Breaking away from ＂fifty cents special effect＂ (I)： 2015, the first year of visual effect of Chinese films.
1905 movie network exclusive feature In the past, when we talked about film special effects, we all took Hollywood as the benchmark. When it comes to domestic movies, more people like to use "fifty cents special effects" to ridicule. However, in 2015, we found that Chinese visual effects blockbusters broke out collectively, and those high-tech companies that made special effects for Hollywood, South Korea and Singapore teams with high cost performance, etc., also became the heroes behind these films.
In 2015, the achievements made in the visual effects of Chinese films are obvious to all. Compared with the previous films, which may have at most one or two masterpieces every year, and most of them are produced by Hong Kong and Taiwan teams, this year’s mainland films are striding towards industrialization in a collective way. In this year, every important schedule has visual effect blockbusters to stir up the beams: Spring Festival files include Zhong Kui’s Enchanting: Snow Demon Spirit and Wolf Totem; In the summer file, "The Taoist Down the Mountain" became the highest-grossing movie in Chen Kaige, while "monster hunt" became the box office champion of the whole mainland film history. Although the story of "Nine-story Demon Tower" at the end of September is irrelevant, the monster effect can be seen as a bloody one; One of "Unbelievable" and "Looking for Dragons" in the Lunar New Year file was fully taken over by the Hollywood team Pixomondo, and the other was evaluated as "the benchmark of Chinese film industry" created by the outstanding aircraft carrier in the later period of the mainland.
From quantitative change to qualitative change, the rise of Chinese special effects movies this year is indispensable for years of efforts and attempts. This has a lot to do with the increase in the introduction of imported films. Since 2012, the number of mainland sub-accounts has increased from 20 to 34. The condition for quota increase is that it must be a 3D or IMAX movie. These Hollywood blockbusters are obvious to mainland audiences, and they are a silent challenge to the level of special effects of domestic films.
Feng Tang has a famous "golden thread theory". He said: "Literature does have a golden thread. When a work is achieved, it is achieved. If it is not achieved, it is not achieved. For outsiders, it is looming. For discerning people, it is like watching a fire." This view is actually put in the film circle, but it is more applicable: the golden thread of film special effects, whether it is achieved or not, even ordinary viewers are ignorant, otherwise there would not be so many sarcastic words about "fifty cents special effects" before. Outside Hollywood, there are "wolves like tigers", and inside there are audiences with bright eyes, and the special effects of Chinese movies are also growing gradually in this dual force. Even in the face of Hollywood high-investment special effects blockbusters such as Jurassic World and The Avengers: Ultron Era this year, the industrial system of Chinese-language films can still stand up straight.
However, in this industrial system, the special effects industry has already crossed the language barrier, and international teams are nothing new. In addition to the brilliance of the mainland, Pixomondo, which was founded in Germany, Base FX, which has a deep relationship with industrial light and magic, Dexter in South Korea and VHQ in Singapore, have all contributed to Chinese films, making the industrial customs in 2015 so beautiful.
China "Core" of World Technology: Special Effects Companies Coming to China in succession.
The prosperity of the mainland film market has not only given birth to the development of domestic special effects teams: Tiangong Yicai, which was reorganized in 2013, has become one of the largest post-production companies in China, and their participation can be seen in flying swords of dragon gate, Painted Skin 2 and The Dragon Hunt just released; Overseas special effects companies are also pouring in. German special effects company Pixomondo opened its China branch as early as 2009, and Korean company Dexter’s branch in China is also growing. As a Singaporean company, VHQ has also begun to lay its territory in China, and will take over the post-production of Three-body.
Facing the cooperation with China films, these international companies have rich experience and will face brand-new challenges. They should not only embrace the China market with the existing technology, but also constantly work with China film producers: conceptual design and production budget, which brings the perfection of the process in the whole industry, and also makes many directors with little experience in special effects films know how to control their own ideas and the actual operation of the film. To this end, 1905 Film Network interviewed Jan Heinze, chief operating officer and executive producer of Pixomondo, Daniel Jeannette, special effects director, Thomas Lautenbach, conceptual designer Huang Canzhou, special effects technician Li Da and Guo Yiran, special effects director of VHQ. From their mouths, we know that the special effects industry of China movies is still a vast field worth expanding.
Next page: Where are the special effects done? The most important thing for the team is to realize the director’s vision.