![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.mdw.ac.at\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/post-1_image2-10-1024x683.jpg\")
As for its plot, the following would be a brief outline: we\u2019re on the space station Rubikon, and the year is 2056. Unforeseen events back on Earth interrupt the research project being pursued by a corporate mercenary (Julia Franz Richter) and two scientists (George Blagden and Mark Ivanir). And in a highly charged way, the great themes of life proceed to come to the fore.<\/p>\n
While Hollywood productions typically have nine-figure budgets to play with, Rubikon had to make do with a total of EUR 3 million. Making things possible on this budget involved not only more-than-full commitment and passion on everyone\u2019s part but also the construction of a clever modular set by Johannes M\u00fccke. Optimum planning of the visual effects likewise played an important role, as onset visual effects and compositing supervisor Benjamin Philippovich and his colleague Mariana Fabre, both students at the Film Academy, explain to mdw Magazine<\/i>.<\/p>\n
The two work for Arx Anima, which is the main studio responsible for this movie\u2019s post-production visual effects. The head visual effects supervisor for the entire project is Prof. Franz Brandst\u00e4tter of the Digital Arts \u2013 Compositing programme at Film Academy Vienna.<\/p>\n
On Board Right from the Start<\/h5>\n
One thing is obvious: doing a science fiction film without digital artists would be unthinkable. It\u2019s they who actually make a plot\u2019s fantastical worlds visible in post-production, creating visual effects for scenes that were initially filmed before a green, blue, or black screen. Ideally, they\u2019re on board right from the start\u2014which means that during principal photography, they assume the role of onset visual effects supervisors who start right then and there with the coordination of those visual effects that will be applied later on.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing present onset is very important, partly in order to know what we\u2019ll have to do later,\u201d says Philippovich. On the set of Rubikon, <\/i>he alternated as onset visual effects supervisor with his fellow student Florian Gr\u00fcnberger, providing valuable tips to help optimise post-production later on. What would be the best shot, the best camera angle? And how to best interact with the various elements of the set that would only be created afterwards on the computer? Mariana Fabre, the trio\u2019s third member, spent this phase collected valuable metadata without which post-production wouldn\u2019t have been possible: \u201cI documented the exact camera positions, lighting conditions, and camera and lens specs while also taking photos. All that\u2019s important in order to harmoniously integrate computer-generated content into the footage,\u201d says Fabre.<\/p>\n The state-of-the-art technology that\u2019s being used here can be seen not least in a \u201cvirtual production\u201d experiment that\u2019s fit to make even digital artists wax ecstatic: virtual production is a cutting-edge filming method involving in-camera VFX, where computer-linked cameras and the Unreal Engine software package allow production crew members to enter a virtual film set and film inside of it. They can choose between shot types themselves, making creative decisions much easier. A layperson might imagine this as something like a video game where you can move and act freely. What\u2019s necessary is that the computer-generated worlds already be finished when filming begins.<\/p>\n The advantage in post-production is that footage produced in this way can be handled much more efficiently. And while it does still need to be worked over, the metadata from the set is already there.<\/p>\n Principal photography for Rubikon <\/i>wrapped on 27 December 2020. But there\u2019s still lots left to do before it hits the cinema screens this autumn. With the clapperboard\u2019s final clap, Benjamin Philippovich morphed into the production\u2019s compositing supervisor\u2014whose job is to serve as the central node in the post-production process. \u201cCompositing\u201d denotes the integration of two separately filmed or generated elements in order to form a single picture\u2014one example of which would be the addition of the view of outer space visible through the windows of the space station Rubikon.<\/p>\n Even before the edited footage arrives, Philippovich is busy coordinating the various team members\u2019 work together. And in the case of shots created entirely on the computer, the CG department (CG = computer-generated imagery) can already get started beforehand. In Rubikon,<\/i> these shots include views of the space station\u2019s exterior and the view of the Earth from space. The CG and onset material get joined once the production department has delivered the edited film footage.<\/p>\n The deadline is an ambitious one\u2014and from April to the end of September, around 10 people will be working to meet it. Here, Philippovich mentions one of the important points on their to-do list: \u201cComputer-generated images need to be made a bit more \u2018raw\u2019 so that the fit into the filmed material.\u201d And in doing so, he adds, the most crucial thing is to reconstruct the onset lighting conditions.<\/p>\n Rubikon <\/i>is set to be not only an exciting science fiction movie but also a poster child of sorts for digital art and compositing in Austria. \u201cTo me, this film is something special because it\u2019s the first time that such a huge science fiction production has been done in Austria,\u201d explains Philippovich: \u201cIt\u2019s also the first time I\u2019ll have served as compositing supervisor. Which is a ton of responsibility, but also really fascinating because you\u2019re so much more involved in the entire project.\u201d<\/p>\n Thus far, only a very small number of digital artists have been able to make a living working exclusively on Austrian productions. Many graduates follow their excellent training at Film Academy Vienna with work on international projects in the industry\u2019s hotspots\u2014in Canada, Australia, Great Britain, or Germany. But Rubikon<\/i> is intended to show just what all is possible in Austria: \u201cAustria-based filmmakers just really do need to be more daring when it comes to producing films with visual effects,\u201d Philippovich concludes.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.mdw.ac.at\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/post-1_image3-6-1024x683.jpg\")
Time for Post-Production<\/h5>\n
VFX in Austria<\/h5>\n