TIME BANDITS PRODUCTION
production afterwards, apart from colour correction – it lived exactly as we shot it on stage.”
While VP is a time saver for the production as a whole, the reverse was true for the VFX team. “It’s a lot of work for our department, and we expand in size significantly because we’re now responsible for carrying part of the entire production process,” explains Wolters. He goes on to clarify: “VP does save time for the right people, however. Every department has access to more information. The DOP knows what to frame, which is incredibly helpful.” Besides saving time (for most!), VP also saves money – and not just on transportation. “Seeing as iterating with VFX is so expensive, we save a significant amount simply by having an answer for what’s in the scene before shooting it,” describes Dinsdale. Reflecting on the project, Wolters is humbled by each department’s efforts and ability to meet various challenges. “Somehow, we all pulled it off together,” concludes Wolters. Dinsdale adds: “Fingers crossed for a second season!” Time Bandits is streaming now on Apple TV+
ONE FLUID MOTION According to Allardice and Wolters, Waititi and showrunners Jemaine Clement and Iain Morris bring a fluid approach to production, changing the script or making other adjustments fairly late in the schedule. “They need a lot of flexibility as well as that spontaneity. They want the improv, which is usually a bit tricky with something like VP,” Wolters suggests, as this requires a joint effort between almost every department. That said, it simplifies location changes, saving costs in this area. “In the Harlem episode,” begins Dinsdale, “there’s a dock scene where they are down by the river which was originally built as a rooftop in the middle of the city over three or four weeks. Then – I can’t remember how far out from the shoot, but it wasn’t too far – the entire script changed to being a dock scene.” This forced the Unreal Engine artists back
A DYNAMIC FORCE Lisa Kudrow lends her talents as the wise-cracking Penelope, leader of the misfit group of thieves
to the drawing board. “They turned on a dime and made something impressive in an impossible amount of time,” admires Dinsdale. “Everyone came together; it was like some sort of magic.” As the show’s creators saw how well VP was working, their enthusiasm led to increased demands. “It was very reactive,” highlights Allardice. “We definitely ended up doing a little more than we had originally planned.”
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