Content area
Full Text
Test images from 'previsualization' improve efficiency
Director Pierre de Lespinois has found a creative way to use technology to streamline the production process and save networks a lot of money.
Mr. de Lespinois, creator of large-scale shows such as last year's "When Dinosaurs Roamed America" for Discovery, began implementing "previsualization" tools during the production of his latest project, "Before We Ruled the Earth," for The Learning Channel. Such technology allows a director to visualize many of the scene elements in advance by creating a test composite that unites computergenerated elements, drawn elements, the real background and the actors during production rather than post-production.
The advantages are both financial and creative. On one sweeping shot for "Before We Ruled the Earth," for instance, Mr. de Lespinois was able to reduce crew time from a full day to two hours, cutting the crew costs from the $80,000-to-$90,000 range to about $15,000 for the shot In addition, reshoots can be nearly eliminated since the director knows immediately whether he has captured the desired shot.
That's possible by bringing green screens on location and producing composites...