Matt Aitken, Visual Effects Supervisor at Weta Digital, joined the podcast "Visual Effects Artists React" to discuss his work on Avengers: Endgame. He shared insights into the creation of the climactic battle scene, including the use of motion capture, animation, and green screen techniques. Aitken also talked about the challenges of creating a convincing digital character, Thanos, and the importance of getting the eyes right. He revealed that there are multiple digital versions of Thanos, and that the team uses a technique called "actor puppet" to translate Josh Brolin's performance into the digital character. Aitken also shared his experience working on the film's final shot, which featured Iron Man's sacrifice, and how the team had to balance showing the character's suffering without being too gory or distracting. He also mentioned that Weta Digital is currently working on the Black Widow movie and has an ongoing relationship with Marvel.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Matt Aitken is a visual effects supervisor at Weta Digital.
2. Matt has worked on many movies, including Avengers: Endgame and The Lord of the Rings.
3. The visual effects team at Weta Digital worked on the climactic battle scene in Avengers: Endgame.
4. The team used motion capture technology to capture Josh Brolin's performance as Thanos.
5. The team also used a digital double of Josh Brolin to create Thanos's facial expressions.
6. The team had to make sure that the digital Thanos matched Josh Brolin's performance exactly.
7. The team used a technique called "actor puppet" to transfer Josh Brolin's performance to the digital Thanos.
8. The team also worked on the armor for Thanos, making sure it moved correctly and didn't clip through his body.
9. The team used a combination of green screen and rotoscoping to create the backgrounds for the battle scene.
10. The team worked with the filmmakers to ensure that the visual effects were consistent with the rest of the movie.
11. The team had to balance the level of gore and intensity in the battle scene to make it suitable for a family film.
12. The team used 2D tracking to create the wounds on Tony Stark's face, rather than 3D modeling.
13. The team had to keep the secret of Tony Stark's death for six or eight months.
14. Weta Digital is working on the Black Widow movie.
15. Weta Digital has an ongoing relationship with Marvel and has worked on many of their movies.
16. The visual effects team at Weta Digital uses a variety of techniques, including motion capture, green screen, and rotoscoping, to create their effects.
17. The team uses software such as Nuke and Maya to create and composite their visual effects.
18. The team also uses 3D modeling and animation to create digital characters and objects.
19. The team works closely with the filmmakers to ensure that the visual effects are consistent with the rest of the movie.
20. The team uses a combination of artistry and technical skill to create their visual effects.