Watch the breakdown reel; VFX Supervisor Andy Boyd and his team produced 202 final shots, from set supervision to delivery, via Houdini, Maya, Nuke Hiero, Shotgrid, and V-Ray.
JAMM has unveiled some exciting behind-the-scenes tidbits about the creation of Samuel the orangutan from this year’s comedy Brothers, from Amazon MGM Studios, Brolin Productions, Estuary Films, Legendary Entertainment, and Mad Chance Productions.
In the film, criminal twin brothers (played by Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage) embark on a dangerous heist road trip. Facing legal troubles, gunfights, family drama, and a frisky ape, they must reconcile their differences before their mission leads to self-destruction.
As the primary vendor on the film, JAMM produced 202 final shots, from set supervision to delivery via Houdini, Maya, Nuke Hiero, Shotgrid, and V-Ray. The studio was tasked with creating the meticulously lifelike CG ape Samuel while ensuring he was as photorealistic as possible, complete with mischievous personality and convincing expressions.
When deciding how Samuel would look, VFX supervisor Andy Boyd told AWN, “Early in the process, we approached the look of Samuel with what I call a 'Goldilocks' strategy. We created one option that was extraordinarily good-looking, another that was a bit unattractive, and a third option that we felt was just right. That’s the one that our director, Max Barbakow, liked best. Not too much and not too little handsomeness!”
Devyn Dalton provided in-camera performances to maintain accurate movements for Samuel, including his use of sign language.
“Though our work was under a lot of scrutiny, as expected, the JAMM team loved every bit of the process, from refining Samuel’s nuanced expressions and outrageous behavior and to making sure his unique personality and character really shine through,” Boyd added. “We were lucky to have the time we needed to dive deep and perfect the work.”
“I was confident that Legendary’s SVP of VFX, Josh Jaggars, would be impressed by the sophisticated creature work that JAMM produces,” said Julie Weitzell, Executive Producer, JAMM. “When he reached out and asked if we would create a full CG orangutan, we jumped at the opportunity.”
Alongside execs Boyd and Weitzell, Toma Bowen acted as DFX Supervisor; Justine Pregler as VFX Producer; Stew Burris as Animation Supervisor; Brady Doyle as Lead Compositor; and Connie Ho as Senior Lighter.
Brothers is now streaming on Prime Video.
Check out the breakdown reel now:
Source: JAMM
Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.
