SAN FRANCISCO -- The special-effects wizards at George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic once again are revolutionizing fantasy filmmaking.
No one else is doing motion capture -- the computerized creation of virtual copies of humans -- in the same lean, mean, on-set way that ILM staged it for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.
"Not currently," says John Knoll, visual-effects supervisor for the franchise. "But I'm sure they will. It's only a matter of time. It's better to be the innovator and have people copying you than not."
As viewers, you may not even notice. But you will see the technique in action on the two-disc Limited Edition DVD which debuts tomorrow (there is also a one-disc offering). The Limited Edition is a treasure chest of extras, including behind-the-scenes visits on-set in the Caribbean and off-set in studios such as ILM.
The new motion-capture technique puts real actors on real sets with limited extra technology getting in the way.
"It is meant to be more production friendly," Knoll says. "The main thrust of it is to not intrude. You don't want the visual effects to be a burden on production.
"So, apart from the goofy grey suits (motion-capture actors have to wear them to activate computer sensors) and the fact that we've got two guys there with camcorders, it's just like shooting any other live action."
The results are more realistic, Knoll says.
"A lot of what acting is is reacting and when both performers are present, you get a higher level of acting.
"So, to have (Bill) Nighy in there with Johnny Depp, I just think the performances are better."
