Emmy Awards 2024 Spotlight: Framestore's Intricate Visual Effects Work on Fallout
In the visually stunning world of Fallout (Prime Video), the Montreal-based team at Framestore has been recognised for their outstanding special visual effects, earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Special Visual Effects in A Season or a Movie. At the heart of their production pipeline is Boris FX Silhouette, a high-end VFX software primarily used for rotoscoping, paint, and compositing tasks.
The team's motivation for using Silhouette was clear from the outset. The sunlit nature of the shot featuring Lucy and the Gulper, and the plate reflections blending seamlessly with the work, were key factors. This level of integration was vital in creating a believable and immersive environment for the show.
One of the most challenging aspects of the Gulper's integration was its gulping action while swallowing Thaddeus. The surroundings made this a significant challenge, but the team's expertise in using Silhouette helped them overcome this hurdle. The software's ability to create custom reference frame presets, proper onion skin functionality, image caching, and recorded strokes proved invaluable in these complex scenes.
The Gulper was not the only creature the team handled. They also worked on the Yao Guai, integrating it with the Power Armor during mauling scenes. Precise tracking and finding an animation performance were the main challenges here, but with Silhouette's aid, the team was able to deliver stunning visuals.
The water simulation for the Gulper was another multi-layered process that required meticulous attention to detail. This process aimed to merge seamlessly with the live-action plate, a goal the team achieved with the help of Silhouette.
Joao Sita, the VFX Supervisor for the team's work on Fallout, is particularly proud of the top-down shot of the Gulper reaching out to Lucy on the pier and the scenes with the Gulper gulping Thaddeus. Yavor Asenov, the Head of Paint and Roto for the team, oversaw all Paint and Roto tasks in Fallout (season one).
Silhouette is an integral part of the Paint and Roto workflows for the team, used on every shot requiring prep work. It is also employed for creating rough roto mattes, shot development, animation integration, and environments in the team's workflow.
Numerous roto mattes were created for the Gulper integration in episode 3, demonstrating the software's versatility and efficiency. The overall control of artists' workflows within Silhouette and the Mocha integration is valuable in a production pipeline with tight deadlines and high-quality expectations.
The data management, flexibility, and intuitive spline control of Boris FX Silhouette are priceless for artist productivity and speed. Some shots required complex character/cloth reconstruction and frame-by-frame painting, tasks that Silhouette handled with ease.
In conclusion, Framestore's use of Boris FX Silhouette on Fallout demonstrates the power of this software in handling complex visual effects tasks. From rotoscoping and compositing to character integration and water simulations, Silhouette played a crucial role in creating the stunning visuals that have earned Framestore an Emmy nomination. For detailed, authoritative insights on Framestore’s specific challenges on Fallout and their use of Boris FX Silhouette, we recommend consulting Framestore’s official case studies, industry interviews, or VFX breakdown reels related to Fallout, which are typically published on Framestore’s website, Boris FX’s user stories, or professional VFX industry sites.
In the challenging process of creating the Gulper, the team's expertise in using Silhouette proved invaluable, particularly during the Gulper's gulping action and the water simulation. This software was instrumental in their entertainment production across various aspects, including movies-and-tv, with its versatility showcased in rotoscoping, compositing, character integration, and water simulations.
