Image source: 3dworldmag.com
Today we’re taking a look at the creative process behind one of the biggest movies of 2013: Pacific Rim. Yeah, I know that I’ve already mentioned Pacific Rim a few times lately, but what can I say? I loved the movie and it’s a visual effects smorgasbord.
Even though we’re revisiting an old topic, we’re going to bring in a totally fresh perspective. This time, you’re going to hear about the creative decisions behind Pacific Rim straight from the horse’s mouth. Director Guillermo del Toro sat down for an interview with 3D world to explain the unique challenges that accompany portraying a fight between giant robots and giant aliens at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
They started the interview by going straight to the good stuff: giant aliens. del Toro explained how involved he was with the creation of the Kaiju (giant aliens): ”Everything in the movie has to go through me. I designed the Kaiju and the robots in my house. In my garage. I have eight drawing tables in the house and I locked the artists with me and Travis in the next room. Then they’d all come out and we’d have lunch together and I’d look at the art and I’d correct, and change and draw, and then they go back to work and come back an hour later and I look at what they’ve done.”
Image source: Leganerd.com
As you can see, creating a summer blockbuster isn’t easy. You have to go through draft after draft after draft, constantly tweaking and improving an idea until it becomes truly awesome. Don’t think that you can just throw something down on a piece of paper (or computer screen) and expect it to pass muster. Your creative director can and most importantly should critique your artwork so that you can take it to the next level. Don’t mope about the criticism — accept it gracefully and use it as an opportunity to improve.
del Toro continued, “We did a lot of crazy stuff on the practical side, like the Tokyo street for the Kaiju attack, we rigged it with hydraulic rams so the cars, the sidewalk, the walls, everything moved when the Kaiju took a step, it all bounced. We filled it with puddles so we had the Jurassic Park effect, but times 20, the whole street. And the girl reacted to each step because the whole set would shake. And I thought that would give it dimension.”
Image source: Collider.com
See, this is something that is a major issue in the entertainment industry nowadays. We have so much incredible technology at our fingertips that it’s often tempting to make things with computers rather than building it in the real world. That’s one of the reasons why the three Star Wars prequels weren’t as entertaining as the original three movies. Nearly everything was made with a green screen, so it kind of dulled the scenes with artificiality.
Am I bashing on visual effects? No, not all. I’m just pointing out that one of the weaknesses of visual effects is that it can pull you away from reality. That’s why so many artists use clay models, props, and painting to supplement their digital art. These hands-on art forms give you something tangible to interact with, which can help you bring more passion and artistry into your work. I don’t care how good of an artist you think you are — don’t think that you can get make amazing art every time with nothing more than a mouse or drawing tablet. Even the best visual effects artists know when to turn off the computer and interact with real, physical art to inspire creativity.