Shake Rocks Ape

If all you wanted for Christmas was a giant ape holding a beautiful woman atop a landmark building on a superwide screen, this holiday has certainly turned out for you.

"King Kong" roared into theaters just in time for the holiday, carrying big name talent, Oscar buzz and eye-bending special effects.

The visual effects were created by Weta Digital, the same company that did the effects for Kong director Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

And as it did for "Rings", Weta used Shake as its primary compositing tool on "King Kong."

Matt Welford, the film's 2D sequence lead who worked on most of the film's New York sequences, quantifies the task.

"Kong has a little shy of two and a half thousand visual effects shots".

This was a more intensive effects package than "Lord of the Rings", says Welford, "because 'Kong' is more action-packed from start to finish.

In the 'Rings' trilogy there were frequent breaks in the action."

"Not so in this film.

And then of course, there were all the creatures that Peter Jackson loves to put into these films - the bugs and worms and flies.

So the shot count went up just because of those sequences".

more: apple.com/hotnews/articles/2005/12/kingkong/ (120)

---

---