INDUSTRY INSIGHT
The secrets of character design
News and views from around the international CG community
Outpost VFX’s Oliver Dale, Peta Bayley and Dan Zelcs share advice for developing memorable movie stars
For those seeking pro animation advice, the team at Outpost VFX is a mighty good place to start. F They’ve just wrapped up work on Knuckles, a miniseries for streaming service Paramount+ based on the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.
3D World sat down with Outpost animation supervisors Oliver Dale and Peta Bayley, and creature supervisor Dan Zelcs to discover the secret of creating believable creatures and characters, and the nuances of character performance, whether for entirely photoreal or wildly stylised projects.
The trio have a remarkable list of credits to their name, having previously worked on some of the most acclaimed and technically ground-breaking projects of the last 10 years, including Apple’s lauded Prehistoric Planet, The Lion King, and Best Visual Effects Academy Award winners The Jungle Book and Blade Runner 2049.
“HELPING TO SHAPE NEW ALIEN CREATURES AND RECEIVING NOTES AND ADVICE FROM RIDLEY SCOTT WAS A CAREER HIGH”
Dan Zelcs, creature supervisor, Outpost VFX
“THE MORE KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN GATHER, THE BETTER DECISIONS YOU CAN MAKE WITH YOUR ANIMATION”
Peta Bayley, animation supervisor, Outpost VFX
Creating believable creatures and characters is no easy task. How do you get them so close to perfection every single time?
Oliver Dale: The obvious answer is that it’s the combination of lots of hard work from many skilled artists with specific skill sets. Rigs, shaders, fur and muscle sims, FX, lighting and comp all play a massive part.
Probably the most important thing, and not just in animation, is understanding what you’re trying to achieve, whether it be a character, show, or shot. Why are we doing it like that? What’s the purpose of this shot in the edit? Understand that shot’s purpose and keep it in mind while adding detail and making the hundreds of other decisions that go into the shot, so that when it makes it into the final cut all the elements come together to tell the story in the best way.