Re-Shoot Pixel Accurate
After completing principal photography and CG elements, the production decided that they needed to re-shoot a number of scenes. One in particular was of Wolfman under an archway next to the Thames, London. In the original shot he is eating a human arm, whist surrounded by a collection of other dismembered body parts. The producers considered this was too gory and might affect their Certification Rating. It would be necessary to re-shoot it with Wolfman doing something else (drinking out of the Thames).
The original shot was a “night to day” transition. As the camera tracks back into the tunnel, the scene transitions to daytime with Wolfman fading-out and Lawrence fading-in confused as to why he is covered in blood. These two parts were shot with a manually pushed Track & Dolly, on a Variable Prime Lens with no records kept of lens information or set referencing measurements. Worse still, the set had been burnt since it was thought that it would not be needed again.
Motion Control Camera Ltd. enlisted Richard Widgery to replicate the move precisely on a newly reconstructed set via Take4D. The original plate was Match Moved by MPC and delivered as a 3D camera file against a 3D set that they had modelled to confirm the tracking.
Once on-set, Take4D was used to sight reference 3 corners of a brick in the back wall of the real physical set. This brick was then accurately modelled and positioned in 3D against MPC’s virtual set (pink object below). In the image below, the pink brick has 3 green crosses marking its corners. You will also see three red crosses just above centre of the image. This is where those 3 corners of the real brick have been sight referenced by the real motion control rig on set.
Take4D then applied a transformation to move the green crosses into place over the red crosses taking the 3D set and 3D camera move with them.
Take4D then calculated the motion control data to make the real camera follow the 3D camera, matching the new set to the original plate footage.
Wolfman New Shot – Pre Dressed & Pre Light
Wolfman Original Plate Composited With New Shot