Storm of the Century
The following images have been scaled, compressed, gamma corrected and stored in the QuickTime 3.0 format. You will need the QuickTime 3.0 image viewer loaded onto your system in order to view these movie files. All movies listed below are from the ABC Mini-series "Storm of the Century," written for television by Stephen King, starring Colm Feore and Tim Daley.
 

Storm of the Century QuickTime Movie #1
Download file size is 2,972 Kb Everything in this multi-planed, 2D/3D shot was  generated and assembled in the computer. The base imagery was a crude model built and photographed as a still. The artist, Robert Scifo, then multi-planed the background, modeled and animated moving pieces, such as the swinging power lines, the flashing light and moving shadows, etc. Base elements were then handed off to BlueSky/VIFX, where the falling snow was added. A very cool shot which opens the movie....
 

Storm of the Century QuickTime Movie #2
Download file size is 13,517 Kb Easily one of the most difficult and detailed Matte Paintings I've ever designed. Everything above the rooftops and left of the road (near the end) in this multi-planed, 3D/2D masterpiece was meticulously tracked, generated/painted and assembled in the computer by Robert Scifo. All the birds, the boats, the ocean, the human, architecture, landscape....even the smoke coming out of the chimney....it's all an illusion......pretty amazing....
 

Storm of the Century QuickTime Movie #3
Download file size is 2,606 Kb. Starting with a Live action plate shot on stage, a Matte Painting was done to extend the background image, as there was not a complete environment built. Then LOTS of digital snow was added.
 
 


 

Storm of the Century QuickTime Movie #4
Download file size is 11,623 Kb A 1/8th scale set was built by Grant McCune Designs and rigged to fall with Pyro. The miniature was photographed partially against Green Screen. Fog, Snow, Background imagery and additional Pyro were later added  by Frantic Films. Most excellent work by all involved.
 
 

Storm of the Century QuickTime Movie #5

Download file size is 6,206 Kb. This was a 1/3rd scale miniature set, built by Grant McCune Designs. Photographed at Big Surf water park in Tempe, AZ, there were actually two miniature lighthouses built, one to withstand the pounding surf and the other to come down on cue. This was photographed Night for Day, which is somewhat unusual. This was done so we could control the light during our exterior shoot. Fog, snow, light beam and water spray all added with great finesse by Centropolis Effects.
 

Storm of the Century QuickTime Movie #6

Download file size is 2,471 Kb. A 1/4th scale set was built by Grant McCune Designs. The miniature was photographed against a huge (600'X40') black curtain at Big Surf. Can you imagine a forklift tipping over in a water tank while trying to lift wet duvatine out of the water..... spilling deisel fuel, engine oil and who knows what into the water? Well, it happened to us. EPA, OSHA....a nightmare.... Killer Fog, Snow, and Ocean Spray were later added  by Frantic Films.
 
 
 

Storm of the Century QuickTime Movie #7

Download file size is 2,023 Kb. This was a 1/4th scale miniature set, also built by Grant McCune Designs. Photographed at Big Surf water park in Tempe, AZ, there were actually two miniature Godsoe's Lobster Pound sets built, one to withstand the pounding surf and the other to come down on cue. One of the m ost difficult miniature shoots I've ever been involved in.....one of those "Murphy Law" deals, where everything that can go wrong, did.....the wave generator failed often, 60 mph wind gusts tore down and shredded our monster wall of black (continuously), Camera gear was water damaged. And anything that wasn't completely anchored down was broken, bent, moved or torn, soaking wet on each and every take.....Most excellent Fog, Snow, and Ocean Spray were later added  by Frantic Films.
 
 


 

Storm of the Century QuickTime Movie #8
Download file size is 9,844 Kb. Most of the shots in this scene were accomplished by shooting the live action with a high output lamp as a reactive source on the tip of the Wizard's Scepter and then compositing the intense animated light on top. Of course, it wasn't THAT simple.....To begin with, the high output light required a large transformer which was fixed to the base of the Wizard's Scepter. That had to be removed....Shot #2 in this sequence was a multi-layered pre-composite, done by Amalgamated Pixels. They did an AMAZING job animating and augmenting the backside of the Wizard's cape, which was otherwise static. The intense animated light plays in front of people, behind people and lots of additional reactive lighting was added in post....Outrageous final composites were done by CIS.