May 19, 2014

Godzilla: Creating a Monster

MPC visual effects and Technicolor color-finishing and digital cinema services behind Godzilla

Director Gareth Edwards has fashioned a remarkably reverential, yet completely reimagined and visually stunning Godzilla for a 21st century global audience – while calling upon major contributions to the film from Technicolor and its Academy Award-winning visual effects division, MPC.  The film will likely be remembered as one of the great visual accomplishments of 2014 – a massive undertaking by Technicolor employees around the globe.  Led by MPC’s world-renown effects teams in Vancouver, London and Bangalore, under the VFX supervision of Oscar-winner Guillaume Rocheron, along with MPC VFX supervisor Nicolas Aithadi who oversaw the early effects development.  The film was finished at Technicolor Hollywood by way of the deft color-grading, led by Technicolor’s senior most supervisors, Steve Scott and Michael Hatzer, and their teams.  Along with the company’s digital cinema teams in Burbank and London, Technicolor handled the massive final delivery of the various 2D and 3D versions of the film being exhibited around the world.

Godzilla was photographed by Seamus McGarvey, ASC, BSC, shot on Arri Alexa.  Filming began in the early spring, 2013.  The film’s digital intermediate work was produced by Technicolor’s Bruce Lomet and Mike Dillon; with contributions from colorists Chris Jensen, Charles Bunnag, and Juan Flores.  Darin Wooldridge handled the home video mastering.  Mark Sahagun was the DI editor.  Chris Wagley oversaw the color-grading on the theatrical marketing and broadcast trailers produced for the studio.

MPC VFX Supervisor Nicolas Aithadi worked alongside director Gareth Edwards in the pre-production stages, creating concept art and the theatrical teaser trailer that launched the movie at ComicCom 2012. The VFX work for the movie was then handed to Guillaume Rocheron, who led MPC’s work on the movie from MPC Vancouver. As lead studio, MPC’s work includes creating Godzilla and the MUTOs, key frame creature animation, environment work including a digital San Francisco and the spectacular third-act battle sequence.

The film was developed by Legendary Pictures, and distributed by Warner Bros – in association with Toho Company, the owner of the “Godzilla” franchise, and producer of the original incarnation of the Godzilla saga, in 1954.

Locations for the principal photography included Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Victoria, British Columbia; various environs of Vancouver; and Oahu, Hawaii.