Visual effects is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action footage or CGI elements to create realistic imagery is called VFX.
Andrew Clement Serkis is an English actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his motion capture roles comprising motion capture acting, animation and voice work for computer-generated characters such as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003) and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), King Kong in the eponymous 2005 film, Caesar in the Planet of the Apes reboot series (2011–2017), Captain Haddock / Sir Francis Haddock in Steven Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin (2011), Baloo in his self-directed film Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018) and Supreme Leader Snoke in the Star Wars sequel trilogy filmsThe Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017), also portraying Kino Loy in the Star Wars Disney+ series Andor (2022).
Rocket Raccoon is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Keith Giffen, the character first appeared in Marvel Preview #7. He is an intelligent, anthropomorphic raccoon, who is an expert marksman, weapon specialist and master tactician. His name and aspects of his character were inspired by the Beatles' 1968 song "Rocky Raccoon". Rocket Raccoon appeared as a prominent member in the 2008 relaunch of the superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy.
Virtual cinematography is the set of cinematographic techniques performed in a computer graphics environment. It includes a wide variety of subjects like photographing real objects, often with stereo or multi-camera setup, for the purpose of recreating them as three-dimensional objects and algorithms for the automated creation of real and simulated camera angles. Virtual cinematography can be used to shoot scenes from otherwise impossible camera angles, create the photography of animated films, and manipulate the appearance of computer-generated effects.
L.A. Noire is a 2011 action-adventure video game developed by Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games. Set in 1947 Los Angeles, the game follows the rise of detective Cole Phelps among the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department as he solves a range of cases across various bureaus. When he is tasked with investigating a morphine distribution ring involving several of his former squadmates from World War II, Phelps finds both his personal and professional life falling into turmoil, and reluctantly joins forces with his estranged former comrade, Jack Kelso, as they uncover a major conspiracy involving prominent Los Angeles figures.
Groot is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #13. An extraterrestrial, sentient tree-like creature, the original Groot first appeared as an invader that intended to capture humans for experimentation. The character can only say the repeated line "I am Groot", but has different meanings depending on context. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchise, Star-Lord, Thor, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora and Drax the Destroyer are able to understand him.
Cinesite is an independent, multinational business which provides services to the media and entertainment industries. Its head office in London opened for business in 1994, initially offering services in visual effects for film and television, subsequently expanding to include animation.
The Imaginarium, also known as Imaginarium Productions, is a production company linked to a digital performance-capture studio The Imaginarium Studios, founded by actor-director Andy Serkis and film producer Jonathan Cavendish in 2011. The studio is dedicated to the invention of believable, emotionally engaging digital characters using performance capture technology. It specialises in applying motion capture technology in film, television and video games. Since 2011, it has provided performance capture for international films including Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), and Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015).
Jonathan Stewart Cavendish is a British independent film producer. He is notable for his work on Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), Breathe (2017) and the Bridget Jones films. He is a member of the Cavendish family.
Motion-capture acting, also called performance-capture acting and often abbreviated as mo-cap or P-cap, is a type of acting in which an actor wears markers or sensors on a skintight bodysuit or directly on the skin. Several cameras from different angles record the actor's movements simultaneously, recording the three-dimensional position of the sensors without recording the rest of the actor. Sampling is done many times each second, aided by advances in computer technology. The resulting database of 3D points permits a filmmaker or video game creator to create a digital character and place them in an entirely new setting.
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle is a 2018 adventure drama film directed by Andy Serkis with a screenplay by Callie Kloves, based on stories collected in All the Mowgli Stories by Rudyard Kipling. The film stars Rohan Chand, Matthew Rhys, and Freida Pinto, along with voice and motion-capture performances from Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomie Harris, and Serkis. In the film, an orphaned human boy who was raised by wolves, sets out on a journey to find a human village while evading Shere Khan.
Breathe is a 2017 biographical drama film directed by Andy Serkis in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by William Nicholson. It is based on the true story of Robin Cavendish, who became paralysed from the neck down by polio at the age of 28. The film stars Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Hugh Bonneville, Tom Hollander, Ed Speleers and Dean-Charles Chapman.
"Adventure of a Lifetime" is a song by British rock band Coldplay. It was released on 6 November 2015 as the lead single from their seventh studio album, A Head Full of Dreams (2015). The track reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached the top 20 in a number of countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
Dane Allan Smith is a film and television producer, and visual effects producer. Smith manages daily operations as founding partner of Daneiam Inc., a studio through which Smith has served as visual effects producer for films including Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), Sinister 2 (2015), Deadpool, Star Trek Beyond, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). He has also worked as a visualization executive producer, and founded Artificial Intelligence + ML Visual Effects resource Parts + Labor in 2023.
Marvel Super Hero Island is an area at Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure park in Orlando, Florida that is themed after popular Marvel Comics superheroes. The area opened in 1999, ten years prior to Universal competitor the Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The island is home to four attractions, including The Incredible Hulk and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. Marvel Super Hero Island's architecture and theming is modeled after a Marvel comic book, with a comic book color scheme, amplified angles, and cutouts of many of the most popular Marvel characters.
Avengers Campus is a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)–themed area located at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, and being developed for Hong Kong Disneyland under the name Stark Expo. The Marvel-themed areas or "lands" are being developed simultaneously at the three parks and inspired by the MCU. However, they instead take place in the "Marvel Theme Park Universe", an alternate universe parallel to it within the MCU multiverse, in which the Blip, introduced in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and subsequent events did not occur. They are designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, in collaboration with Marvel Studios and Marvel Themed Entertainment.
Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a group of American superhero films and television series produced by Marvel Studios based on characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. Phase Four features all the Marvel Studios productions released from 2021 through 2022. It is the first phase in the franchise to include television series, alongside television specials marketed as "Marvel Studios Special Presentations", with Marvel Studios developing several event series for the streaming service Disney+ in addition to the feature films that it was already set to produce. Animation in the phase was produced by Marvel Studios Animation. Phase Four began with the series WandaVision, which premiered in January 2021, while the first theatrical film in this phase is Black Widow, which was released in July 2021 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The phase concluded with the television special The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in November 2022. The release schedule of Phase Four was changed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kevin Feige produced every film and executive produced every series and special in this phase, alongside producers Jonathan Schwartz for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Nate Moore for Eternals and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Amy Pascal for Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Brad Winderbaum for Thor: Love and Thunder.
Trixter is a German visual effects studio, with divisions in Munich and Berlin. Founded in 1999 by Simone Kraus Townsend and Michael Coldewey, the company was acquired in August 2018 by Cinesite. As of August 2023, TRIXTER's senior management includes Christopher Hantel and Christina Caspers-Roemer.
Animal Farm is an upcoming animated fantasy comedy-drama film produced and directed by Andy Serkis, with a script written by Nicholas Stoller from a previous draft that was co-written by Rupert Wyatt and Serkis. Based on the novella of the same name by George Orwell, the adaptation is currently in production. It will be the novel's third film adaptation, following the 1954 animated film and the 1999 live action film.
