Blue Whales VFX: Marine giants on IMAX
The Brief
Lux Aeterna was tasked with delivering a number of visual effects sequences for Oceanic Films’ 3D IMAX feature Blue Whales: Return of the Giants. Narrated by award-winning Andy Serkis, the documentary gives viewers an in-depth look into the lives of the biggest mammals on Earth, on the biggest screen. Produced in collaboration with HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and SK Films, the project brings the incredible story of these marine giants to life, detailing their rapid decline and steady reemergence. The Lux Aeterna team completed a total of 10 Blue Whales VFX shots.
Client
Oceanic Films
Year Delivered
2023
What we did
In a project spanning eight months, we worked closely with Director Hugh Pearson from Oceanic Films to bring his vision to the screen. The original footage was captured in 2D, so each image had to be converted to 3D during post-production. Adding further complexity, the film also had to be optimised for 8K IMAX.
One of the key sequences we worked on involved detailed shots of phytoplankton, the microscopic marine plants that form a vital part of the ocean’s food chain. In this incredibly complex scene, we created around 1,000 phytoplankton for a long shot where the camera appears to be moving through the particles, so that they seem to float in mid-air in front of the screen for 3D viewers. The sheer size of the shots was especially challenging, with each frame needing more than 10 hours to render. And with double the 750-frame count needed for the stereo 3D effect, it was a truly massive undertaking.
In another sequence, we created the visuals for the moment a blue whale surfaces and projects a spray of snot through its blowhole towards the camera, and in this case, the viewer. Known as the ‘snot-shot’, this aerial view was captured with a drone before we boosted the 3D effect using Nuke.
Our team also created a number of graphics for the film. These included maps to show the location of the featured expeditions, and photo ID cards for the whales identified by renowned marine biologist Dr. Diane Gendron, a core member of the team behind the film.
The results
With a robust production pipeline in place, we were able to handle huge amounts of renders, enabling us to deliver high-quality IMAX-scale shots. What’s more, our previous experience of working with 3D helped us with the difficult task of transposing these complex shots into stereo.
Blue Whales: Return of the Giants premiered at the California Science Center IMAX Theater in May 2023, where it was well received by the audience. The film is set to rollout to more IMAX cinemas around the world in the coming months.
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