Damian Allen from ProVideo Coalition interviews the VFX team behind the epic movie “Napoleon” to provide valuable insights into the intricate and meticulous work that went into creating the film’s visual effects. The team discusses the scale of production, their use of CGI, the practical effects involved in bringing the grand battle scenes to life. The crew also delves into the challenges associated with coordinating actors in intense action sequences, such as falling ice and battle scenes with pyrotechnics.

Interviewees include Visual Effects supervisor Charley Henley, special effects supervisor Neil Corbould, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet (a visual effects supervisor at MPC), and Simone Coco, (a visual effects supervisor at Disney’s ILM. They detail their use of real sets and practical effects, such as the shooting of real armies and the creation of miniature models, to outline the seamless integration of practical and digital effects and the use of Houdini for crowd simulations. The team extensively researched historical battles to accurately portray them on screen, down to the variety of costumes and the diversity among the soldiers.

Their discussion highlights the immense effort and skill required to create visually captivating but also historically accurate films. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration, attention to detail, and the balance between practical and digital effects to bring a grand cinematic vision to life.

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