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The Prix Ars Electronica Archive is a collection enabling search and viewing of all the submissions since 1987. The award-winning projects are documented with catalogue texts and audio-visual media. All other submissions can be searched by title/artist and displayed with year, category in list form. Please cite the credits (artwork name, artist and photographer) and only use the materials if your article is related to Ars Electronica.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Weta Digital
Original: prixArs_2012_APES_edit_v03_h264_videostill_7.png | 720 * 405px | 383.1 KB
Original: Rise of the Planet of the Apes | 2048 * 1556px | 1.6 MB
Original: Rise of the Planet of the Apes | 4096 * 2304px | 6.3 MB
Original: Rise of the Planet of the Apes | 2048 * 1152px | 1.8 MB
The story of _Rise of the Planet of the Apes_ is built around the character of Caesar as he moves from childhood to young adult and undergoes a transformation that gives him supra-human intelligence. This was the first film in the _Planet of the Apes_ franchise to move away from makeup and prosthetics to create the apes digitally. Because the apes needed to look like present-day apes, we could not be constrained by a human’s size, proportions and posture. Also the apes needed to be every bit as emotionally engaging and nuanced in their performances as the humans in the film.
Enhancements we made to our performance capture setup made it more durable, portable and able to be used outside. This meant that the ape performers were able to participate on set with their human counterparts both physically and emotionally.
Performance capture served as the foundation for the ape movements as the actors’ performances. Retargeting and adjusting for the scale difference between the actor and Caesar required subtle adjustments. Broader action sequences that were physically impossible for humans to perform were accomplished with keyframe animation using a video reference library of chimp movements as a guide.
Caesar’s animation required a delicate balance of chimp-like behavior and human gestures and movements. Matching the actor’s performance required an understanding of both human and chimp facial actions and the corresponding emotion being expressed by each.
The quality of Caesar’s skin had to evolve as the character grew from infant to adult. Custom texture treatments combined with specific shader and scattering properties reflecting the evolutionary steps of skin were used to create the final looks.
Caesar’s fur was modeled with a proprietary tool called Barbershop, which was developed during the film. Caesar had hundreds of thousands of strands of fur that could be groomed by an artist using tools similar to real-world hairstyling.
Links: http://www.wetafx.co.nz/features/rise_of_the_planet_of_the_apes/
Enhancements we made to our performance capture setup made it more durable, portable and able to be used outside. This meant that the ape performers were able to participate on set with their human counterparts both physically and emotionally.
Performance capture served as the foundation for the ape movements as the actors’ performances. Retargeting and adjusting for the scale difference between the actor and Caesar required subtle adjustments. Broader action sequences that were physically impossible for humans to perform were accomplished with keyframe animation using a video reference library of chimp movements as a guide.
Caesar’s animation required a delicate balance of chimp-like behavior and human gestures and movements. Matching the actor’s performance required an understanding of both human and chimp facial actions and the corresponding emotion being expressed by each.
The quality of Caesar’s skin had to evolve as the character grew from infant to adult. Custom texture treatments combined with specific shader and scattering properties reflecting the evolutionary steps of skin were used to create the final looks.
Caesar’s fur was modeled with a proprietary tool called Barbershop, which was developed during the film. Caesar had hundreds of thousands of strands of fur that could be groomed by an artist using tools similar to real-world hairstyling.
Links: http://www.wetafx.co.nz/features/rise_of_the_planet_of_the_apes/
Joe Letteri - Senior Visual Effects Supervisor
Dan Lemmon - Visual Effects Supervisor
R. Christopher White - Visual Effects Supervisor
Erik Winquist - Visual Effects Supervisor
Daniel Barrett - Animation Supervisor
Cyndi Ochs - Visual Effetcs Producer
Dan Lemmon - Visual Effects Supervisor
R. Christopher White - Visual Effects Supervisor
Erik Winquist - Visual Effects Supervisor
Daniel Barrett - Animation Supervisor
Cyndi Ochs - Visual Effetcs Producer
Weta Digital (NZ) is one of the world’s premier visual effects companies. Led by Senior Visual Effects Supervisor Joe Letteri, Weta Digital is known for uncompromising creativity and commitment to developing innovative technology. From groundbreaking digital characters such as Gollum and Kong, to the revolutionary virtual stage workflow on _The Adventures of Tintin_ and _Avatar_ and the performance capture advancements on *Rise of the Planet of the Apes*, they continue to break down barriers between live action and computer graphics and expand what is possible in film. Weta Digital established its reputation for cutting-edge visual effects with work on blockbusters such as _The Lord of the Rings_ trilogy and _King Kong_. The company began work in 1993 on co-founder Peter Jackson’s film _Heavenly Creatures_ and is based in Wellington, New Zealand.