Wednesday, 15 August 2007 | Levent OZLER
Zoic Vancouver Enjoys The Visual Effects Traffic Of Rush Hour 3
For Rush Hour 3 - which debuted on Friday August 10 -- Zoic Studios Vancouver leapt into the action and completed over 40 visual effects shots in two pivotal sequences resulting in a seamless viewing experiences for audiences and fans around the world.
In the film, LAPD Detective Carter (Chris Tucker) and Chinese Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) are back....where they don't belong. This action adventure takes the duo to Paris in a race from the depths of the Paris underground to the breathtaking heights of the Eiffel Tower, as they fight to outrun the world's most deadly criminals and save the day.
For the "Back Alley" sequence, in which Detective Lee confronts one of the bad guys, Kenji, Zoic completed 10 wire and harness removal shots of varying complexity. As a chase and fight ensues in the cramped alleyway, the action includes Lee falling onto a large trash bin, and Kenji escaping by scaling a large vertical wall, which required the stunt men to be suspended from a crane.
For the "Kung Fu" sequence, the heroes take on a towering villain, played by the tallest man in the world, Bao Xishun. The shots involved very complicated wire removal and clothing restoration as Detectives Lee and Carter are thrown about the room, as well as being lifted and spun in circles clinging to a bamboo pole hoisted by Bao. In addition to the wire removal and restoration on over 20 shots, Zoic was also asked to replace the existing ceiling in the Kung Fu room. This required designing and creating a CG wooden ceiling with embedded fluorescent lighting fixtures, tracking the element into the shots, and restoring all foreground elements.
Zoic Vancouver's VFX Supervisors Randy Goux and Patti Gannon worked closely with the film's VFX Supervisor, Adam Howard, throughout the delivery process. Although postproduction was based in Los Angeles, shot reviews and approvals were easily and seamlessly accomplished between Los Angeles and Zoic Vancouver using various high speed connections, including extensive use of Cinesync for real-time interactive reviews of hi res sequences.
Zoic Vancouver, nearing its 2 year anniversary, has contributed to such high profile projects as Eureka, Blade, One Missed Call, and Pathfinder. The team is located in the historically significant Sun Tower building in the heart of downtown Vancouver.
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