Plate and postvis from Solo: A Star Wars Story.
In our previous Virtual Visualization segments, we have shown how previs and techvis are used to plan the most efficient and incredible shoots. And, we have unveiled virtual production tools and techniques that are enabling directors to shoot real and impossible worlds without ever having to travel. While the majority of the “visualization process” is focused on informing what will be shot “on the day,” many key decisions need to be made after the shoot.
Thanks to postvis, filmmakers can continue to evolve their visual narrative daily, on the road to final post production. Through postvis, as editors work hard on the first assembly, elements within the live-action dailies can be rearranged and combined with elements from other takes or placeholder CGI. Just like with previs, the postvis process encourages collaborative experimentation, optimizing the production before anyone has to commit to the final cut.
By filling in bluescreens, extending sets, and integrating representative postvis characters and effects, professional postvis artists help creatives communicate the essence of what they are looking for in context with the live-action footage. Postvis sequences give post-production artists a much clearer understanding of the director’s intent, and provide VFX teams with digital assets that can be used simply as reference, or upgraded directly for use in the final imagery. With an approved postvis sequence, the bidding process for final VFX becomes much more accurate and straight forward. Postvis allows VFX teams to focus their most detailed efforts on elements that are going to be featured closest to camera.
The savings garnered by applying postvis to projects are often exponential. Every choice made is that much more costly, the closer it gets to the release date, so it’s always advantageous to refine as early as possible. This is why many studios and production companies are now scheduling multiple test audience screenings, laden with postvis, to get an early read on how their films and shows will be received by the general public.
We invite you to screen our latest mini-documentary below, featuring postvis in action, followed by a classic postvis breakdown from Robert Zemeckis’ vertigo-inducing drama, The Walk:
To learn more about postvis, or any other visualization support for your project, email visualization@thethirdfloorinc.com.
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