Paddington VFX Gets the Details Right
Paddington in Peru Remains a Labour of Love
Paddington In Peru remains a labour of love for the animation artists behind the live-action VFX movie. The latest film, the third one made in collaboration with the team at Framestore, is the most sophisticated entry to date; not only did Paddington return to the jungles of Peru, but it’s the first film in the series to be shot in 4K.
The Secret to Paddington’s Believability
I spoke with Sylvain Degrotte, VFX Supervisor at Framestore London, to discover the secret to Paddington’s believability – and it comes down to the eyes (and that hard stare).
Eyes are the Most Important Thing
"When Paddington looks around, not only do the eyeballs rotate but they are also reactive to light – for example, when Paddington closes his eyes, or when he does his famous hard stare," says Sylvain. "Paddington’s eyes are the most important thing, as the eyeballs are not a perfect sphere shape, they give a realistic behavior as they push the flesh around."
Facial Expressions
Sylvain also points out that Ben Whishaw’s (who performs Paddington’s voice) facial expressions were of great value: "Ben Whishaw has a headcam set, so we have close-ups of his facial expressions to use for reference. For the sections that are more action-centered, Pablo was recording himself (for facial reference) under the agreement with (director) Wilson of course. Pablo can act during dailies and show the animator the essence of the performance."
Paddington VFX Gets the Details Right
The issue of nuance was key to the work that Sylvain and his team were focused on and he explains that, “Over time, from the first Paddington film to now, we’ve made considerable updates to Paddington’s face. He’s capable of a wider range of face shapes, and the library of expressions we have to work with has increased. This means our animators have more tools with which to really tease out those emotions that are so important to Paddington as a character.”
The Importance of Details
Sylvain makes the point that because we the audience know Paddington so well, the illusion of his on-screen creation can easily be broken if some detail isn’t quite right. "Paddington is a character that can easily break," begins Sylvain. "As an animator you might be tempted to change something about Paddington’s appearance, but you have to be conscious that you’re basically walking on eggshells. For instance, when you’re testing how you might increase the density and richness of his fur, you have to make sure you’re not losing its features. It was the same when using another aspect of our improved groom system, which allows us to introduce slight variations in the type of hair, like you have with real animals: this expanded toolkit is amazing, but you have to make sure you don’t lose the essence of what makes Paddington, Paddington."
Conclusions
Paddington’s face has a specific asymmetric shape on the nose area, with a white and the brown pattern that gives him a subtle identity that may go unnoticed, until it’s not there, and the realism, the familiarity, would be broken. Other areas of focus were his eyelids and irises – which are lot more hi-res – and his lips, which started looking a bit too simplistic and plastic with the move to 4K. It still looked the same, but richer.
FAQs
- What is the key to Paddington’s believability?
- The eyes (and that hard stare).
- How does the team ensure Paddington’s facial expressions are accurate?
- By using close-ups of Ben Whishaw’s facial expressions and having Pablo record himself for facial reference.
- What is the importance of details in the animation process?
- Because we the audience know Paddington so well, the illusion of his on-screen creation can easily be broken if some detail isn’t quite right.
