Vfx merges Chandni Chowk with Times Square in Delhi-6

Is vfx a tool which steers the story? Visual effects is a tool for telling stories, just the way you use music. It is a collaboration of the filmmaker and the vfx company, Read More">with the vfx house bringing in the expertise and experience of having worked at the highest level to realize that vision. IsRead More

Is vfx a tool which steers the story?
Visual effects is a tool for telling stories, just the way you use music. It is a collaboration of the filmmaker and the vfx company, with the vfx house bringing in the expertise and experience of having worked at the highest level to realize that vision.

Is the Indian director demanding better work?
I think it's going to happen over time, you will see more filmmakers pushing the envelope, and being more demanding. They see cutting edge vfx work in Hollywood films, so they are familiar with its use and the opportunities it offers to them as a filmmaker seeking to realise their vision.

Do you believe that a vfx heavy film will do well in India?
Absolutely, but that doesn't mean it is going to do well because of the vfx alone. It has to be story-driven film with vfx helping tell the story. Everything in the film has to work. Starting with a well written script with a strong structure, the director's storytelling abilities, the actors, etc. with the vfx seamlessly integrated. Photoreal vfx is not easy.

Mumbai and Los Angeles-based visual effects biggie Prana Studios recently completed few complex shots for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Delhi 6. Prana has also been actively involved in working for some of the biggest international animation/vfx movies. In an exclusive interview Samir Hoon, President-Visual Effects, Prana, talks about Delhi 6, Read More">his working relationship with Rakeysh MehraRead More

Mumbai and Los Angeles-based visual effects biggie Prana Studios recently completed few complex shots for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Delhi 6. Prana has also been actively involved in working for some of the biggest international animation/vfx movies.

In an exclusive interview Samir Hoon, President-Visual Effects, Prana, talks about Delhi 6, his working relationship with Rakeysh Mehra and the vfx scenario in India.

With over 17 years of experience working on Hollywood's biggest blockbusters including 101 Dalmatians, Jurassic Park: Lost World, Jurrasic Park III, Terminator III, Star Wars Episode III, XXX, Pirates of the Caribbean III, Samir Hoon joined Prana Studios in 2007 to head its VFX division with the goal of bringing cutting-edge visual effects to Bollywood.

How many shots has Prana done for Delhi 6?
We did about 50-odd shots, primarily relating to the New York sequences.

How was your experience of working with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra?
I enjoyed working with Rakeysh. He explained what he had in mind and then DOP Binod, he and I sat down and figured out what we were trying to achieve. I got them to start doing some storyboards and we took over at a later stage. Then we did a pre-visualization, which told us how big our set needed to be. They had a green screen set built to specifications in Madh Island. Everyone involved with principal shoot, including the choreographer had a very clear idea of exactly what the intent and requirements of the shoot were. Following the shoot, we spent 3-4 days in New York, shooting digital stills, aerial plates and HD footage needed for the shots.

What is Rakeysh's understanding of visual effects?
I know that he understands enough about the process (of visual effects). Also the great thing about him was that he trusted us completely and let us lead them through the process from start to finish. He and his team were committed to the process and locked their edits and sequences prior to us commencing the shots. It was a true collaboration.


Rakeysh has also evinced interest in animation…
We have talked about a couple of things including a script that Rakeysh has. I really like the script especially since it's a vfx heavy film.

Rakeysh does have interest in animation as well, and that is also one of the things Prana does very well. Yes we have discussed - I can't go into specifics - but we have talked about working together. We enjoyed working with each other, so we definitely see ourselves working together again.

Read More">Can you share with us any complex shots from Delhi 6? Probably the most complicated shot was where three different plates were stitched together for a 360 degree in Times Square. This shot has Sonam and Abhishek in cycle rickshaws coming towards the camera as it pans with her. They both go past the camera…Read More

Can you share with us any complex shots from Delhi 6?
Probably the most complicated shot was where three different plates were stitched together for a 360 degree in Times Square. This shot has Sonam and Abhishek in cycle rickshaws coming towards the camera as it pans with her. They both go past the camera... then there is a dolly zoom, so the background's keeps changing. Further, the camera continues to come off them, goes right and you see the inhabitants of Delhi worshipping a cow. Meanwhile the camera keeps panning around, and you see Sonam and Abhishek entering the frame again.

This was the most complex shot because, a) it was a very long shot, b) it was made up of three different shots which were stitched together to be able to do the 360 degree pan, to make it look like the camera never cut.

Another shot involved putting mid town Manhattan behind the CG empire state building while the camera orbits around it. This was entirely made up as a 2.5 D technique. Each building was very low resolution geometry with high resolution textures and care was taken to ensure that enough parallax was visible during the orbit by placing the buildings in correct 3D space. Traffic, lights, etc. were added.

Most of the shots were designed and worked in the camera field of view only. This made the process cost effective and iterative.

Do you see Bollywood opting for visual effects as a cost-saving measure?
Visual effects aren't really only about cost-cutting; it is about telling stories. So if you have a story where vfx are pertinent, they are a viable means of production. Although, typically most of the vfx in the Indian film industry is about green screen or chroma. But that's just the basics of vfx and the tip of the iceberg.

We hope to see filmmakers moving beyond green screen and wire removal as the staple vfx. Environments, creatures, natural phenomenon, digital doubles, etc. and their intelligent use in story ideas will happen with adequate time and budget given to pre-production to plan and execute. There are no short cuts and to execute well, you have to plan and prepare well.

Why haven't vfx-driven films worked on box office?
I don't think vfx is what determines whether a film does well or not. A film has to have a compelling story and structure. I am not an expert on what works in India and what doesn't work but I believe cutting edge vfx supporting a good story will succeed. It's about quality and not quantity of shots in a film. However, adequate time and budget are required. You get what you pay for is an accurate age old adage. There are no short cuts and to execute cutting edge work well, you need to know what you're doing and how you're going to do it, keeping the entire production process in mind from pre-production to the digital intermediate (DI) in mind.