ILM's Scott Benza Interview

ILM animator Scott Benza discusses the details of the daunting task of creating Transformers for the big screen with Scientific America. The article writer apparently agree with me that Transformers are probably a lock for an Oscar visual effects award (I add sound and special effects to).

The full article is here.

Some highlights:
- Animation work began in November 2005 when provided with the 3-D animatics of the TFs.
- His role was to animate the characters, provide real movement, emotion and so forth, basically create CGI actors.
- Example technique used is Virtual Background Pipeline where digitial photograhs of a scene or location are stitched together to digital re-create the same scene. From this they can create the textures, reflections, camera moves and so forth needed for the scene. All this is done in Zeno, CGI software used by ILM.
(source)
- Custom built software by ILM was used "to calculate how Scorponok would move through its scenes" as the computer can work out the physics of the Transformers movements better.
- Benza is eying simulation software such as used by automobile companies, to possible improve the Transformers in the sequel. the software is desinged to take into account various conditions such as speed, vehicile type, road and so forth to create realitistc crashes. I guess in Transformers it would be used for CGI autmobiles and add extra layer of fluidity to their movements.
- Also seeking out ways to improve smoke, fire and water so even more realistic as currently its expensive and time consuming for computers to do.
- "ILM used 5,500 computer processors and 220 terabytes of storage to store all the models, animation, background plates, textures, reference materials and artwork for the film. Benza is counting on the further development of computer processors that take advantage of multithreading throughput, among other technologies, to continue his quest for lifelike animation."