“Charlotte’s Web – Charlotte’s World” by Rising Sun Pictures

  • ©Gary Winick

Conference:


SIGGRAPH Video Review:


Track:


    25

Title:


    Charlotte's Web - Charlotte's World

Director(s):


Company / Institution / Agency:


  • Rising Sun Pictures

Description:


    Presented by Paramount Pictures, Nickel-odeon Movies, Walden Media, and Kerner Entertainment.

    Conceptually, the Charlotte’s World sequence was designed to bring the audience into the macro world of a spider. Created entirely in CG and featuring very dynamic camera moves that mirror the energetic Charlotte, this sequence is the inspiration behind the character’s use of words. The heavily art-directed sequence takes place at night, represented with deep blues and stark rim lighting. It follows Char-lotte as she constructs the first words (“Some Pig”) in the web. The action is highlighted by the moon, which begins hidden behind clouds and gradually resolves into a full moon.

    A major challenge in this sequence was maintaining a consistent lighting direction as Charlotte jumps and swings in every direc-tion. The webs, consisting of over 20 layers, needed careful attention to maintain a silky sparkle during ever-changing camera moves. What worked for one angle would break down when rotated into another position. Close scrutiny of shots within the sequence allowed lighting and comp artists to tailor solutions using the best that 3D and 2D can offer. An array of finishing effects helped reduce the full CG look: chromatic offsets, diffuse glows, and star filters.

Software:


    3Delight, Affogato, Boujou, Cinepaint, Flesh, Furnace, Hype, Liquid, Maya, Photoshop, Softimage XSI, Wings

Additional Contributors:


    Charlotte Visual Effects: Rising Sun Pictures

    VFX Supervisor: John Berton Jr

    Animation Supervisor: Eric Leighton

    Director: Gary Winick

    Producer: Jordan Kerner

    Rising Sun Pictures Visual Effects Supervisor: John Dietz

Animation / Video Overview:


Type: