POST-PRODUCTION. BULLET TRAIN
“The denouement was hardest to coordinate between build, VFX, environments and animation. We needed a balance of danger, story moments and comedy” of trees, buildings and props populating our massive journey environments.” DEVIL’S IN THE DETAIL Despite being responsible for some incredible action sequences, it’s subtle details that make James most proud of DNEG’s work on Bullet Train . Although the film’s final denouement stands out primarily for its complexity. “It was the hardest to coordinate between build, VFX, environments and animation. We needed a balance of danger, hitting specific story moments and comedy,” he explains. “Alex Cannon’s team did extensive post-visualisation, so the major beats were solved, giving us a great target to head towards. From there, our layout and animation teams took over and refined the physics, adding significantly more hero props, train cars and other objects that needed choreography. Again, finding the right balance of humour and danger. “There was considerable build work to prepare for the level of VFX destruction. Each train had an interior framework, with cables, rubber seals, panels and all the props. The lounge car, for example, was filled with snacks and bottles. “Our FX team, supervised by Nick Papworth, took these objects and ran simulations, to have the train tear away around our actors in slow motion, as we crashed down the mountainside. Background vehicles would smash, hit trees, plough through dirt and rocks, before ending in our hillside plaza.” For Abou-Khazaal, Bullet Train will live long in the memory for more holistic reasons. “It’s rare to get a completely new IP with a certain aesthetic. Many Hollywood films are one way – and that’s fine – but occasionally something cool and fun comes along. Bullet Train is completely different to anything else I’ve done – and I think it looks beautiful.” Watch Bullet Train in cinemas now
CONTROLLED CHAOS An action-packed, destruction-filled climax required collaboration between DNEG’s many specialist teams. Post-visualisation, animation and FX worked together to create the most realistic carnage possible
70. DEFINITIONMAGAZINE.COM
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