OXFORD, UK – Motion capture technology developer Vicon’s cameras were recently used on the stereo 3D action/thriller Everest. Based on the real events of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, the film follows the expeditions of two climbing groups, one led by Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) and the other by Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal). The film details the group’s perilous ascent to the summit and their battle to survive one of the severest snow storms encountered by man.
Framestore called on its Vicon optical camera system to create digital doubles of the expedition teams ascending Mount Everest. The cameras were integrated with Blade – Vicon’s data capture and data processing software – then straight into Framestore’s own pipeline in realtime to help create realistic visual effects. A wide range of movements were captured by the 16-camera system and featured in the movie without any post processing work required.
“The Vicon system allowed us to capture accurate and realistic movements so that we could create digital doubles for the films ascending scenes,” says Richard Graham, capturelab studio manager at Framestore. “The environments we created in the studio were challenging, however the Vicon system was able to capture a range of floor to ceiling movements quickly and in real time. The system provided the team with instant feedback and allowed us to determine which shoots worked well and those which needed amending.”
“Everest has achieved wide critical acclaim and it’s great to see the extraordinary results that have been achieved by Framestore using Vicon technology,’ adds Imogen Moorhouse, CEO, Vicon. “We’re dedicated to providing studios with the tools they need to overcome industry challenges and push the boundaries of character realism.”