An in-depth exclusive interview with Weta Digital VFX Supervisor LUKE MILLAR talking about the wonders of JUNGLE CRUISE.
Although several VFX houses contributed to the visual effects of JUNGLE CRUISE, it fell to the master artisans at Weta Digital under the leadership of VFX Supervisor LUKE MILLAR to handle some of the trickier and most important key effects of the film. Weta is acclaimed for its work, notably with the “Apes” franchise and, of course, that climactic battle sequence in “Avengers: Endgame”.
For those out of the loop hiding under a rock or caught in some Amazonian rapids or stuck on a boat being captained by Captain Frank Wolff aka “Skippy”, JUNGLE CRUISE is the latest Disney ride turned live-action film.
Inspired by Disneyland’s famed “Jungle Cruise” theme park ride, JUNGLE CRUISE is an action-filled screwball comedy adventure at its finest thanks to Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt as we are along for the journey as Captain Frank heads down the Amazon with researcher Dr. Lily Houghton. Lily is searching for an ancient tree with mystical healing abilities, something which possesses the power to change the healing practices of medicine forever. But to find the tree, she needs the services of Frank and his less-than-seaworthy-looking boat, the La Quila. Facing the challenges of the jungle, ancient curses, the supernatural, a pet jaguar, and, well, Frank himself, it’s a non-stop adventure among the wonders of the rainforest and the rapids with danger at every turn and the stakes getting higher by the minute.
Making the adventure so exciting and thrilling are the tangible and tactile visual perils and beauty along the way, so much of which is created through visual effects. And this is where LUKE MILLAR and the Weta Digital artisans come into play.
Always a highlight to speak with any of the master craftsmen at Weta Digital, Luke and I dive in head-first into the VFX process for JUNGLE CRUISE talking about the technological wonders of Weta and the magic of Disney in bringing the film to life and some of the visual challenges faced and how Luke and his team mastered them, among them:
- creating the beautiful jaguar Proxima and the challenges of fur and skin
- giving Proxima a “personality” and “age” of a life lived
- working with water and creating the entire river length of those dangerous whitewater rapids as well as waterfalls
- creating rocks, water, wind, and bubbles
- hungry underwater and leaping piranhas
- building the the flora and fauna of jungle environments
- lighting design to differentiate environments, e.g., jungle versus water flora
- rambunctious mischievous monkeys
- melding VFX work in the hidden Amazonian cove with the live-action cinematography of underwater photographer Ian Seabrook
- working with visual maps and photos of the Amazon taken during a research trip to create a springboard for the VFX
- the Manuka proprietary software and pushing it to new limits with, among others, semi-transparency effects
- and more!
TAKE A LOOK AND A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview August 3, 2021
