‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Team on Weta FX’s Latest Tech and the Most Challenging Sequences

by

It took a village of storytellers to bring “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” to life.

Fundamentally, Wētā FX studio stood at the core of things, with a team of more than 1000 artists tirelessly working on creating approximately 1500 visual effects shots. This groundbreaking film, honored with the accolade of Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature at the Visual Effects Society Awards, is also vying for an Oscar in the Visual Effects category.

At the EbMaster FYC screening, which was organized by 20th Century Studios, VFX supervisor Erik Winquist discussed the progress made in performance capture technology since “War of the Planet of the Apes.” Over a span of six years, these technological improvements enabled Winquist and his team to make the apes appear even more lifelike. He elaborated, “We incorporated all the advancements into our work. Instead of using one camera in active areas, we switched to a pair of cameras that allowed us to create a 3D model of their faces at 48 frames per second.

Previously, apes used sign language to communicate. In this new series, however, the apes are now the dominant species as most humans have perished. The narrative revolves around Owen Teague’s character, Noa, a young chimpanzee who embarks on a personal quest following an attack on his village. Winquist explained that the facial animation process was crucial, allowing animators to spend more time perfecting every subtle facial expression and minute muscle movements of their human actors and then translate these into the apes’ expressions.

The software could push the visual effects of the film further than ever before.

Beyond recording the actor’s actions, the movie also includes sequences involving fire, water, and even birds, which Winquist’s team needed to adapt. Fortunately for Winquist, there was a system already set up for handling water effects. “We had a structure in place, and we had artists who were skilled at using these tools. Therefore, no matter what challenges this story presented, we would be able to find solutions.

Director Wes Ball, known for movies like “The Maze Runner” and the future live-action version of “The Legend of Zelda,” discovered collaborating with Winquist and their crew to be a truly enriching knowledge-sharing process.

As a devoted movie enthusiast, I find it fascinating how the director chose to unfold his tale 300 years from now. This time leap allowed him to part ways with the beloved characters we’ve grown attached to, paving the way for uncharted narrative landscapes. It was like unlocking a treasure chest brimming with possibilities for future exploration.

Regarding collaborating on Winquist and Weta’s technology, Ball explains, “CG horses stand side by side with real ones, and it’s hard to discern which is which.

Despite the action scenes like the flood causing difficulties, even the more tranquil moments needed careful handling. For instance, a scene depicts the apes sharing a meal, each with their individual objectives. Proximus (Kevin Durand) aims to develop his feudal domain using old technology, while Noa (Owen Teague) yearns for the return of his family. As Winquist stated, “The film includes approximately 1500 visual effect shots, and fewer than 30 scenes have no visual effects at all.

Ball explained, “In essence, we must maintain a sustained grip on the scene for an extended period. It’s like keeping a secret that can’t be shared. You need to sustain the mystery, as long as possible, without revealing too much. We can’t afford any instances where the performance falters because if it does, the illusion shatters and viewers might lose their immersion in the movie.

Read More

2025-02-13 23:46