Vfx Legion Provides Opsis With Vfx Support For Michael Bay’S ‘Songbird’

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Vfxlegion Publish On Dec 23, 2020

December 22, 2020: Visualization services company OPSIS recently called on VFX Legion to lend its talents to Songbird, director Adam Mason's new dystopian thriller from producer Michael Bay. As the film's primary visual effects vendor, OPSIS provided end-to-end services - from Postvis and finalizing VFX shots to assembling the right talent for the job. OPSIS integrated Legion into its team, tapping the pioneering remote company's experience and deep bench of home-based senior talent for the film.

Spearheaded by OPSIS' VFX supervisor Michael Jackson and VFX producer Lena Bahrs, Legion created 200+ photorealistic visual effects for Songbird. VFX supervisor James David Hattin and VFX producer Nate Smalley in LA, and Dylan Yastremski, Head of Production in B.C., led their diverse group of talent. Drawing from Legion's global collective of remote-savvy artists, they assembled and helmed a workforce with the expertise needed to efficiently craft the mix of high-quality visual effects that the film demanded.

"OPSIS explored creative options, integrating conceptual artwork into Postvis, getting sign-offs on 'looks,' and delivering most final VFX layouts before the post process began," says Hattin. "They provided blueprints for each shot, and timing and beats eliminated the need for endless versions - and enabling artists to maximized cost-effectiveness and turn around large volumes of complex shots on very tight deadlines with ease."

'Songbird' is set in 2024, as a more deadly mutation of coronavirus is spreading throughout the world. The story unfolds in Los Angeles, where the military strictly enforces lockdowns. Identified by compulsory thermal scanning, the infected are forcibly removed from their homes and transported to quarantine camps. The sci-fi thriller centers on the plight of a handful of people as they navigate this oppressive totalitarian system and struggle to survive.

While safety concerns kept many people off the streets this summer during production, creating the desolate, apocalyptic look of a city ravaged by a deadly pathogen and dismal living conditions required the help of digital imagery. Legion crafted a wide range of photorealistic visual effects that seamlessly blended with practical footage to bring the director's vision to life. Artists applied a range of skillsets, including animation, CGI, compositing, camera tracking, and rotoscoping to create the variety of visual effects that the film required. Its team created computer-generated backdrops of Los Angeles from virtual cityscapes to digitally augmented skylines and urban environments. Animated CG helicopters and an ominous armed surveillance drone that monitors the city appear in several live-action and virtual shots.

Songbird was an ideal candidate for OPSIS' visualization services and Legion's road-tested remote approach. Both the production's timeline and bottom line benefited from OPSIS' efficient management and execution of the visual effects.

Along with changing the dynamics of productions, the pandemic has had a significant impact on the collaborative process of creating visual effects and the impact of visualization services on projects. Helmed by industry veterans, OPSIS' experience working in the visual effects arena, in-depth knowledge of its players, and seamless remote capabilities keep the company ahead of the curve.

"Having VFXLegion as part of our team allowed us to get a jump start in allocating artists and technologists working safely, remotely, and efficiently - as Legion has been operating with distributed teams for years," says Henrik Fett, OPSIS' CEO. "Their tremendous experience in managing remote VFX productions with a deep bench of senior artists really makes a difference."

"It is refreshing to work with people who know the important value they bring to a project while embracing being part of a bigger group," Fett adds. "All of our partners and collaborators are established in their field. We're excited to have assembled such an all-star team for 'Songbird.'"

"We appreciate OPSIS' leaderships throughout the production of 'Songbird' and the opportunity to play a role in helping them make this film a successful project for everyone," notes Hattin

For additional information about OPSIS and the company's creative visualization services, visit www.opsis-hq.com, email info@opsis-hq.com or call 323.314.3816.

CREDITS:

Title: ‘Songbird’

Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller

Release: December 11, 2020

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Written by - Adam Mason, Simon Boyes

Directed by - Adam Mason

Produced by - Michael Bay, Marcei A. Brown, Jason Clark, Jeanette Volturno, Adam Goodman, Andrew Sugerman, Eben Davidson

Production Companies:

STX Films (presents)

Invisible Narratives

Platinum Dunes