Sue Rowe can. She will be explaining how to achieve that and a lot more on 10 May at Dulwich Picture Gallery as part of the Dulwich Festival.
The green screen stage at Pinewood Studios
The digital environment of Bolvanger in the arctic north
“I am one of only a few female Visual Effects Supervisors (VFX) in the world and one of London’s most experienced supervisors with 15 years in the industry.
I went to art college and specialised in drawn and model animation. My first job when I left uni was for the guy who animated Super Ted. I thought I had it made! But computer technology was taking jobs so I retrained in computer animation in 1994, it was the hardest but best thing I had ever done!
I walked out of uni and into the start of the boom in the vfx industry in London. I find myself at the top of my game through hard work and a lot of luck. I am currently working for Jerry Bruckheimer the creator of Pirates of the Caribbean, on the forth coming Prince of Persia. (May 2010)
A Visual effects Supervisor works closely with the writers and Directors.
We work out how to take the script writers ideas and the Directors’ vision and make it look real. We manipulate film digitally in the computer by changing environments or making people seem to fly.
It’s a lot of fun and every film has a new challenge. Computer technology moves so fast that I am always learning. I have worked on action films like the Bonds with Daniel Craig to fantasy adventures like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with the director Tim Burton.”
In 2006 Sue effects supervised X-Men (2006) for Cinesite creating over 100 shots in a short post period. Sue also works on the smaller shows like the forthcoming Brit flick, Death at a Funeral (2007) for which she was the sole VFX Supervisor.
Prior to this Sue supervised 177 shots for Stormbreaker (2006) and completed Cinesite’s large quote of visual effects on Charlie & the Chocolate Factory (2005). These included a major 3D environment creation, digital matte painting and composites involving extensive models built at Cinesite’s Model unit at Shepperton Studios.
Sue was on-set supervisor for Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy (2004-5), the Walt Disney science fiction comedy which required 500 wide ranging and highly innovative visual effects shots. She has also supervised effects with seamless realism for the Paramount Production Alfie, over a 100 shots for Troy, as well as the action sequences for both Tomb Raiders: The Cradle of Life (2003) Tomb Raider (2001).
“I still get nervous when I work with famous people but it wears off after a few days shooting. A film set is like an extended family for a few short months. You come to rely on each other and there is no room for huge egos.”
Come to my talk on the 10 May and I will show you how we make animals talk and turn green stages into the Arctic north (see video clip below)
The talk focuses on the Oscar winning Golden Compass which I worked on in 2007. The Golden Compass will then be shown.
2-3pm Sue’s talk
3-3.15pm juice and biscuits
3.15-5pm The Golden Compass
Tickets £6. To buy click here
Golden Compass article on Dulwich OnView.
