Research & Development

Preparation and human creativity form two elements of the Image Engine creature pipeline, but both are bolstered by an all-important third element – technology. Along with ideas and organization, Image Engine also relies on a robust and capable toolset to help drive the creation of its characters. 

“A good example of this can be seen in the character of Chappie,” explains Wendell. “That digital asset is 100 per cent mechanically accurate – all joints on his body work just as they do on the 3D-printed, practical model. 

“We didn’t want to cheat that using any CG trickery – there were no universal ball joints; they were all separate, single-axis joints,” he continues. “That meant creating a new tool that could handle the required complexity.”

The result was a bespoke IK solver – one that could handle the elaborate animation controls that remained beyond the capability of the regular Maya solvers. Using this, Image Engine animators could instill Chappie with a believably robotic sense of motion. 

“Thanks to the new solver most of Chappie’s animation was automated, and we could just deal with him as a regular puppet,” says Mesana. “The underlying rig would move the joints and rotate the cogs and all those little doodads that were internal to the mechanics of the character. The end result was that we had something that looked like a moving piece of machinery: it didn’t just look like a working robot – it was a working robot!”
 

Engineering Success

Every creature created by Image Engine is different, in terms of the their final look and the technological processes that define them. What they do share in common, however, is this triptych of preparation, creativity and technology – a marriage of disciplines that enables the final design to boast a level of believability that stands up against any level of scrutiny.

“Initially, when we set up Image Engine for film work, we had a specific mindset that centered around high-end work at good value for our clients,” says visual effects executive producer Shawn Walsh. “Ultimately, District 9 became the acknowledged starting place, our visual effects DNA so to speak, for a lot of people”. This DNA, as Walsh says, was built on the basis of strong R&D, a dedication to preparation and unique creativity. Nowadays, at Image Engine the company’s core competency is still very much focused on animation – but has also broadened out to include complex computer generated vehicles, massive digital environments and all manner of generalist challenges.

“It doesn’t matter what project we’re working on – every member of the team is committed to creating something that is not only unique for the viewer, but unique to us,” says Wendell. “It’s always a challenge, but one we fully embrace. We look at each individual creature and ground it in some reality – even if it’s not our own. Whether it’s a robot, or a dinosaur, or an alien, we try to think of these things as real creatures, living in a world of real physics.

“That’s the Image Engine way.”
 

About Image Engine
Based in Vancouver BC, Image Engine is led by a team of creative and passionate individuals who are committed to furthering the art of visual storytelling, and helping its exceptionally talented crew to push the boundaries of artistic and technical achievement at the studio.

Well known for its Academy Award-nominated work on Neill Blomkamp’s District 9, Image Engine has gone on to create numerous incredible creatures, epic environments and extraordinary digital effects for a broad range of feature films including: Chappie, Jurassic World, Game of Thrones, Straight Outta Compton, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and San Andreas. Upcoming work includes The X-Files and Independence Day Resurgence.