Only two productions were selected for nomination in this category and because Cinesite was involved with both, we are guaranteed success at the awards later this year.
Cinesite created all of the visual effects for Generation Kill, which broadcast on HBO in Summer 2008, and on the FX channel earlier this year. It has been announced that Channel 4 acquired the UK rights to the series and it is likely to air on terrestrial television before the end of this year.
Into The Storm, sequel to the award-winning The Gathering Storm, was broadcast earlier this Summer, also on HBO. The series chronicles another key period in the life of Winston Churchill. One key sequence shows Churchill emerging on the rooftop of a government building at night, from where he watches the Docklands being bombed.
A digital matte painting of London was composited with CG planes, CG searchlights and tracer fire.
The seven episode series Generation Kill, based upon the successful book by Evan Wright, follows the First Marine Reconnaissance Battalion, at the spearhead of the American invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The action covers a one month period up to and including the fall of Baghdad, with the story being told at ground level, from the gritty and shocking perspective of the Marine unit traveling in a small convoy of Humvees. Wright was embedded with the platoon throughout the initial assaults on Iraq.
The production went to great efforts to achieve realism in every respect, filming as much action in camera as possible and using authentic military vehicles and equipment wherever possible. Cinesite worked closely with production Military Adviser Eric Kocher to enhance shots where this was not possible and to recreate the epic scale of battle digitally, on a massive scale.
Cinesite's work included the creation of convoys of photorealistic CGI military vehicles, missiles, burning oil fires, CGI attack aircraft, the destruction of Iraqi cities as the Allies advance and realistically portraying the colossal resources of the American army. All of the visual effects are invisible, in no way detracting from the drama of the historic conflict being depicted.
Fourteen types of CGI vehicle were created in all, each requiring modelling using accurate imagery and technical data, then complex texturing and animation. Procedural systems were written to create automatic vibration and suspension for the vehicles to give a realistic impression of vehicle weight and movement when driving over hills or bumpy ground.
To add further realism, tyre tracks from vehicles traversing dusty and impressionable desert ground were added. Even the dust kicked up by the wheels of the numerous vehicles was recreated digitally.
Several key visual effects shots show the scale of US military resources. A sequence in the first episode shows the American base Camp Matilda. In one wide establishing shot, the environment is a 3D matte painting, CGI tents have been created and replicated into the distance, and CGI vehicles and soldiers have been added.
Another sequence, in episode two, shows the Allies advancing their Humvee towards Iraq in a massive convoy of vehicles. The Humvee travels across an overhead road bridge and we see the soldiers' view of a wide "superhighway", with a multitude of CGI Light Armoured Vehicles, tanks, Humvees and supply trucks. This sequence of four shots was immensely challenging: even the environment has been digitally created. The order of the vehicles in the convoy was created as authentically as possible, with careful consultation with Military Adviser Eric Kocher.
This is not the first time that HBO and Cinesite have worked together on visual effects. Cinesite's visual effects for the mini-series Rome were awarded an Emmy in 2005, and our work on the highly acclaimed mini-series Band of Brothers was awarded an Emmy nomination and a Royal Television Society award in 2001.
The results of the awards will be announced on September 12th.
