Digital Films Sets

As I am looking to create a set of realistic scenes I have decided to look at a variety of films that use CGI techniques to help create their scenes. I have been able to get screenshots from each of these films from original DVDs of each film. I have chosen these as they are realistic, whether stylised or not, with scenes that I take inspiration from.

The first is Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010):

First Scene in Wonderland

This is the first scene inside Wonderland, and I love the alternate sense of scale; this changes throughout the film as Alice grows and shrinks and various stages in the plot. The image below is one that I particularly admire. The huge toadstools and their bright colours have such perfect detail that we are immediately drawn right in. This is an effect I desperately hope to create in my pieces.

Going to See Absolum

Which Way to the White Queen's Castle

The signpost above is the perfect example of an object that has been altered due to its position in a fantasy tale. I would like to create something similar in my work, as these quaint changes to real life give a fantasy scene another level that the audience can strongly relate to. I also like the attention to detail in terms of the texture of the tree, this is something I am going to have to strongly consider during my research and planning stages.

The Red Queen's Castle

The two castles in this story are very interesting to study, as they have strong reflections of their owners. The White Queen is pure and good hearted, her castle is white and powerfully structured; whereas, the Red Queen is evil and domineering, and so her castle is dark, overruling and dominant. I have also tried to get snapshots that demonstrate some element of perspective, either through a long distance or a clear sense of fore-, mid- and background; however, I will better focus on these elements at a later stage in my project.

The White Queen's Castle and Her Army

The next film I am going to look at is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005):



First Scene Set - Graveyard

The Harry Potter series has become very iconic in this generation and is renowned for its impressive use of new cinema techniques, such as CGI. Due to the fantasy nature the narratives, the films have had to use high quality CG techniques in order to stick to their original plots as well as make them believable to the audience. As I am looking to create fantasy-style scenes, I hope to take something important from this research. By this stage in the series (Part 4) the digital techniques are well developed and almost seamless. I plan to take inspiration from these images whilst creating my own scenes.


Diving to Save What has been Lost

Above is a scene from the underwater section of the Triwizard Tournament. These scenes were filmed in a large purpose-built tank with a blue-screen background, allowing the scenery to be added later on in post-production. These scenes are quite revolutionary and certainly believable.

Fighting the Dragon

According to internet sources, there was at least one mechanical dragon constructed for this film, which could even breathe fire. However, most of the shots containing a dragon were created digitally, obviously these shots include the one below where harry is being chased through the air by a dragon. Once again these scenes are incredibly believable and fascinating to study.

Dragon Chase Through the Air

 I have also taken scenes from Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005):



Mr Wonka and His Factory

Above is the first shot we get of the factory from the outside; and below, the first shot from the inside. The first room we see is very impressive and you can feel your own excitement growing from the magnificent treats inside. This scene could be considered quite similar to the forest is Alice in Wonderland, with the large mushroom-like structures and the strange and unusual objects spread around the room. However, I like the optimism created through the bright colours and strong lighting used. This has made me think about the mood and atmosphere I will need to set in my scenes. I must consider this, and how I will create that effect, carefully as it is very important to get it right.

First Room Inside the Factory

River Ride

The Oompa-Loompas can be seen in both of these images (above and below); they are quite different from the creatures designed in the original 1971 take on the book. These creatures were a feat of digital imaging all on their own. Each Oompla-Loompa in this film was played by the same person, actor Deep Roy, and digitally copied several (hundred?) times to create a whole flock of the creatures, each seeming slightly different from another.

Oompa-Loompas Down Garbage Shoot

Glass Elevator to the TV Room

The above scene is particularly interesting to me because I can see elements of matte painting. The dull blue/grey hue to the entire composition is very commonly seen in matte paintings, as it creates a very intreguing futuristic atmosphere. This is, of course, helped by the unusual objects that are hovering effortlessly in mid-air.

Final Scene