Non-Human Characters
Creating Creatures: Physical or Digital?
I was graced with the opportunity to be part of a talk on creating non human characters in both physical and digital mediums. The opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with a handful of my industry hero's who I now consider friends was both surreal and unforgettable...!
The DGA AD/UPM VFX/Digital Technology Committee’s presentation of Non-Human Characters Creating Creatures: Physical or Digital? Moderator Ian Hunter (Co-Founder, Creative Director, New Deal Studios) and Digital Day Subcommittee Chair Randal Kleiser were joined on stage by a furry friend and surprise guest: Bernie the Gorilla from the film Zookeeper. After trading quips (Bernie threatening to take over the panel discussion as he felt he would make a much better moderator) the gorilla’s true identity was revealed as Tom Woodruff, Jr. (Character Effects Designer, Creator and Performer) stepped out of the suit.
It was a highly effective illustration of the sophisticated technology that brings non-human characters to life, and opened the session’s discussion on the benefits of physical and digital visual effects by a distinguished panel of experts including David Breaux (Sr. Character Animator, Pixomondo), Alan Scott (Live Action Animatronic Effects Supervisor, Co-Owner Legacy Effects), and Bill Westenhofer (Visual Effects Supervisor, Rhythm & Hues). Click for DGA's Event Site
