Directed by Renny Harlin
Visual Effects Supervisor: Jeffrey A. Okun
Directed by Renny Harlin
Visual Effects Supervisor: Jeffrey A. Okun
Renny Harlin, the director of such effects-laden
films as DIE HARD 2 and CLIFFHANGER, as well as the debacle CUTTHROAT ISLAND, brings
us his latest action thriller, THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT. The film's effects (around
500 digital composites) were supervised by Jeff Okun, who also oversaw the effects for
Roland Emmerich's STARGATE.
The most spectacular sequences of the film include Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson
running from a grenade's blast path, and the climactic tanker explosion at the end of
the movie.
Although the scene suffers from numerous realistic and physical unbelivabilities, the
former sequence is very exciting and well-crafted by Digiscope, which handled some 60
shots for the film. Davis and Jackson run down a hallway, evading the blast of a
recently detonated grenade, with the fireball just feet behind them. A pyro explosion
was filmed through a scale-miniature of the hallway painted black, providing the
fireball behind the actors. The composites in this scene were crisp and
believable--the camera was dollying backwards, and camera shake was considerable. The
fireball matched each frame, and blended perfectly.
The final sequence of the film was produced with a myriad of techniques. Miniatures
of the tanker were used for its ramming of a concrete wall and its subsequent flip and
slide. Nearly every bridge shot was a digital composite, since the water below and an
appropriate background had to be matted into each shot.
Visual Effects Produced by:
TODD A/O DIGITAL IMAGES
DIGISCOPE
DIGITAL REZOLUTION
DIGITAL MAGIC
WALKABOUT PICTURES
CIS HOLLYWOOD
GRANT MCCUME DESIGN
FXSMITH INC.
SONY PICTURES HIGH DEFINITION CENTER
The tanker filled with explosives blasts through a concrete wall. |
The bridge between America and Canada explodes in a huge fireball. |
The explosion itself looks really nice onscreen, mainly due to the miniature's huge
size. The fifth scale model was over 150 feet long, and the size of the model
certainly helps the realism of the sequence. Download a quicktime of the bridge
explosion sequence from the LONG KISS web site.
Todd A/O Digital Images produced 55 shots for the film, including many invisible
effects that are almost too good to be true. Early in the film, Geena Davis displays
her newly realized talent for chopping carrots. The camera tilts up from the furious
chopping to Davis' face, clearly showing the audience that Davis is actually doing the
cutting... or is she? A seamless morph between a real-life chef and Davis was used
for the awesome scene. TDI worked on many of the Niagra Falls composites against the
sometimes CG, sometimes miniature bridge. Among other CG creations, TDI created CG
cars that fly out of the massive explosion and land around the heroes' car. TDI also
performed a face replacement for the scene where a sitting Samuel L. Jackson is blown
through a window. The stuntman's face was replaced with Jackson's and TDI also
composited various CG fire and smoke effects into the fantasic shot.
Many composites consisted of digital removals, adjustments and augmentations. A few
composites near the end are quite goofy, including a few when Davis and the bad guy
are hanging on a net underneath the bridge, and as Davis and Jackson are driving away
from the explosion.
Renny Harlin certainly understands the language of visual effects--I only wish he
could craft some of his effects shots better. In each of his films, he tries to use
effects to get a shot that is absolutely impossible to get in real life. The goal is
admirable, but the shots he designs scream "This is a visual effect!" In DIE HARD 2
(visual effects produced by ILM), John McClane ejects himself from a downed aircraft,
just as it explodes. From the God's-Eye-Cam, hundreds of feet in the air, McClane
zooms up toward the camera as the explosion envelops the frame. VFX supervisor
Michael McAlister had his concerns: "There are certain kinds of effects shots that
call attention to themselves because they defy reality--and the ejection seat shot is
one of those shots." [Cinefex 45]
Harlin designed a few more of these shots for CLIFFHANGER (visual effects by Boss Film
Studios). In one shot, Sylvester Stallone is climbing a mountain, as the camera pulls
back, back, back, all the way back to reveal the entire mountain. The shot suffered
from the same reality-problem as the DIE HARD 2 shot.
Harlin continued this trend in THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT. The hallway scene described
above is a perfect example. Although skillfully produced, the shot absolutely suffers
from a reality problem. These shots just don't sit well with me and the rest of the
audience, since they simply are too good to be true.
Source: Michael McAlister's DIE HARD 2 quote from Cinefex 45.
Official Web Site: http://www.longkiss.com
. . VFX HQ Produced by Todd Vaziri . . http://www.vfxhq.com . . e-mail: tvaziri@gmail.com . .
All text Copyright © 1998 Todd Vaziri, unless otherwise noted