| 维爱迪-动画创作家园 >> 动画名家 >> 《第五元素》和《后天》场景制作总监Eric Hanson讲述 —— 建立数字的都市（上） |
Eric Hanson is a visual effects designer who specializes in digital sets and backgrounds for feature film projects. He began some years ago as a bit of a pioneer in the architectural field, doing 3D rendering on early Intergraph UNIX stations. When CG looked poised to explode in the early 1990s, Hanson moved over into the visual effects field just after ‘Jurassic Park’ was released. He knew he had something to offer the studios, coming from an architectural design background, as cityscapes often were portrayed naively in film back then. There was a lot to learn about the vocabulary and production methodology of film effects though. “Architects are well-suited for modeling and lighting”, Hanson quips, “but they make lousy animators!” He is currently overseeing production of visual effects educational DVD titles at The Gnomon Workshop, as well as teaching there and at the USC film school.
Eric Hanson是一个专攻数字设定和电影整体面貌景观设计的视觉特效设计师。他开始与许多年前，还是作为建筑领域的先驱时就在早期的Unix系统数字图像方面进行3D渲染的研究。在90年代早期当CG业开始蓬勃发展，Hanson在《侏罗纪公园》发布后开始进入视觉特效的领域。他了解到他自己对于工作室的价值，出于他之前在建筑设计领域的背景，在那时他常常电影描绘城市风景的背景。在那里可以学习到关于电影特效的许多专业词汇和（整套）生产方法。“建筑师非常适合做模型和灯光”，Hanson自嘲地说，“但是他们总让动画师感觉恶心！”他看过了大多数Gnomon工作室出品的一些视觉特效教学DVD的题头，也在USC的电影学校任教。
Digital Domain
一家在国际上与乔治卢卡斯的数字光魔相抗衡的数字电影制作公司，作品包括《第五元素》，《我，机器人》，《后天》等……
Hanson began his film career with Digital Domain working on ‘Fifth Element’. He returned later to work on ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ and, most recently, ‘Stealth’, Rob Cohen’s summer ‘05 action flick. Each film has a large digital set component to them. “Digital Domain is a legend among visual effects facilities, and for good reason”, explains Hanson. “Its infamous reputation hinges on its aggressive desire to do the best effects work possible, which has created a rich culture to produce creative work. Artists are motivated by the right reasons. Salaries and furniture are better elsewhere, but at Digital Domain there is a minimum of political clamoring, which results in a social climate that fosters working together to do the best work possible. Dysfunction does occur, but being that effects crews are social Petri dishes, that is to be expected. In general, it has a great group of artists and history, and should be a required road stop along the way for those working in the industry in LA.”
Hanson的电影事业和与Digital Domain的合作是开始于《第五元素》。之后晚些他工作于《后天》 和最近Rob Cohen将在05年夏季推出的动作片《秘密行动》。每一部电影都有很大一部分的数字镜头在其中。“Digital Domain是视觉特效中的伟大传奇，从好的理由来说”Hanson解释说：“它似乎‘狼藉’的口碑在于在使最棒的特效变为可能的方面得到超乎期望的发展，几乎可以说能够在创作工作中建立一套完整丰富的文明体系。艺术家们愿意就这样好的理由去做些什么。别处有更好的薪水和设备，但是在Digital Domain极少有政治上的要求，使得在一种社会风潮下能够培养致使团队工作尽可能地做到最好。机制紊乱是真实存在的，但是因为影响全体成员的是整个社会的大环境，那是在预料之中的。通常说，对于艺术家和历史来说这都是个伟大的团体，对于在美洲（数字）产业工作的那些人来说不再孤独的走下去将是今后必然要走的方向。”
The urban sets Hanson builds as an accomplished (but not traditional) matte painter are brilliantly photorealistic. He was initially motivated and fascinated by photorealism while doing early architectural rendering, so the leap to matte painting was not a big one. He was frustrated by not being able to convey the messy imperfection of reality in architecture, where clients want a spotless building right off the showroom floor. In contrast, he found working on ‘Fifth Element’ liberating, where dirt and grime was intrinsic to the work. “While painting spec maps for urine pools on the sidewalks I realized how far I had come!” Hanson smirks, “but the connection between architecture and matte painting can get thin, as proper matte painting is more commercial art than a study in high design.”
在城市设定上Hanson构造的是难以置信的真实照片般的娴熟但超脱传统的matte painter （一种后期合成的方式）。他最初的动机来源于在早期建筑学渲染中对超写实的迷恋，所以跳到做mette painting也并不是太大的跨越。他曾经由于不能够在建筑上传达真实中的零乱和污迹所失败过，那时客户希望得到的是一个展品陈列室地板上那种完美无瑕的建筑。对比之下，他找到了为《第五元素》工作的机会，在那里污泥斑痕几乎是工作的一部分。“当我在人行道上绘制小便池的说明图时我清楚地感觉自己还有多漫长的距离要走！”Hanson傻笑到，“但是实际上建筑图和matte painting之间仅仅是一线相隔，严格来说matte painting比高等设计的学习更加商业艺术一些。”
Hanson readily admits that ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ was quite a roller coaster for all involved. Digital Domain put it best on their Variety center spread, that stated, "Thanks for the ride of our lives." Digital Domain laid down the vast foundation that many other houses used to complete the work. Hanson’s role was to help expedite the creation of the vast cityscape models as NYC lead. So a lot of his time was spent coordinating the effort of the team to model and texture such a large undertaking. “Close to end of our involvement with the film, I began the rendering for the signature pull back shot of Dennis Quad entering the frozen city. It was the largest digital set show I have seen to date, and much was learned on the challenges of rendering in this post global illumination world.”
Hanson欣然接受了《后天》的制作，是一次彻底的颠覆。Digital Domain将最好的放入他们的品种跨页版面（特写宣传），宣称，“感谢（它可以）驾驭我们的生活。” Digital Domain 放弃了使用大量的（成品）基础——许多在已完成作品中使用过的那些房子。Hanson的任务就是帮助迅速的建造大量的城市风景模型模拟纽约市的实景。他的大量时间同样花在这样一个大型企业的整个模型和贴图团队中。“接近电影制作尾声的时候，我开始渲染(作为影片)标志的那个丹尼斯•阔德进入冰封城市的远景。那是我见过的最大的数码设定数据，在这张全局光海报中用的许多还是我在学校学习的渲染方法。”
Eric Hanson has created San Francisco, Mars, and New York a few times, each under very different conditions. In some ways the cities are similar, but when the buildings become recognizable, new qualities and challenges intervene.
Eric Hanson在非常迥异的情况下建立过旧金山、火星、纽约市。某些方面这些城市是相似的，但是当这些建筑得到公认的时候，新的质量要求和挑战又再次来临。
“New York City keeps recurring as a favorite location to base storytelling around in film projects”, says Hanson, “I think I’ve built parts of it on four occasions (so far). I think a good topic for a book would be how NYC is interpreted and realized throughout the history of film!” While the design opportunities for building Manhattan or any cityscape are vast, Hanson feels these are always driven by the script and intention of the director of a film.
“纽约市总是反复的成为电影故事中最受欢迎的事发地点，”Hanson说：“我想我得建立四个相隔很远的部分。我认为这可以作为一本书的极好主题，就是纽约市是怎样在整个电影史上被给于不同的诠释和理解的。”设计和建造曼哈顿和其他城市风景的机会也同样很多，Hanson感觉这些总是被某部电影的导演由于什么样的意图使用着。
当他接近创作一个CG城市时，Hanson知道许多影响到制作的因素来源于脚本，他的工作开始于一个故事版或者是概念设计的图纸。“视觉特效的工作不总是某一种（单一的）产品设计，”他说，“但是我很幸运的一直能表达好那些委托给我的工作。” 当镜头进入到模型阶段，设计就应该被锁定下来了，不可以浪费预算。许多团队必须明白导演的意图，确定不要继续错误地进行下去。“我认为真正创造力体现在灯光和贴图上面，”Hanson说。“功效总是我最注意的一方面，甚至于在这样一个拥有超快CPU和超大内存的时代。在CG界永远不会被取代的原则，你节省多少时间就有更多的时间来进行渲染和增加更多的细节。”
The act of gathering reference is key to all of CG, and cityscapes are no different. ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ was historic in the amount and effort of acquiring reference. A crew of four Digital Domain photographers was encamped for a few months in New York City, rigorously documenting around 100 buildings, and cataloging multiple angles of around 20,000 shots. These shots proved crucial to the highly accurate and faithful modeling and texturing of a nine-block area in mid-town. Extensive Lidar scans provided the basis of modeling reference, and the photographs were used to extract textures using photogrammetry.
收集资料这一个过程对于所有CG都是关键，做城市风景也不例外。《后天》是在资料收集总量和效率上有代表性的。一个由四个Digital Domain的摄影师组成的团队在纽约市安营扎寨了几个月，严格记录大约100个建筑物的资料档案，多个角度的汇编目录达到20000个镜头。这些镜头在高还原、准确的制作中部城市九个地区的模型和贴图中被证实是至关重要的。广泛运用基础模型的雷达扫描为参考资料，大量的运用照片测量法精选出贴图。
Hanson做过的许多电影都把我们带入遥远的未来。但是创造未来自然包括创造一个想象的环境，当（我们）看到未来的时候，发现很自然而然的沿着这条路引领观众所到的未来是并不准确的和传说般的。所以对于概念设计师来说怎样建立一个永恒不退色的设计是最大的挑战，这和一个好的建筑师遇见的问题一样。所以清楚地呈现和展示强有力的设计才是所有的重点。“就像电影‘大都会’和‘2001：宇宙奥德赛’可以成为这些系列中的成功之作一样”，Hanson评论道，“许多其他比较陈旧的视觉效果就不是这样（有经典的价值）。我认为就像在‘少数派报告’中的视效那样使用未来主义的思想者是一个聪明的变动。当然，大多数未来派人士会告诉你他们的要求但是很少付出。就像Yogi Berra一旦启动，‘未来就不再像从前一样。’”
Working with Luc Besson on a science fiction would prove to be interesting for Hanson. “Working with Mark Stetson was a great opportunity for a newcomer like myself, and I quizzed him on the making of the ‘Blade Runner’ city, among other things. Mark is one the real legends in VFX today. Luc was typically self-assured. When a member of crew offered a suggestion in dailies, Luc replied, “That is a GREAT idea … when you make YOUR movie!” A funny moment, though maybe not for the artist involved!
和Luc Besson 一起为一个科幻小说工作，让Hanson对此产生兴趣。“和Mark Stetson一起工作对于一个像我一样的新来者来说是一个非常棒的机会，他测试我是在制作‘利刃信使’的城市时，还有其他的一些什么。Mark对于今天的VFS世界是一个真实的传奇。而Luc则是一个典型非常自信的类型。当团队的成员在一些细节上给与他建议时，Luc反驳说：“这是一个伟大的想法……当你自己做自己的电影时。” 很滑稽的时刻，尽管也许对于艺术家来说不是这样。
Hanson’s team was responsible for all the shots in ‘Fifth Element’ that couldn’t be handled with motion control and miniatures. Though this was a small number of setups, they were very challenging, mostly based around the Times Square dive chase. Luckily, there was no production design done for these digital city shots. The art director let Hanson flesh out the look and feel of that region and develop it completely digitally. “It is still one of the most fun times I’ve had designing”, says Hanson.
Hanson的团队负责制作‘第五元素’的所有镜头，它不只是操纵运动控制器和缩影而已。虽然这些在设置中只是很少的一部分，但是他们还是非常有挑战的兴趣，大部分基于围绕着整个时代广场的俯冲追赶片断。幸运的是，这个数字城市的镜头里没有产品设计的成分。艺术指导让Hanson充实那个区域的视觉感觉并且发展成全数字的（场景）。“那只是我设计过的其中一个美妙时刻”Hanson说。
Hanson then went from Digital Domain to Disney. “The concept art was the best I had seen, and was amazing. After spending a year of visual development in CG for it, the feature turned around as a traditional fare, being very disappointing for me. This film was Atlantis, and had great potential that was unfortunately subject to the beginning of a long period of budget cutting there. But things are currently changing there, so we will see where Disney goes with embracing CG this year.
那时Hanson 从Digital Domain 去了迪斯尼。“（那里的）概念艺术是我见过的最好的，曾经非常棒。在CG视觉发展上花去一年后，整个形势转变为回到传统经营模式，这让我非常失望。这部电影就是‘亚特兰提斯’，本来是很有潜力的，很不幸的需要服从于一个坑长的周期预算，减去了一些。那里的情况一直在发生改变，所以我们会看到迪斯尼在这些年越来越向CG靠拢。”
After the disappointment on Atlantis, Eric Hanson was offered work with animation legend Don Hahn on Fantasia 2000. “Don asked me if I wanted to design the orchestra layout and look of the host introduction “Interstitials” with him. Of course I said yes, and had a great creative experience interpreting the classic abstract look of the original ‘Fantasia’ in a modern idiom. We spent a lot of effort on pre-visualizing, and bid the work out to VIFX, who executed the final shots. We used the record amount of green screen at that time, hundreds of feet of stretched Lycra surrounding the LA Philharmonic. As they didn’t need to play, they performed “air” orchestra, an assignment that must’ve been amusing to them. I also got to socialize with Roy Disney, Penn and Teller, and many others during that shoot, a very fun experience.”
在对亚特兰提斯失望之后，Eric Hanson开始和动画界的传奇人物Don Hahn一起为幻想曲2000工作。“Don问我是否我愿意和他一起设计管弦乐队的演出台以及主持人的站位。当然我答应了，于是拥有了一次伟大的创作经历去用全新的现代手法诠释经典的原始版‘幻想曲’。我们经过很多努力去完善每一个肉眼可以看到的细节，给VIFX作最后的镜头处理。我们在那时记录了绿屏的总量，数百英尺长的莱卡（屏幕）围绕着美国爱乐乐团。当他们不需要演奏的时候，在他们的空当的时间，我们还有一个任务就是必须给他们逗趣。同样我也在社交活动中结识了Roy Disney，Penn和Teller，还有徐都其他参与摄制的人，这是非常有趣的经验。”
Eric Hanson is also a keen photographer. He’s recently been into generating a lot of large panoramic images. This practice has actually been helpful for him to establish a method to utilize and synchronize the disparate technologies of digital elevation models (DEM), high dynamic range images (HDR), global positioning (GPS), and panoramic imagery (Pan and Tile). He is part of a small group who are developing the notion of a very high resolution digital set, based on real world and spectacular locations, usable for film level effects shots. Crews have done bits and pieces of this approach before, but the idea is to make a plug and play collection of digital landscapes ready for straight use or novel modification, all capitalizing on what 3D can afford. For example, taking a mountain range and relighting it, adding shadow-casting clouds, creating calamitous events are all possible with this fusion. We will be giving a presentation on the topic at Gnomon in early April, as well as forming an upcoming DVD title on it.
Eric Hanson 是一个摄影爱好者。他最近在致力于拍摄许多大的全景图片。这个实践实际上是非常有利于他建立一些新的方法，同步使用一些与数字直立建模、高动态序列帧、全球定位和全景图相异的技术。他属于一个致力于研究高分辨率数字设置的发展中的小型组织。团队以前做过一些比较接近的（研究），但是那些电子是针对制造一个即插即用的物件可以直接使用数字的风景图或者做一些突发的一场修改，所有的步骤都可以用3D完成。举例说明，拿一列山脉，重新激活它，增加一些层级阴影的云彩，建立一些所有可能在这个混合体中出现的灾害性事件。我们将在四月初对于这个主题在Gnomon做一个演示，在收录进我们的下一个DVD中。
Training new blood in any field is important. The challenge for those with the experience is presenting the training on the appropriate medium. 3D software tuition on DVD opened the way for people to find out what goes on. The Gnomon Workshop was eager to capture Hanson’s experience as well as many others wanting to share the nature of doing film level visual effects with those wanting to learn the field. Gnomon “VFX has long been too cloistered”, says Hanson, “and DVD instruction is a perfect way to demonstrate and de-mystify it. Those concerned with keeping their well earned knowledge secret. don’t benefit the field and the social good of it’s members. The value of the individual will always be the basis of the VFX field to make working within it, enjoyable. The Gnomon Workshop have an amazing array of titles in planning and production this year, and I believe the field will benefit.”
在任何领域，培养新血进入都是很重要的一件事。挑战在于需要通过适当的媒介将自己的经验无私传授。将3D软件的教程通过DVD传播这种开放性的教学方式方便于人们了解接下来的是什么。工作室热心于记录Hanson 的经验，还有其他平时缺乏交流和共享的电影级别视觉特效和那些缺乏（有效）教学的领域。“VFX（技术）长期处于被隐藏的状态（很少与外界产生交流）” Hanson 说：“DVD的介绍是一个演示和揭开迷惑的完美方式。那些知情者严密的保守着他们的专业知识和技术。并不为业界的利益和社会的其他成员着想。在VFX领域个人的价值永远是一直保持在其中工作着的人们的基础，很有趣。今年Gnomon工作室成为一个在这项计划中执行的伟大团队，我相信受益的将是整个业界。”
Scott Kelby is well known in the Photoshop community for magazines, association and road shows. He also publishes a number of ‘Killer Tips’ books for many aspects of the same product. Hanson took a call one day from the New Rider publishers asking if he’d like to do a similar book about Alias Maya. “I realized it would be a perfect fit for 3D artists”, remarks Hanson. “Just as I say ‘like hot pockets and programmers’. The snippet based tip structure was much like our tutorials and forum-based banter in the 3D community. We are all ‘tip hounds’ using these complex tools. The book was an awful lot of hard work, but similar to the DVDs I was able to relate and distill much of the hard-earned technique I learned over the years. It seems a giveaway at US$29.95! So I figure it is a good deal for Maya artists out there, especially if it streamlines their learning and avoids a lot of the headaches along their way.”
Scott Kelby在杂志、协会和街头展示界的摄影团体被大家熟知。他印刷过一些在讲述摄影技术的问题方面被称为‘必杀贴士’的小册子。某天Hanson从New Rider印刷厂接到一个电话问是否他愿意为Alias的Maya出一本同样的小册子。“我认识到那对于3D艺术家来说是一件极好的事”，Hanson说。“就像我说的‘像口袋书和程序员们’。这篇记录由点点滴滴的小贴士组成，比较向我们的教程和在3D说说上轻松的说说形式。我们都是‘贴士捕手’，运用着这些复杂的工具。这本书是一个非常困难的工作，但是等同于DVD，我讲述和提炼了许多我多年习得的高难度技术。那就像29.95美金的免费试用。所以我把它描述为一个徘徊在业界之外的Maya艺术家的好帮手，尤其是让他们能够一气呵成的学习，避免了独自研究中会遇到让人头疼的难题。”
Eric Hanson’s advice to those set on moving into the 3D clique can take his words at face value. Digital set designer, animator or matte painter, the advice is the same. “The main thing is to realize VFX is somewhat of a privileged private club with a big bouncer at the door. Understanding your audience (HR departments and recruiters) will go far, because if you are seen as part of the club initially it will grease your way in. Knowing well the tools used, having good self-criticism skills, getting along with strong personalities, and knowing the ebb and flow of projects can all be essential. Being tenacious and having perseverance can help the early days of trying to gain entry. Don’t send out a reel unless you are truly ready for the field. Remember the fortune cookie saying of ‘Success is preparation meets opportunity’. In the end, Scott Ross of Digital Domain put it well, ‘VFX is not a business, it is a passion!’ "
Eric Hanson 给那些打算进入3D圈子的人们一些建议，可以参考他的建议评估（自己的）价值。数字设定设计师、动画师或者matte painter 人员同样可以参照这些建议。“比较重要的是了解VFX在圈内在某些方面是一个‘大人物’掌握特权的‘私人俱乐部’。了解你的受众（人力资源部门和招聘者）将离得很远，因为如果你看起来是这个俱乐部的一部分，那将会让你今后的路走得比较容易。了解工具的使用，有一些好的自我批评的技巧，抛弃你那些强烈的个性，而且要了解一个案子经历起起伏伏是正常的。坚强和永不放弃的精神可以在最初的痛苦入门日子里帮助你。除非你真的准备好了进入这个领域，否则不要把你的自荐资料寄出。记住这句名言‘成功是完善的准备面对机遇的时候’。最后，Digital Domain 的Scott Ross总结了一句话，‘VFX不是一场生意，那是一种激情。’”
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