I think there’s probably at least seven major visual effects studios, including Digital Domain, involved with the work. At that point, they make a decision about how they want to distribute the work, and I think in general, they didn’t want to put all their eggs in one basket. And then eventually that makes its way into a shooting plan when we get to live-action shooting. They break down the script, and then eventually they have previs to work with, so they have a better sense of what’s needed in a particular shot because it’s cut together in sequence. On the Marvel side of things, you have Dan DeLeeuw and Jennifer Underdahl, the visual effects supervisor and the visual effects producer for Marvel. “Pretty much every single shot in the film has been touched by visual effects.” Obviously, this was about as big as it gets. But over time, what is considered a big visual effects film, the definition of that has changed.
CHARACTERS IN INFINITY WAR MOVIE FULL
Pretty much every single shot in the film, to some extent, has been touched by visual effects, whether it’s a simple blue screen, a cosmetic enhancement, or a wire removal, which would be on the simpler end of things, all the way to a full CG shot that’s got multiple characters, huge crowds and environments, and what have you.
Whereas this film, in contrast, has over 3,000 visual effects shots. We were reflecting back on Titanic days, the late ‘90s, where a big effects film would be considered around 300 shots. How does something this large get broken up logistically? Several different visual effects houses worked on various aspects of Infinity War at once. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. I jumped on the phone with visual effects supervisor Kelly Port to talk about the scope of Infinity War, the company’s complex motion-capture system, and how machine learning served a crucial role in turning Josh Brolin into a mad Titan. The visual effects company, founded by James Cameron and the late Stan Winston 25 years ago, was tasked with bringing Thanos to life, and on the biggest stage possible. While Brolin’s performance drives the character, none of those moments would have been possible without the special effects wizardry of Digital Domain. He’s legitimately hurt when she turns her back on him, and he feels true regret when he sacrifices her to achieve his goals. He’s capable of feeling compassion for a young Gamora, even after he murders her mother and half her planet.
His maniacal plan to restore balance to the universe by arbitrarily killing half its inhabitants aside, Thanos is sometimes a strangely sympathetic character.
CHARACTERS IN INFINITY WAR MOVIE SERIES
Thanos is every bit as dominating and destructive as fans of the series could hope, but he isn’t the one-dimensional villain he so easily could have been. From beginning to end, Joe and Anthony Russo’s blockbuster is about the eight-foot intergalactic big bad Thanos, played by Josh Brolin. ĭespite the title of Avengers: Infinity War, the lead character isn’t Iron Man, Captain America, or any of the other Avengers who protect the world from evil. Warning: plot spoilers ahead for Avengers: Infinity War.