How do they achieve the big movie effects?

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Not sure if this is the correct section but here goes.

I'm sitting here watching Star Trek Into The Darkness and it made em think what software do the big movie producers use to create and render the effects in the big block busters.

I was thinking stuff like Maya but having checked that out it doesn't look anywhere near capable. So it got me thinking, do the big movie companies have their own custom software and most certainly rendering hardware.
 
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Well, I've had a chat with a guy who was involved in making some of the effects for iron man 3. And from what I can remember, they use software like max and maya. But they use custom plugins to help out. The reason why it looks so good is that they hire the best artists out there.
 
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Ignoring the stupid posts it was a genuine question. Just looking at the effects I find it hard to believe these can be achieved in 3DS MAX and Maya etc
 
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It will be a combination of different 2D and 3D programs. No shot will be entirely done in just one piece of software.
 
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Not sure if this is the correct section but here goes.

I'm sitting here watching Star Trek Into The Darkness and it made em think what software do the big movie producers use to create and render the effects in the big block busters.

I was thinking stuff like Maya but having checked that out it doesn't look anywhere near capable. So it got me thinking, do the big movie companies have their own custom software and most certainly rendering hardware.

The 3D parts will start in a package like Maya, Max, Houdini etc.

Maya is a very capable program and has a near unlimited expandability thanks to its integration of mel and python, meaning a lot of larger studios will have built their own tool-set for productions. Each scene will be worked on by numerous modellers, texture artists, riggers, animators, and lighting and rendering TDs before it goes to be rendered using one of the off the shelf packages like Renderman, Arnold etc. and then it's on to the compositors who will take and combine all the raw rendered images and effects for the final movie.

TLDR: It's not just the software itself which makes these scenes look so good, it's that the people who build them really know their craft and is a huge collaborative effort.
 
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StickPivot software for base models.
Then a bit of MS paint for the character skins.
Then any iphone app with special effects for things like meteors and whatnot. They even render on your phone!
 
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The 3D parts will start in a package like Maya, Max, Houdini etc.

Maya is a very capable program and has a near unlimited expandability thanks to its integration of mel and python, meaning a lot of larger studios will have built their own tool-set for productions. Each scene will be worked on by numerous modellers, texture artists, riggers, animators, and lighting and rendering TDs before it goes to be rendered using one of the off the shelf packages like Renderman, Arnold etc. and then it's on to the compositors who will take and combine all the raw rendered images and effects for the final movie.

TLDR: It's not just the software itself which makes these scenes look so good, it's that the people who build them really know their craft and is a huge collaborative effort.

Thanks for a more intelligent answer!
 
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3D effect will be done in Maya, Max Houdini or custom software, often with specialised or custom tools. My cousin has worked on a number of big films doing CGI. On U-571 he was in charge of writing the code to create the under water effects.

It will then be edited in Avid, Premier Pro or Final Cut Pro.

Compositing will then be done in something like After Effects or Nuke.

Finally it will be coloured and graded in Speedgrade, DaVinci Resolve or Autodesk Lustre.

Combine that with a lot of people who are very, very good at what they do and add a few million pounds worth of equipment and time, and hey presto... a blockbuster!

:D

Ps. My degree was in Computer Animation, so I know first hand how hard getting CGI to look great can be. Max and Maya are amazing pieces of software than can create just about anything you can think of. But only in the right hands! :)
 
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