A few weeks ago, the film The Hunger Games was released on DVD. Being a fan of both the books and the film, I was really excited to buy it. The best part about having it on DVD, though, was that it came with a lot of behind-the-scenes features, and I'm a total nerd for those. One of the coolest aspects of the special features, was definitely learning about how animation was used to build parts of the film.
film poster
While I'd seen the film in theaters- twice- I had never noticed just how graphics-heavy it was (which is probably a testament to how good they are). They even essentially built an entire city (the Capitol) using motion graphics. The architecture alone of the buildings is amazing, but the fact that they also had to make the gamemaker's control room almost entirely in 3D was really cool. I thought it was really interesting how nothing in that room was real except the tables and the chairs, and yet they made such a complex and detailed room.
The Control Room used by the Gamemakers
The Capitol city in the film
Overall, I think the use of animation in this film was perfect. It provided the film with enough futurism to make it seem like it was taking place in a different time and era without being over the top or overkill. If you haven't seen the film yet, I highly recommend it. I'm a big fan of Gary Ross and I think he did a beautiful job on it (apart from the abrupt ending, but we won't get into that now.)
See you all on Thursday!
Coming to theaters on March 23, 2012, The Hunger Games is one movie I'm sure will be chock full of wonderful effects. Based on the trilogy written by Suzanne Collins, this film will follow Jennifer Lawrence in her portrayal of Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year old girl sent into an arena with 23 other children to fight to the death. However, there is much more to this story than gory battles scenes.
The Hunger Games is also a book about politics within the 12 districts of Panem (what used to be the United States). In this warped world, the children chosen to fight are dressed up and taken on tour as celebrities. With Lionsgate's $80 million budget, I'm hoping that the scenes featuring the contestants in their absurd costumes as well as the sets for the Capital (where the Panem officials live) are over the top.
There are a slew of people listed on IMDB for use of special effects/visual effects which makes me think that a good portion of the budget was spent on visual effects (that plus the fact that there seem to be few well-known actors in the film, as the plot is centered around children). The title that appears at the end of the trailer, also raises my expectations for some really awesome visual effects incorporated in this movie.
A quote taken from a website reviewing the trailer reads:
"The visual style is amazing. We went from the gritty District 12 to the glossy and futuristic Capitol . Everything on offer was impressive, from the effortless special effects to the stylish and elaborate wardrobe." I know this is a movie I will be watching on March 23 to see all that they do with this futuristic world.
