It's not a surprise that the effects needed to be done are considered to be a pretty big part of the Supernatural show. From things as simple as those black clouds we are so familiar with, to more complex things such as effects for the monsters or creatures who appear on our screen. Those destroyed buildings and cut off bridges? Yeah, some of those aren't actually made sets but full-on digitalized by computer! Amazing, right?
the rad eyes are courtesy Special Effs
but the hotness is all Jensen~
Below is an examiner interview with Dan Schick, one of the many artists who work on the special effects of Beloved Show. He talks about what it takes to get the finished final effect products and what it takes to get into the SE industry!
EXAMINER (EX) : Have you been with Supernatural from the beginning? If so, have all seasons been equally daunting in the special effects arena, or does one season stand out more than the others? If so, why?
Dan : Yes, I have been part of the visual effects crew since season one. I don't think that any one season has been more daunting than another, but I think it's safe to say that the visual effects have been steadily getting bigger and better as the seasons progress ~lol yeah I saw the phantom traveler epi after I watched s3 and laughed at the black smoke, it looked so baad ~
EX : IMDB credits you with the title "digital compositor" is that accurate? If so, what is a digital compositor? What portions of the effects are you responsible for in creation and the finished product that airs?
EX : IMDB credits you with the title "digital compositor" is that accurate? If so, what is a digital compositor? What portions of the effects are you responsible for in creation and the finished product that airs?
Dan : As a digital compositor I am basically responsible for the creation and combination of elements to form the desired effect and look of the shot. This, of course, ranges drastically depending on what kind of shot we are working on. It can be as simple as removing wires from stunt people, and it can get as complex as digitally creating camera moves, set extensions, and sometimes whole shots completely.
Visual effects is a huge collaboration and luckily here at Supernatural we have a very talented group of artists.
Visual effects is a huge collaboration and luckily here at Supernatural we have a very talented group of artists.
We have 2 departments. The 3D department, and the Compositing department.
The 3D department is responsible for the creation of elements including anything from demon smoke, fire, dust elements, burning effects or atmospherics. They also do a lot of elements for matte paintings and set extensions like broken bridge elements or sometimes whole buildings that need to be added into the background of a shot. The 3D team typically creates CG knives for shots when the actors get stabbed, they do a lot of body replacement elements and they will create chunks, scars, blood, and gore elements to replace the actor.
The Compositing department is responsible for taking these 3D elements, along with elements that have been shot in live action (such as background plates, green screen plates, and elements like fire and water), and combining them all together to create the final shot. Typically one or two artists will collaborate on a shot, but for the more complex shots it's not uncommon to have many artist all working together to help create the final shot.
EX : What is your background? Have you worked on a lot of TV and/or movie projects? Please, feel free to list other projects you have worked on.
EX : What is your background? Have you worked on a lot of TV and/or movie projects? Please, feel free to list other projects you have worked on.
Dan : I started out in 3D animation. I was working for a few animation studios that specialized in straight to DVD animated movies, but it didn't take long for me to become interested in effects and live action work. Some of the past animation projects I have worked on have been Hot Wheels AcceleRacers, and Viva Pinata for 4Kids TV. Previously to Supernatural, I was involved with a TV show called Killer Instinct.
EX : Readers and fans will be interested in what is required to get into your field of career. Schooling? Degrees? Interning? Advice? Etc...
Dan : There are a number of different paths you can take to get into visual effects. The best would be one of the many schools that specialize in digital art. Most of them will provide you with the basic training you will need to be a visual effects artist. From there all you need is an artistic eye, and passion for the project. School is a great way to get to know a few people in the industry. Once you have your foot in the door, interning is a great way to learn. Most of the knowledge you'll need to make it in the visual effects industry you'll learn on your first job.
EX : How long does a special effect take to complete? For example, one of your reels shows a scene from "Red Sky at Morning" with the water effect as the two sailor brothers collide ~ THIS VIDEO IS BELOW!! REALLY AMAZING ~ How long did that take from concept to final product? Also, the black demon smoke effect used many times in the series when a demon leaves a human host, it looks simple but I suspect it is very complex when broken down. How long does that effect take to create?
Dan : The duration of a visual effects shot can range drastically depending on what it is we are trying to achieve. For example, most wire and rig removal shots and most of the black eye shots can be completed in anywhere from a few hours to half a day. However, some of the more complex shots can take anywhere from a few days to a week or sometimes even longer ~ wow that long? that must be hard on a show that airs weekly ~
Every shot is different. The difficulty of the shot can depend on many things such as camera movement, length of the shot, how many elements are being added, as well as their placement in the shot. The shot you are referencing with the two brothers colliding, I believe took 3 or 4 days ~ this is actually one of the coolest effect shots on Beloved Show in my opinion ~ The demon smoke shots don't usually take that long, but it depends on what the smoke is supposed to be doing. If the smoke is required to only exit a character and then leave frame it doesn't usually take that long. However, if the demon smoke is required to do something else like exit through a vent, or bust down a door, or if the camera has a very dynamic move then those shots might take a little longer. Unfortunately, because of the nature of a show that airs every week, we sometimes don't have the time we would like to work on our shots.
EX : Have there been any effects that were scrapped when the concept didn't quite convey properly on the screen during production? If so, could you name one or two and explain what fell short.
Dan : Scrapping ideas is all part of the production process. If everyone's ideas made it to the finished show, the episode definitely wouldn't fit into it's one hour time slot. Usually by the time the visual effects department starts working on an episode the ideas and shots are all planned out. Unfortunately every once in a while shots get cut for various reasons. It could be that the shot is too complex and would require too much time, or it could be that the director of the episode had something completely different in mind. Whatever the reason, it is all part of the process.
EX : What is the most complex effect created thus far for Supernatural, in your opinion?
Dan : Season(s) and Episode(s).The most complex visual effects shot, in my opinion, would have to be in the second season, an episode called "Nightshifter". There was one exterior shot of the bank in this episode that I think took more than 7 weeks to complete with 6 or 7 artists working on it. Basically it is an establishing shot of the building and everything had to be digitally created including the buildings, the cars, the people, the flashing lights and even the helicopter. Essentially the whole shot had to be created digitally ~ WHATT ~
Here's one of the videos Schick was kind enough to share with the interviewer that illustrates shortly what it generally takes to get a shot effect done. Really cool.
Dan Schick VFX Shot Breakdowns from Dan Schick on Vimeo.
the effects really are amazing & better than any other sci-fi show out there,
Super and Natural **MissTee
