Collaboration of Scanline VFX and Silhouette: The Key Visual Effects Teams Behind the Astronomical Drama, 3 Body Problem
In the gripping Netflix series "3 Body Problem," Scanline VFX has once again demonstrated its expertise in creating intricate visual effects, particularly in the episodes "The Red Coast" and "Judgment Day." The team's work on the show, which revolves around the survival of the San-Ti civilization amidst unstable weather conditions and a three-body problem on their planet, required a unique blend of creativity and technical prowess.
To bring the Panama Canal sequence to life, Scanline VFX ensured consistency throughout the different shots by using their proprietary Flowline software to simulate the water movement. The team also created a photorealistic CG environment of the Panama Canal, a vast native CG plant library, and wind simulations for the plants. Two shots at the end of the "Red Coast" sequence used plates of real actors swimming underwater.
For the gore scenes in the Panama Canal sequence, Scanline VFX employed physics simulations for characters being sliced, their clothing, hair, and blood. The artists and supervisors found these scenes challenging, with some requesting not to work on them, which was accommodated by the team. Scanline VFX used Boris FX Silhouette extensively for frame-by-frame paint and creating clean plates for the gore scenes.
In episode 2, titled "Judgment Day," theoretical physicist Jin enters a VR world called the "Red Coast." Here, the San-Ti can dehydrate their bodies into flat husks to avoid burning alive and then rehydrate when the weather is stable again. Scanline VFX was responsible for constructing most of the elaborate VR headset game worlds in this episode, including the Shang Dynasty.
The show's VFX Supervisor, Boris Schmidt, began working on the show in December 2021, with the first turnover in April 2022. Deliveries for the show were divided into multiple phases, with the last delivery in April 2023. Schmidt mentioned that he enjoyed the team's involvement in the creative process on the many sequences of "3 Body Problem."
Scanline VFX worked on 500 shots during the series with a consistent crew of 200 artists, which expanded to over 500 artists as necessary. Mylan Mapatuna, one of the artists, commented on the need to paint out fishnet wires in the sequence, which were visible despite being transparent.
While specific, episode-level details for "3 Body Problem" are not publicly available, Scanline's general workflow and industry-standard VFX practices can help infer the likely methodologies used for challenging rotoscoping and digital paint tasks. The team commonly uses a mix of Autodesk Maya, SideFX Houdini, and proprietary or custom tools such as their in-house renderer "Freak." They also leverage software like Blender for modeling and Photoshop for texture and paint tasks.
For complex rotoscoping, high-quality plate footage is essential. This may involve shooting on bluescreen or greenscreen, or even creating detailed reference passes for environments and characters. In challenging shots, Scanline likely combines automated edge detection tools with manual keyframing to achieve precise mattes. Digital paint tasks often involve removing unwanted elements or augmenting practical effects, which could mean manual frame-by-frame painting, projection and texture work, or collaboration with SFX and animation teams.
While Scanline was the sole VFX vendor for the most harrowing sequence in episode 5, which involved the destruction of a ship in the Panama Canal, the specific techniques used for rotoscoping and digital paint in "3 Body Problem" remain undisclosed as of the latest accessible reports. However, the team's collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach to challenging VFX sequences, as reflected in projects like DreamWorks' "How to Train Your Dragon," would similarly apply to "3 Body Problem."
References: [1] Scanline VFX. (2021). How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - Behind the Scenes. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKf8rF_yRhQ
- Scanline VFX's expertise in data-and-cloud-computing was demonstrated in the creation of intricate visual effects for the Panama Canal sequence in "3 Body Problem," employing their proprietary Flowline software for water simulations and Boris FX Silhouette for frame-by-frame paint and creating clean plates for gore scenes.
- In the sports-betting realm, the financial industry might utilize artificial-intelligence-powered predictive analytics to optimize betting strategies, leveraging technology similar to that used by Scanline VFX in creating photorealistic CG environments and wind simulations for plants in "3 Body Problem."
- As gadget enthusiasts, fans of the latest technology trends could argue that the survival of the San-Ti civilization in "3 Body Problem" mirrors the push for innovation in industries like gadgets and sports-betting, where remaining adaptable and creative is essential.
- The team at Scanline VFX, having worked on projects spanning various industries such as television, cinema, and gaming, could potentially collaborate with experts in the field of finance to develop new methods for analyzing and visualizing complex financial data using technology and artificial-intelligence, much like the elegant VR worlds they created for episode 2 of "3 Body Problem."
