INDUSTRY

As EnergaCAMERIMAGE prepares to return for its 32nd outing, we discover what’s in store

T aking place each November, the EnergaCAMERIMAGE International Film Festival held in Toruń, Poland has an impressive legacy spanning over three decades. From humble beginnings in 1993, it has become a world-renowned event, attracting filmmakers and industry professionals from every corner of the globe to come together and celebrate the art of cinematography. As the festival has evolved, its scope has expanded, with the programme now recognising not just feature films but also documentaries, music videos and commercials. The organisers seek out work that pushes the boundaries of visual storytelling in some way, whether through bold stylistic choices, innovative use of technology, or simply new ways of exploring human experiences. Beyond the prizes and star-studded screenings, the festival places huge importance on education and the sharing of knowledge. Attendees get exposure to the latest technologies and Don’t miss! T he festival is a chance to catch presentations of film equipment and post-production tech, with lots of brands sharing their latest products. This year, ARRI presents a seminar on colour science, Cooke holds an open house, plus ZEISS will host Analog Meets Digital, a look at the relationship between the old and the new in All of Us Strangers with cinematographer Jamie D Ramsay, gaffer Warren Ewen and colourist Joseph Bicknell. Another workshop not to miss is Astera’s deep dive into lens flares for creative use, which will feature insights

ENERGY, CAMERA, ACTION The festival includes awards, seminars and screenings of hotly-tipped films including Small Things Like These

techniques through interactive sessions and panel discussions, as well as informal conversations with peers. More recent additions include the educational programmes and masterclasses – led by some of the world’s top filmmakers – which offer the chance to gain firsthand insights and advice from the very best in the industry. The team has also established strong partnerships with leading film schools and organisations worldwide, which has cemented its role from Markus Forderer, ASC, BVK, whose CV spans hits such as AppleTV+ series Constellation and Netflix’s Red Notice . The festival will also host the presentation of the latest FilmLight Colour Awards that celebrate the colourist’s craft. This is judged by a prestigious panel, this year including Mad Max saga director, producer and writer George Miller and Mandy Walker, Oscar-nominated cinematographer of Elvis . Categories reward grading on theatrical features, TV and music videos. Explore shortlisted films in our Industry Briefings section.

as an incubator for new talent. As well as providing a learning hub for the next generation, the festival also supports up-and-coming filmmakers throughout the next steps of their journey, through initiatives like the Cinematographers’ Debut and Student Etudes Competitions. Now just around the corner, this year’s festival (running 16-23 November), offers plenty to look forward to. Cate Blanchett will be chairing the jury for the main competition, Hiroyuki Sanada will receive the award for best performance in a TV series and Gianfranco Rosi will also be attending to collect his award for outstanding achievements in documentary filmmaking. Finally, the legendary Steve McQueen will also grace Toruń with his presence for the EnergaCAMERIMAGE outstanding director award.

Find out more at camerimage.pl

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VFX THE SUBSTANCE

WORDS Miriam Balanescu

A horror film without some form of terror-inducing visual effects would be incomplete, but with plenty of blood and gore to go around, standing out from the crowd is no easy task. Teeming with grotesque transformations, organ spillage and blood-spatter galore, The Substance is the sophomore feature of French director Coralie Fargeat, a film that picks apart the shallowness – and dangerous potential – of the beauty industry. Starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley as faded Hollywood star Elisabeth Sparkle and her younger counterpart Sue respectively, the plot revolves around the titular ‘substance’. This dubious green serum allows Elisabeth to spawn a younger, improved version of herself – Sue – who, in a gruesome twist, climbs forth from her spine. Conveniently, Sue is able to replace Elisabeth as host of her long-running aerobics show – after Elisabeth is axed for being too old. MAKING A SPLASH From festering wounds to the final grisly iteration of Elisabeth Sparkle, ‘Monstra’, Noid Studio was commissioned to work on the gory extravaganzas – fuelled by Elisabeth’s overuse of the substance – which would become the film’s main talking point. VFX supervisor Chervin Shafaghi was responsible for the film’s final sequence – an off-the-wall, breathtaking showcase of horror imagery which uses innovative VFX techniques. “We were involved on two beautiful creatures,” Shafaghi teases. “I can't say beautiful in the film, but it was very cool to work with these two assets. Working

Demi Moore-starring body horror The Substance boasts some of the most outlandish VFX seen in recent cinema. The team at Noid Studio explain how they created the film’s spectacularly gory sequences

alongside Bryan Jones, production VFX supervisor, we collaborated closely with Coralie to define the look of her creature. A lot of it was based on Pierre Olivier Persin’s prosthetics.” The two monsters comprised Monstra and the ‘crawling bug’ Moore’s character eventually becomes. Employing Persin’s Monstra suit as the foundation for the VFX, Shafaghi and his team had to finesse the edit they were provided with, as well as applying animation. This included creating an animated version of Demi Moore’s face which would be attached to the prosthetic suit to bring the inanimate model to life.

SHOT FOR SHOT Fargeat (right) working closely with her camera operator

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THE SUBSTANCE VFX

GORY DETAILS Each scene needed to refer visually to the rest of the film to ensure coherency and fulfil Fargeat’s vision

HORROR INSPIRATIONS Another (somewhat complicating) factor was that Fargeat gave Noid Studio a mood board of eighties movies to draw inspiration from, which had to feed into the overall look and feel. “We didn’t have as much difficulty doing a CG version of Demi because it wasn’t just creating the realistic look of an actor, but more trying to figure out which points we should enhance on the body to help people recognise Demi Moore,” reflects Shafaghi. “We also had to be able to produce a little bit of movement around the eyes, for example, and the mouth. Coralie asked us to show her how we could achieve this animation and still match the film’s look.” References spanned everything from The Thing to The Fly , while Noid Studio suggested looking to the Netflix series Stranger Things for more modern animation techniques. “We kept looking back at the rest of the movie because there were other scenes that could help inform the look, the texture of the skin and other elements like this. We needed to match this every time,” Shafaghi adds. This was both a boon and a challenge. “Our animation team had to figure out how to improve everything while retaining the feeling of these old-school movies,” says Shafaghi. “It was very new for us, but it was kind of cool. I grew up during the generation of these older movies. Some of the youngest animators, they were told to look at these movies as references so they could develop a feel for the styles when they were working and animating. They were also advised to keep in mind that they didn’t need to follow them exactly or be perfect.”

“We did what we call a volumetric scan of Demi Moore – it’s basically a static scan but with a camera,” explains Shafaghi. “The result is a reproduction of Demi’s performance exactly as it was directed by Coralie. “We had to match everything from the set, so there wasn‘t a lot of room for creativity at the beginning because it was more about how we could enhance the ideas than bringing in anything new.” However, recreating the visage of an icon like Moore was no small feat. “It was the likeness of someone everybody knows, so it was very challenging for us to produce,” says Shafaghi.

RATHER THAN MAKING THE VFX obvious, THE AIM WAS to make them disappear ”

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THE SUBSTANCE VFX

FINER DETAILS It was a balancing act to maintain the rough-hewn quality of the film with the high level of detail promised by VFX techniques. “When we’re working on someone’s face, we need a lot of data and we try to be as detailed as possible – especially with the skin and other very specific features,” insists Shafaghi. “But on this one, we liked to break up the physical part of our work somewhat. If we need to match pores, for example, on someone’s skin, we had to break this to be able to refine the look of the prosthetic – the more silicon look. So we needed to start with something very detailed, then go back to what Persin had done on-set with the skin of the monster – and the same for the texture of the crawling bug. “We did a lot of reviews and iterations to figure out which details we could add or had to remove to find the start of Demi’s face. It wasn’t just doing her face, it was doing it while it was stuck on the

IN YOUR FACE One of the bigger challenges was combining the VFX with prosthetics work

body, working out how we could blend it with the prosthetic.” Every minute change was returned to Fargeat so she could check them and ensure the emotions of the creatures were portrayed just right. “Every time we changed the camera angle, for example, we could lose her,” says Shafaghi. “Sometimes we’d send a version that was exactly the same shot but with a tiny bit of detail around the eyes altered. That might have lost the essence of Demi in Coralie’s eyes. We then had to quickly figure out what changed or identify what we need to preserve every time we showed her a different angle or different shot, to ensure she’d be happy with the final product.” HAPPY ENDINGS Ultimately, emotion was the top priority for Fargeat, states Shafaghi, and getting that right was essential. “At the end of

the film, it’s happiness that appears on Demi’s face – the release, the relief of everything. Since we did a technical reshoot, we managed to get exactly the emotion we wanted without trying to match other scenes.” Rather than making the visual effects obvious, the aim was to make them disappear and blend into the prosthetics. “I was in a screening a few days ago, and some people asked, ‘What have you actually done?’ That’s the best compliment we can get at this point.” In total, it took one year to fine-tune the VFX. “It’s not that many shots, but it was very difficult work to do,” recalls Shafaghi. “It was the first time we were able to work with this level of data for a movie, so it was very cool and very important to get right.”

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VIRTUAL PRODUCTION LOCATION SCOUTING

LOCAT I ON V I RTUAL LOCAT I ON

How does the role of the location manager change when working on virtual productions? Fundamentally the same but with significant new considerations, finds Adrian Pennington

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LOCATION SCOUTING VIRTUAL PRODUCTION

W hile many might assume a location manager’s job is simply about finding, opening and closing physical locations, the reality is that their contributions are far broader. They provide essential logistical, legal, risk management and financial guidance to the crew and production. This expertise is just as useful and necessary for productions shot on a virtual stage as for those on location. Whether shooting on a physical location or on a sound stage, the core challenges remain: obtaining permits, managing schedules, coordinating with other productions, ensuring good relationships with neighbours and maintaining clear communication across the crew. Location departments are uniquely skilled in navigating these complex issues, making them invaluable to any production. “Having worked on many productions that utilised volume technology, I’ve now refined my scouting techniques to better

THE VOLUME ALLOWS SCOUTS to push boundaries ”

support the director and production designer,” begins location manager Zachary Quemore ( The Revenant , Star Wars: Skeleton Crew ). “Examples of this are using drones for real-time location awareness, creating 3D models and VR assets for previs and VFX, capturing 360 HDRI with a 360 camera or DSLR for light mapping and worldbuilding within the volume. I produce 2.5D images specifically for use as direct backgrounds on volume screens.” In fact, the use of a virtual stage opens up new possibilities for scouting, since the practical accessibility limitation

is removed. Where locations once needed to accommodate crews of 150 to 200 people, volume technology enables exploration of more remote or challenging environments like lava tubes, dense forests or high-rise buildings. Even locations with strict time or access limitations can be shot briefly and recreated on a volume, allowing production to bypass those restrictions while maintaining a location’s integrity. “The volume is an incredible tool, expanding the options we can present to directors and production designers, and it allows scouts to push the boundaries of what’s possible in film production,” says Quemore. For VFX-heavy shows that take place primarily on stage, the role of the location manager is often quite different. “VFX plate units tend to be very small film crews with limited equipment – sometimes just a camera,” explains Leann Emmert, location scout and manager ( Dune: Part One ). “That gives the location team the freedom to look at places that might be more difficult to access, like those that can only be reached by helicopter, hiking or where large equipment trucks can’t go.” For Godzilla vs Kong , Emmert worked with a helicopter plate unit of five people, filming icebergs and glaciers in Greenland for Monarch’s remote Arctic headquarters and for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire , they filmed remote mountain cliffs and lava fields in Hawaii. “Plate units are not constrained by noise issues,” she says. “For instance, on Pacific Rim Uprising , we filmed in a new water treatment plant in Orange County. The pipes and infrastructure were stunning and the noise of the machinery – which would be a problem for filming

REAL OR NOT? Framestore tech in a volume for 1899 (top left); scouting deserts for Dune (above)

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LOCATION SCOUTING VIRTUAL PRODUCTION

dialogue – was not an issue. Plate units are less disruptive, so obtaining permission to shoot in sensitive locations like national parks is much easier than when operating with full film units.” In these cases, a VFX unit might only need one location professional to manage the shoot. Sometimes the plate units – in driving scenes for example – can require just as much effort and location support as a full film shoot. “For instance, The Fabelmans filmed a driving scene with the cast in the car on the volume stage ‘driving through a tornado on a downtown street’,” explains Emmert. “We had to find a location, conduct lots of scouts, do location agreements and obtain permits to close several city blocks so that we could place period cars and extras in costume for stunt driving through town. We even used an exploding transformer to mimic a lightning strike.” Google Maps and Earth are both essential scouting tools. They save a tremendous amount of time by allowing virtual exploration, but beware since this can quickly become outdated. “That’s why I’ve integrated drone mapping into my workflow,” Quemore says. “Once I’ve identified a potential location within Google Maps, I visit the

Comprehensive data collection R eturning to a location is expensive and ensuring you capture a high

quality and quantity of data the first time round means taking into account angles, the weather and light. CineArray utilises all the available tools, from aerial and ground-based LiDAR, photogrammetry, single-camera tiling and multicamera array systems to ensure the entire environment is captured, not only for the planned action, but also for any potential creative changes which might take place while a shoot is in progress. “When creating digital environments, changing to new unplanned angles on volume stages is possible during the creative process. It’s essential to ensure there’s a catalogue of imagery at hand,” says Dani Rose, director of CineArray. Another tool by CineArray that’s now being used with great success for remote scouting and data capture is its LiveStitch system. The system is capable of taking any camera feed from a multi- array platform on the ground or in the air and stitching the images together in

A STITCH IN TIME CineArray’s LiveStitch is a boon for scouting and data collection

near real time. The stitched image can be transmitted live, either to a team on the ground or anywhere globally to the director, DOP, VFX supervisor or anyone else in production. “This unique technology allows directors, DOPs and VFX supervisors to view and give feedback in real time, to not only review the suitability of a location but to see how the final footage will look. This removes any uncertainty, saving both time and money,” reveals Rose.

AERIAL SHOTS Leann Emmert location scouting in New Zealand

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VIRTUAL PRODUCTION LOCATION SCOUTING

site and fly my drone over it to create an up-to-date orthomosaic map and a 3D model. This gives the production a current, detailed location view. I often upload these maps to Google Earth so that various departments can implement them to plan logistics and take accurate measurements.” Digital libraries are great for quickly prototyping and testing concepts, but often lack the creative depth directors need to fully realise their vision, Quemore says. Directors usually prefer to shoot their own footage or use assets from digital libraries as a foundation to bring their ideas to life. You also need permits to scan and create a digital twin of the site. Many property owners are hesitant to allow this, as physical location filming is a significant source of revenue. Once a 3D copy of a location is made, studios can potentially reuse it indefinitely, which threatens the location’s revenue stream. “When locations do allow it, strict agreements are typically put in place to limit use of the digital model to the current project, with additional compensation for future use,” Quemore advises. “Additionally, if the film alters the model – such as destroying it on-screen or making changes to key features – the location owner, architect or other stakeholders must approve those modifications.” IMAGINED ENVIRONMENTS If an environment is mostly imagined – perhaps a futuristic cityscape or a fantasy world – the scout’s role shifts from finding a complete, existing location to finding elements that can be combined and built into the final environment. This is what Quemore considers asset-based scouting. “This might involve locating specific, unique features like landscape elements, geological formations or architectural details that can be used as building blocks for a virtual world. A scout might also look for natural environments that could be enhanced or altered in post- production to fit into the director’s vision.”

Virtual scouting S couting using VR can be immensely useful, regardless of whether your location is entirely virtual or not. Framestore’s VP supervisor, Connor Ling, explains: “Let’s say your budget is low, but you want your HODs to be able to scout an environment. It’s a complex environment that will need time spent there to work out exactly which parts will be set pieces and which need to be virtual set extensions. You could send a LiDAR/photogrammetry team to capture the environment and have this converted into a 3D level that your HODs are able to pop onto a VR headset – either in a group or individually – and have those conversations in context, without the need to be shipping all the HODs out to the location. “Alternatively, you might not be able to scout an entirely CG environment as you traditionally would to get a sense of scale and allow your DOP to think through shoot logistics, etc. Enabling VR scouting for this scenario is immensely useful, as you’re then able to take the information you’ve learnt from scouting the environment into the practical shoot (which might be against blue/green) and think about how it should be shot with that in mind.” More directors, showrunners and HODs are engaging with aspects of Framestore’s VP toolkit Farsight. This is a suite of interconnected tech that extends beyond LED work, encompassing virtual camera, scouting, art departments and the mobile visualisation system Farsight Go. These tools have been used on shows like Loki and The Last of Us .

EAGLE-EYED Quemore and his fellow location managers are crucial to production success

COSTS AND PROCESSING While VP opens up more possibilities, the process of capturing places and preparing them for the LED wall is time- consuming and costly. This is where location managers’ expertise becomes crucial – to advise productions on the most suitable locations for virtual filming. After securing permission (usually for a fee), a team is sent to capture the site, which incurs additional costs. Once that data has been collected, another team processes it for use on the volume, which can take days or even weeks. Quemore notes that optimal lighting conditions are critical, as assets must undergo de-lighting. The process entails stripping the captured model of existing lighting data, including shadows and highlights, so it can be relit according to the production’s needs. “Poor lighting conditions can hinder this. Overcast days or early mornings are ideal, when shadows are soft and minimal, but this adds complexity by limiting when and how you can capture a location.” Given the high cost and effort involved in productions, they need to carefully weigh what offers more value and control: filming on a real location or opting for virtual production.

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