MU Connect issue 9 (page 10 to 11)

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Carving out a niche in the visual effects industry

The film Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, released last year, was applauded for its impressive portrayal of the old Kowloon Walled City and the unique culture and history of Hong Kong. As the Walled City was dismantled 30 years ago, it relied on visual effects (VFX) post-production to recreate the Walled City and its living environment. Two of our graduates from the Animation and Visual Effects programme, Annie Wong Yuen-ki and Winnie Lam Wing-yee, participated in the film's VFX production. Applying what they learnt at HKMU, they have carved out a niche in the VFX industry.

Six years in the industry, surprises still abound

Fresh out of university, Winnie did her summer internship at Free-D Workshop back in Year 3. “At that time, our programme leader arranged a visit to Free-D Workshop with on-site interviews for students interested in getting a summer internship. I produced three reels for the interview covering VFX, motion, and modelling. Ultimately, I secured a position in the Motion Team,” Winnie recalls.

The Motion Team's duties include inserting backgrounds and objects into studio-filmed shots and simulating object motion in the early stages to give the film crew a rough idea of how the special effects will turn out. The team also helps create complete CG scenes that cannot be captured in live action. Winnie's outstanding performance won the appreciation of the company, which gave her a return offer upon her graduation.

Diverse projects with distinctive demands

Having worked in the industry for six years, Annie has been involved in the VFX production of various films. Apart from Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, some of her recent productions were Customs Frontline, Anita and Limbo. Every production has impressed her, as each required different effects and techniques. “For example, for the concert scenes of Anita, I had to conduct detailed research as those concerts took place quite some time ago. I also had to experiment with different effects to create a vintage mood in these scenes,” she explains.

For her, the most challenging task is compositing images that are entirely different from the live-action scenes. In Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, she was tasked with compositing the scene of the protagonist speeding down Nathan Road. The scene required removing modern elements, replacing real shops with CG shops, and adding CG crowds and vehicles. In compositing it, she had to adjust the lighting to match the era of the film and maintain a balance between the real environment and the CG elements.

Additionally, Annie has crafted many impressive title sequences, including those of Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In and The White Storm 3 — Heaven or Hell, in which she rendered directors' directions with her creativity and talent in 2D animation.

(Photo credit: Free-D Workshop and CG Visual)

First project and memorable challenges

In addition to simulating the motion of objects, Winnie was also involved in tasks such as rigging and crowd simulation. This included rigging CG vehicles so as to make them movable, and generating CG crowds on the streets of the Walled City and designing their movements.

For her, the most challenging task is compositing images that are entirely different from the live-action scenes. In Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, she was tasked with compositing the scene of the protagonist speeding down Nathan Road. The scene required removing modern elements, replacing real shops with CG shops, and adding CG crowds and vehicles. In compositing it, she had to adjust the lighting to match the era of the film and maintain a balance between the real environment and the CG elements.

Among the various tasks related to the film, she found it most challenging to handle the rope tying the villain, King, in the final fight scene. “To accommodate the fighting actions, the actual rope that tied the actor was only about two feet long. Therefore, I had to locate the end of the rope in order to lengthen it and create dynamic movements.”

(Photo credit: Free-D Workshop and CG Visual)

Putting learning into practice

At HKMU, Annie and Winnie got to familiarise themselves with VFX software programs similar to those used in the industry, which made it rather easy for them to transition to the professional world. They also learnt enough film language to quickly grasp directors' ideas and requirements.

Given the complexity of the VFX pipeline and the meticulous division of labour involved, communication and understanding between teams are crucial for a successful production. During the compositing process, Annie often has to communicate with colleagues from various teams. “Sometimes, I'd like to add more details to the images I've composited, such as tuning the lighting or adjusting the colour tones of objects. I'm fortunate to have learnt the theories and applications of different VFX areas at HKMU, which has enabled me to consider the feasibility of my ideas and communicate with my colleagues accordingly,” Annie explains.

Likewise, Winnie finds what she learnt at HKMU highly applicable to her daily work. “We had a course on the principles of animation, which covered details like the movement of a character's hair. When I worked on the effects of the rope, I found that the swaying motion was quite similar to flowing hair. I was able to put what I learnt into practice.”

Exploring future potentials  

Today, the Hong Kong film industry is producing a diverse range of films, with VFX post-production becoming increasingly important. Animation and VFX talent is also highly sought after in other industries such as advertising and marketing. However, the VFX industry is rapidly evolving, so Annie and Winnie need to keep advancing their skills to meet the ever-changing demands of the industry.

“There are many online tutorials on the latest VFX software. I always watch those videos to acquire updated knowledge,” Winnie says. Annie echoes, “In my leisure time, I watch other dramas and films to learn from their VFX. I also pay attention to the environment when I travel in order to advance my compositing skills. For instance, I'll observe how shadows are cast in the sunlight.”

To their fellow students, they advise, “Nowadays, VFX software is constantly evolving, so we must be proactive in learning. Do broaden your horizons by self-learning from online courses or participating in exchange activities.”