Blue Spill designs three motion sequences for The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
We were super pleased to be involved in Mr. Richie’s film – initially we came on board for two motion sequences, which was later extended to three.
Our key focus were two split screen sequences within the film, which were around three minutes in length. We initially took inspiration from the iconic 1960’s split screen style, but also looked to modernise the sequences, and push the style further.
The sequences in the film detail complex effects driven narrative, so while we had some freedom to experiment with timings and positionings of shots, we worked closely with editor James Herbert, VFX supervisor Richard Bain, VFX Producer Sarah Tulloch and VFX editor Steve Pang to clarify narrative points. It was a fantastic team to work with, and we had a lot fun working on the sequences, one of which you can watch below in the trailer –
And our third sequence was for the safe unlocking scene, which can be seen here:
Our finished work was delivered to the London based online as 2K DPX with (quite a few!) RGB passes for the grade. Our team used both Smoke and After Effects for the design and animation, and then headed back to Smoke for the finish.
Reviews for the film are coming in, and we’re super pleased to read that the split screen sequences have been referenced favourably –
“One such touch sees an island raid near the end of the film creatively confined to split screen moments, showing sections of the concurrent action and raid but never the full money shot – in a genre that’s been dominated by CGI overkill or explosions a-plenty, it’s a bravura detail from Guy Ritchie, a sign of the intelligence and smart framing that’s been put to refreshingly good use on this film.” (source)
“…striking visual presence that makes it hard to ignore. Most notable is an action montage that lights up the screen with a beautifully edited series of split screens; clearly Ritchie had a lot of fun in the editing process of the film and we can’t help join him for the ride. The costume design is something that requires the utmost of praise and some of the locales utilised will see you wanting to see so much more.” (source)
“Ritchie shoots proceedings with trademark style and swagger, his action regularly defying Hollywood convention…. a chase that cleverly combines split-screen action with a toe-tapping percussive score helps bring the final third of the film to life.” (source)
DIRECTOR: GUY RICHIE
EDITOR: JAMES HERBERT
VFX SUPERVISOR: RICHARD BAIN
VFX PRODUCER: SARAH TULLOCH
VFX EDITOR: STEVE PANG
BLUE SPILL DIGITAL EFFECTS ARTISTS: ALLISON BROWNMOORE, ANTHONY BROWNMOORE
ARTIST: JOE NOWACKI
