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I see this article has many negative comments, and I understand why. But dig into the process: the movies aren't just paint-by-numbers. The care, artistry, and craft that goes into these films is really a new form of storytelling: a true combination of art, animation, & acting. https://twitter.com/EntInsider/status/1356104824106979328
Consider: why tuse game engines for previz instead of static storyboards? If it was all truly laid out in advance, they wouldn't need RT3D to figure out the shots. Only game engines give filmmakers the ability to fully, virtually work through these scenes with real people.
Although modern movies are still, at the end of the day, 2D static narratives, everyone involved in a major IP understands they are simply building a story in a much larger world with rich lore and real actors. And we've all played 3D games: we understand these worlds.
For those who think the artistry is lost when everything is preplanned: I understand why you think so. I also appreciate the dogme 95 philosophy, and I think it is an equivalently important type of storytelling. As are many others across the spectrum.
But for many years, I've watched post-production talks, makings-of, and met with filmmakers, and I have come to understand that at the end of the day, film is an ultimate craft, and staffed by the best craftsmen.
It was truly a 
moment when I saw that one of my favorite scenes in Guardians of the Galaxy II—the death button scene—was not acted out by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, but instead the animation crew behind Rocky Raccoon & Groot.
moment when I saw that one of my favorite scenes in Guardians of the Galaxy II—the death button scene—was not acted out by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, but instead the animation crew behind Rocky Raccoon & Groot.
I had never thought of animators as actors. And yet, even in watching the behind the scenes for "Finding Nemo" I had seen the animator with a webcam, looping his own expressions to animate Dory's 'I'm home' scene. I haven't forgotten it, obviously...
Here it is. I think about it often:
But it was only in the last decade I understood the implications. Animators have always used real-world references. But as animation becomes increasingly realistic, and movies become increasingly animated, what importance does 'the real-world reference' have?
For years, @andyserkis has been creating some of the most brilliant, iconic characters in film. No one can deny his talent, style and *presence*. Alongside, he has many animators, riggers, character designers, and many more who helped bring these characters to life.
But at the end of the day, Andy's acting is truly inspiring to animators to the point of being the *canonical reference*.
(The importance of this cannot be understated in the future of acting. But that's a bit of a tangent.) Onward—
(The importance of this cannot be understated in the future of acting. But that's a bit of a tangent.) Onward—
Andy Serkis is a shining example of an actor whose energy expands to animation *reference*. Doug Jones, too, and Cate Blanchett. There's so many others; you'll tell me in the replies.
But aside from these obvious examples, we have all the rest of the actors: talented, beautiful, interesting, iconic. Filmmakers have the world, the plot, and hundreds of talented artists filling out those worlds. What they need to do is make space for the actors.
This is where RT3D previz *helps* make space for the artistry.
The fact is, every high-budget, high VFX movie you watch right now could be entirely animated. But we love our actors: we know they bring something we can't plan, an energy we want to see.
The fact is, every high-budget, high VFX movie you watch right now could be entirely animated. But we love our actors: we know they bring something we can't plan, an energy we want to see.
Having the ability to be flexible, to see things from every angle, to talk it out with other people, to account for the actors: this is exactly what previz does. This is exactly what real-time 3D provides. This is why this article highlights a good thing.
Tl;dr: movies are only getting better, and real-time previz is not only the future of movies, but what keeps it firmly grounded as human.
(And Andy Serkis is amazing, as well as that scene in Finding Nemo. G'night.
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(And Andy Serkis is amazing, as well as that scene in Finding Nemo. G'night.
)
