In 2018, Bryan Grill showcased the visual effects work of Scanline VFX made on Black Panther. Following that, he worked on X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Free Guy, and The Gray Man. Now, he joins us to talk about his latest project, the highly anticipated sequel to Beverly Hills Cop.
How did you get involved on this movie?
I had been interested in being the overall VFX Supervisor on film for a while now. Netflix thought BHC: Axel F was the perfect opportunity to take that next step in my career.
What was your feeling to be part of this iconic universe?
Eddie Murphy is well Eddie Murphy! 48 Hours, Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop are the trifecta in fun! I am a huge Little Rascals fan and seeing Eddie do Buckwheat on Saturday Night Live just made me so happy. It was you know kismet.
How was the collaboration with director Mark Molloy?
The collaboration with Director Mark Molloy was a beautiful ark. Because he wanted the movie to be grounded and film it like you would have in 1984, his vision was to shoot as many practical effects and stunts as humanly possible. So there was a lot of planning with all the Heads of Departments on the film so we could realize that for him. The Visual effects department supported the other departments when there were safety concerns, location limitations, and continued support in post. Mark and I really connected in post during editing. Any problems or ideas he had he would float to our department and we worked together with Editor Dan Lebanthal to come up with the best solution for the story. We were able to collaborate and create a movie that featured 1984 storytelling with 2024 tools.
How did you organize the work with your VFX Producer and amongst the Scanline VFX offices?
As overall visual effects supervisor I worked with Production Visual Effects producer Victor Medel at Bruckheimer production offices in Santa Monica. We were fortunate to have Micah Gallagher as Scanline VFX Supervisor working with both VFX Producers Lisa Spence and Syed Apsar. Since Scanline was Main VFX Vendor we looked to them to create the talent pool from the offices available to work on our show. I believe we had teams in Los Angeles, Vancouver and Seoul mixed in with artists from all around the world.
Can you describe the process of integrating visual effects into the action scenes?
The Process of integrating the visual effects into the action scenes was dictated by what we could or couldn’t shoot practically. For instance in the Go4 parking meter vehicle chase, for safety reasons special effects and stunts added training wheels on the front so the 3 wheeled vehicle would not tip over easily since stunts would be pushing the limits driving at its highest speeds and taking very sharp turns. There were also limitations on where the Go4 was allowed to be – like the stairs at 2 Rodeo and the sidewalk in front of the Armani Store where Eddie crashes the Go4. For the 2 Rodeo stairs and the crash we shot elements of stunts actually driving down stairs and crashing. We ended up using those elements as the base for the final VFX work.
The Helicopter chase sequence was based around Fred North’s flying of the real helicopter in four Los Angeles locations. We needed to make sure our actors were featured so it felt as if they were the ones in the helicopter and not Fred. In order to achieve believability our SPX Supervisor Elia Popov and his team built a helicopter buck matching the real one exactly. This was then put on two different types of gimbals. The first was on a blue screen stage where we could shoot the actors when they were flying high in the air and another on that same gimbal but on the drivable gimbal called the Go Mobile. The Go Mobile put our helicopter at street level controlled by someone driving it and another operating the movement of the helicopter buck. This allowed us to film our actors in the same environment as our real helicopter while getting the necessary performances from our actors.
These techniques ring true for the other action sequences throughout the film. We smashed a real truck through a set piece of a mansion and the Wilshire shootout crashing Eddie’s Bronco. Visual Effects connected all the pieces together either removing rigs, cameras and crew or adding damage, environments, bullet hits, muzzle flashes and more.
What were the main challenges faced in enhancing the action sequences with visual effects?
I think the main challenges enhancing the action sequences with visual effects was the budget.We needed to work closely with the filmmakers figuring out the best way to tell the story but without overindulging in VFX.
Sometimes films rely too much on the VFX, or story changes create larger holes to fill creatively. Because we worked hand in hand with all the departments it was important we all executed our parts to the fullest.
How did you ensure that the visual effects blended seamlessly with the practical stunts and live-action footage?
I think the only way you can ensure that the visual effects blend seamlessly with practical stunts and live-action footage is to be a team player. Knowing what is needed to be achieved and putting forth a plan to make it happen is the key. In visual effects there are a few sayings I like to keep telling myself, like, “You’re only as good as your last comp“ and, “Get what you need not just what you can.”Trusting your team and being able to communicate works very well when you want to do the best job you can.
What specific visual effects techniques were used to enhance the chase scenes in the film?
There were no special techniques used to enhance the chase scenes in the film. Similar to how they did things in 1984, we stuck to tried and true solutions. For example our Eddie head replacements ranged from full CG rendered heads to a single frame photography tracked on in 2D. We did whatever it took to help tell the story the best. I am a big tech fan and love to use new techniques when possible and have been able to in the past. The closest I think was using some new AI roto tools that helped separate crowds on sidewalks from plates that did not have a helicopter and putting them into the footage with the helicopter because we could not have people on the streets because of safety reasons.
Can you talk about any particular action scene where visual effects played a crucial role?
I think the opening of the film in Detroit and the Snow Plow Chase is where visual effects played a crucial role. We shot that chase sequence in Detroit during the beginning of winter which was great because if we had snow it would work for the story. Unfortunately, there was no snow so we had to wet down the streets and dress the streets and sidewalks with fake snow when we could. The rest of the time we added snow drifts and falling snow throughout the sequence. We shot Eddie in the snow plow on an LED stage in Los Angeles, which worked out great for the close-ups and the mid shots. We also shot Eddie close ups on a green screen to make it look like he was driving around Detroit in his awesome Chevy Nova. These shots needed to integrate with the other production footage shot in Detroit with Eddie’s stunt double Robert Doqui driving in and around the city. Additionally, we incorporated the footage of Eddie from our LED Shoot into the Practical Stunt driving footage of the Snow Plow Chase. Even the hockey game in Detroit incorporated a real RedWings game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit while Eddie’s scenes were shot at the Galen Center on USC Campus in Los Angeles.
How did the use of visual effects contribute to the overall pacing and intensity of the film’s action scenes?
The visual effects contribution to the overall pacing and intensity of the film’s action scenes was immense. For example the final Mansion shootout was a collaboration with our special effects team and props. We shot in a real mansion and were not allowed to mess it up so shooting practical effects safely would take time. We had to pick the times we would use practical effects and the rest would be VFX. Editorial set the pace cutting the sequence together and then VFX would add all the bullet hits including debris and smoke, blood hits, and splatters, muzzle flashes, and a consistent balance of smoke from the truck crash destruction throughout the sequence spearheaded by NetFx.The editorial timing of bullet hits were crucial to the final scenes intensity Including the final shootout between Grant and Axel which was done by Scanline.
What were some of the most innovative visual effects used in the movie?
I think the most innovative visual effects in the movie were done during the pepper spray sequence. It would not be possible to shoot pepper spray (or water for that matter) into Eddie’s eyes. So to deal with that issue we dressed an Evian mist spray bottle to look like the pepper spray bottle. Eddie was ok with the soft mist and then makeup would add some viscus gel around his eyes to give a sense of wetness.These 2 elements alone worked great for editing purposes but the director had envisioned more spray and drips during the sequence. Our visual effects gurus at Scanline came up with a great way of incorporating thicker spray and tracking on drip and water elements to Eddie’s face helping to round out the story needs.
How did the visual effects team collaborate with the stunt coordinators and action choreographers?
Visual effects and Stunts supervised by coordinator Mike Gunther worked very well together helping realize the final choreography of the action sequences. For the helicopter sequence we took the time early on to do previs with Halon based on the storyboards. Director Mark Malloy had a vision to shoot the whole run from different cameras and Halon was able to create the long chase sequence and then run that sequence from multiple camera setups.We had static cameras, chase cameras, cameras rigged to the helicopter, cameras rigged to the police car chasing, static cameras on cranes, sidewalks and end of streets all totaling seventeen different views to output. From there, based on notes from the Director, Halon would do an edit incorporating the cameras the director liked the best at the different times in the sequence.This laid the groundwork for Mike Gunther’s Stunt Driving team and Fred North’s helicopter team to reconstruct the sequence from the ground up, slowly figuring out where and when the cars would move as the helicopter would be flying down the street. It was a ballet that needed to be repeated in real time and be perfect time and time again in order to be able to shoot all the cameras the director wanted for the final edit. In order to execute this stunt safely the communication between all of the production teams had to be spot on.
Were there any scenes that were originally intended to be practical but were enhanced or replaced with visual effects? If so, why?
The only scene that really needed a bit of visual effects enhancement was the parking garage scene. Jane’s BMW gets pushed off the ledge of a ten story parking garage.This was executed practically but with only the budget to do one time. Elia and his special effects team figured out how to push a real car off the building and dangle from a steel tow truck cable.The production literally had to stop traffic on the 10 freeway in Downtown Los Angeles in order to do this stunt since the actual parking garage was right next to the freeway. Could you imagine driving home from work and witnessing a car falling off a building? Crazy right? Exactly why they had to stop traffic. Because there were mounted cameras on the actual BMW, we knew we would need to replace parts of the car. When the actual stunt was done it was a bit more violent than we had hoped as the convertible top was ripped off when it hit the end of the line so to speak. Since our actress was only supposed to get scared and not hurt or killed in the story we ended up replacing the the BMW with a CG version and adjusting the trajectory and the weight of the car for the final shots.We also needed to invent a few more full CG shots creating more terror as the car gets pushed closer and closer to the edge. Not to mention putting back the moving traffic on the freeway.
Can you discuss the role of pre-visualization in planning and executing the film’s action sequences?
We had not planned to do much pre-visualization in the planning of this film because it was to be shot all practically. As discussed above, talking about the helicopter sequence we used previs to inform the director and DP Edu Grau where cameras would work the best.
How did you maintain a balance between practical effects and CGI to keep the action scenes grounded and realistic?
The beauty of shooting a movie with practical effects is having great reference from the shoot. Sometimes in an all CG sequence you have to figure out how the cars will drive and how the helicopters would fly.A lot of research goes into pulling that off if you are not shooting it practically.The one shot we really needed to research was the helicopter crash.We were able to get great footage with the help of Fred North but crashing a helicopter goes against everything a great pilot wants to do. We found a few crashes online but they were so violent and dangerous we had to find that sweet spot of realism. So for the story, Bobby Abbot, played by Joseph Gordon Levitt, was a helicopter pilot in the past but had crashed, leaving him with no confidence in his piloting abilities. The helicopter crash needed to be realistic but also not too violent, so that both Bobby and Axel could walk away from the crash without being hurt. Scanline’s animators and effects artists came up with the perfect hard landing in my opinion.
Were there any unexpected obstacles or surprises during the post-production phase related to visual effects?
While some are more extensive than others, I think there are always last minute requests or notes that happen on all films. I think on our film it was mostly to add more snow drifts in the Detroit snow plow chase, for example, which meant going through another round and amping up what we already had started. There was also some cosmetic work that needed to be done and last minute trailer shots, but it was all par for the course.
How did you approach the creation of digital doubles for the actors in high-risk stunts?
The three actors we needed for digital doubles were Jane, Bobby and Axel. Digital doubles are standard in movie making in 2024. Sometimes you wonder how movies ever got done before digital doubles, hmmmmm? Before the digital double, movies were made in a way where you saw just enough to believe and keep you in the story. That’s why I love suspense and horror because you can get the same reaction of emotions with music, sound and inserts of blood and a knife but never actually see the knife go in and rip the guts out of the victim.
Looking back on the project, what aspects of the visual effects are you most proud of?
Looking back on this project I am particularly proud of the invisible and realistic effects in the film, especially the helicopter sequence. Right before Bobby and Axel take off from the top of the roof at the beginning of the sequence was the last time they actually sat in a real helicopter. All subsequent shots were either blue screen buck shots or helicopter buck shots on the Go Mobile on the streets of Downtown Los Angeles. Even the shots on the Go Mobile we had to work on replacing parts of the windshield and adding flickering and reflections of the rotors.
Tricky question, what is your favorite shot or sequence?
What is my favorite shot or sequence? Hmmm good question… I really love the Go4 pepper spray shots. I thought they came out great and that part is so funny. But most of all I am proud of the Visual Effects teams that we worked with. Everyone did such a great job listening and creating seamless work.
How long have you worked on this show?
I started work on the show July of 2022, until May 2024 with a six month hiatus gap from writers and actors strike.
What’s the VFX shots count?
Our final count was a total of 1040 shots. I believe ScanlineVFX did around 500 shots. About 350 + shots were handled by or in-house compositing team consisting of Jeff Kalmus, Bonjin Byun, Carey Villegas, and Joel Farrel. Lola VFX helped out with some cosmetic fixes late in the game – thank you! Scanline and Eyeline Studios did most of the heavy lifting but our in-house team did amazing work doing some hard head replacement shots and the normal camera, rig and boom mic removals, not to mention split screens and retimes and anything else our Filmmakers needed. Our in-house Production team also included Victor Medel (VFX Producer), Virginia Wilson (VFX Production Manager), Isabella Tallerino (VFX lead coordinator), Anthony Pinkett (VFX coordinator), Tianhy Armstrong (VFX PA), Nick Curdy (lead VFX data wrangler), Ned Wilson (2nd unit VFX supervisor) and Joe Carson (VFX editor). Last but not least a big thank you to Gentle Giant Studios and Jargon Entertainment.
What is your next project?
I am not sure I can say at this point. But is will be a Netflix Film.
A big thanks for your time.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
DNEG: Dedicated page about FIRST MAN on DNEG website.
© Vincent Frei – The Art of VFX – 2024
