With the enormous success of the South Indian blockbuster, Robot (Endhiran) has already made a benchmark in the evolution process of filmmaking in India. The Rajinikanth – Aishwarya starrer directed by S.Shankar, got rave reviews for its uniqueness in action and visual effects. With a budget of over a hundred and fifty crores, 25 % of the funds were allotted in executing the commendable work done in VFX that helped in the narration of the film.
The film revolves around Dr. Vaseegaran played by Rajinikanth who invents a High-end robot named Chitti, a mirror of his own image. The scientific body, AIRD, declines the approval of the robot stating that it does not have emotions and the ability to make rational judgment. An unexpected flash of lightning induces emotions in the robot, and Chitti is geared up for its integration into the human world. Chitti then falls in love with Dr. Vaseegaran’ fiancée Sana played by Aishwarya Rai and goes against his creator.
The film has already spread its wings across the globe with raking in massive box-office collections. V. Srinivas Mohan, the VFX supervisor of this film and CEO of the VFX studio – Indian Artists, utilized the innovative skin grafting technology that got laudable appreciation from critics for Sivaji. Shankar got him on board for his latest endeavor Endhiran. He has also worked with the director in Aparichit and Boys hence it was certain that the director would need the VFX extraordinaire in executing the science-fiction film. Along with him Frankie Chung of Kinomotive studios and Eddy Wong of Menfond Electronics & Arts, both from Hong Kong, also worked as additional VFX supervisors for their respective sequences.
Robot boasts of a mammoth 2000 visual effects shots in 40 scenes. The bulk of the VFX work was undertaken in Srinivas’ Indian Artists Computer Graphics Pvt. Ltd., Kinomotive Studios, Menfond Electronics & Arts, Pixion, Vensat, Firefly Creative Studios Hyderabad, EFX Prasad Studios, Oyster and Ocher studios also assisted in executing some of the VFX and post production work for the film.
Apart from the studios that were on board in this project, talented freelancers from London, Iran, Germany, France and Hong Kong were required for their expertise.
In this exclusive two part case study,we get to the bottom of the making and visual effects process that made this monumental film and Rajinikanth shine like steel.
Initiating pre-production
Shankar the director called up Srinivas in the winter of 2007 and narrated the entire story to him for over four hours. Amazed and excited about the project since nothing of this nature was undertaken by any filmmaker in India before. The conceptualization and ideation was done entirely by the director. Following the preparations of the script, Srinivas explained to the director that pre-production and planning was needed to execute his ideas before production of the film began.
The Test
When Srinivas, the VFX supervisor, understood the script, a test was carried out to get a glimpse of the scene with visual effects. The director and Srinivas chose the train sequence for the test. With the shot divisions regarding the different camera angles in place during pre-production, an animator Sanath P.C. from Hyderabad was roped in to enhance the pre-visualization process.
Maya, an academy award winning software was used to create a digital set based on the script. Layouts of the train and characters were made using the software, although the team didn’t finalize any locations during the test, they used actual physical proportions of a real train. Once the director approved of the layouts, basic actions of the scene were carried out.
Srinivas along with the director and the director of photography blocked the camera angles for the scene using the software. Each shot had 2 to 3 versions of camera angles made to get a better view of the sequence. With the digital shots in place, temporary clips better known as ‘playblasts’ were extracted from the software to view the shots they made in real time. With these clips in hand, Anthony – the editor, was required to line up these clips according to the scene. This gave the team some room in improvising the shots that were made. Utilizing this method, the team planned out 40 crucial visual effects scenes of the film.
After the test
Shankar did the shot division of the script which he handed over to the supervisor for pre-visualization. With the pre-visualization sorted out, Srinivas who headed the visual effects team did the entire VFX breakdown of the film. With this the team had more clarity in terms of execution and knowledge of the different layers that consisted of live action, CGI and animatronics. Based on the breakdown, Srinivas started hunting for appropriate artists and talent they needed for the film.
Director of Photography
The D.O.P, R.Rathnavelu was instrumental in the pre-production stage; he helped Srinivas and the director in blocking the different camera angles that were required. This clarified what was needed in all the different layers involved in the shots. With his tremendous knowledge in visual effects, Rathnavelu pointed out the constraints in executing the shots in terms of lighting and other technicalities.
The opening shot of the film
The opening shot of the film where-in the robot gets assembled and the credits of the film are rolling weren’t decided in the script initially. Instead of the animation sequence seen in the film, the makers had initially thought of using live action for the introduction sequence. This didn’t go well for an opening shot. With this in mind, Srinivas consulted the director and suggested using an animation of the robot getting assembled in the scene.
He points out that this was a last minute decision which worked in their favor. Pre-visualization and implementation of the animation was done in a week. Pixion in Chennai did the opening credits and animation for the opening scene.
Animatronics
Animatronics is mostly used in filmmaking and other avenues of entertainment. It is basically electronic puppetry that simulates real life in front of a camera. This technology is used in a large number of films in the west. Srinivas insisted in using this unique innovation for Robot based on the visual effects break down that was made for the film.
He approached Legacy Effects formerly known as Stan Winston Studios in LA, to assist in the making of the film. The American studio worked in movies like Terminator: Salvation, Avatar, Alice In Wonderland etc. Srinivas points out that they utilized electronic puppetry in place of the actor for its realism. The scene where Rajinikanth places the eye on the robot was all executed by Legacy Effects. They also assisted in special make up that was required for Rajinikanth.
Amalgamating Rajinikanth and the robot Chitti
Srinivas points out that although Rajinikanth was acting, the audiences perceived that he was a robot indeed. The fictional script was designed by the director with this notion in mind. In Hollywood, filmmakers shoot one scene where they insert a part of a droid and the rest of the film is based on the plot. But in India it’s a different situation all together, so in order to sell the idea to the audiences, the director decided to portray the story parts with all the details in tow.
In the first fifteen minutes of the film, the audiences learn that the robot is made up of many components inside. For Srinivas, the vfx supervisor, one of the biggest challenges was the transition scene where Dr. Vaseegaran played by Rajinikanth puts on the silicon mask on the robot while the machine was singing. This shot is immensely crucial for the film to succeed. If the transition process didn’t go well, then the entire credibility of the film would go off. This 19 second shot took an astounding three months to create.
Retaining Rajinikanth’ youth
To preserve Rajinikanth’s youth in the film, a combination of both make up and visual effects played an important part, touch ups were done where it deemed necessary for the team. But Srinivas emphasizes the fact that Rajinikanth’s charisma played a big part in bringing his character of Chitti to life.
Yes, Rajinikanth is magnetic indeed
The team placed 3D trackers on Rajinikanth’s body for executing the magnetic sequence. This is used to match the movements of CGI elements with live action. For the close-up shots, Srinivas avoided using CGI elements since the production unit got the biggest asset from Stanwinston studios with animatronics. So in the close up, all the metal objects and ornaments that were seen on Rajinikanth’ body was in fact shot live using the puppet.
Although the animatronic puppet was blended with CGI shots that were made, the vfx team utilized maximum amount of lights in the close-up shots to match up with the CGI wide shots of the Rajinikanth. Different layers were shot with the elements, in the live action layer, the team physically placed the metal objects around in the scene to match the CGI shot when Rajni’s character deactivates the magnet and the objects fall to the ground. For Srinivas the execution was simple because the concept was new.
Rajinikanth battles thugs in the train
For the train sequence, Srinivas and Shankar took up this particular scene in the test to get a better perspective of the look and feel of the shots. With the pre-production in place and meticulous planning of the visual effects break down, the team had creative freedom in executing this scene.
Although midway, due to global recession and some constraints the team couldn’t continue with the production company they were working with, the project changed hands when Kalanidhi Maran of Sun pictures took over the venture. Srinivas approached some notable companies from Hollywood such as ILM, Café FX and a few others who were excited and happy with the fresh content they we were churning out, but due to the fixed budget, the visual effects in the scene were done mainly in India and Hong Kong. Apart from Stanwinston’ animatronics, none of the American companies were used to execute the visual effects and CGI work for the film.
Peter Hein, the action coordinator, assisted the team in this scene. Rajinikanth was literally on the track in the shot where he gets back on the train. The actor was strapped to a harness for support and legs were replaced with wheels and his hands were replaced since a rig was used in its execution.
The logistics and filming equipment was put in an open bogey while shooting this sequence. The legs, hands and the bag were replaced with CGI components in post-production which worked out seamlessly. A stuntman was used in the wide shots on top of the train where the actor is running. The stuntman’s head was replaced with Rajinikanth’s head in post, but most of the work was done by Rajinikanth himself.
The climax
The climax sequence was the most challenging shot for the vfx team as Srinivas points out that there are no real characters in the scene. “Using CGI has its own draw backs,” says Srinivas. The main challenge was in balancing the fine line between imagination and realism. The scene was for the audiences to accept.
To get a detailed 3D model of Rajinikanth’s character Chitti, Srinivas used an innovative new technology called the Doom Light Stage invented by scientist Paul Debevec at the University of California at Berkeley. This invention captures the actor’s face from every possible lighting direction. From the captured data, specialized algorithms create realistic virtual renditions of the actor in the illumination of any location or set, reproducing colour, texture, shine, shading and translucency of the actor’s skin. The innovation has been used in Spiderman, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Avatar and the fourth being Robot.
The equipment consists of a dome with around 80 to 90 lights around it. Rajinikanth was made to sit in this dome while his face got scanned from all possible light angles. Since the robot Chitti had a silicon mask of Rajinikanth on its face an extra coating was required to be added on Rajinikanth’ face. For the Lightstage team, this was a new experience since fine tuning while scanning was complicated. Different scans with and without make up were taken. The final output churned out a high detailed rendition of his face; one wouldn’t be able to tell if it was CGI. This sequence in its own took an unbelievable two years to accomplish.
Drill made of a hundred Rajinikanth Robots
There were many versions made in the pre-visualization stage of the scene where in the army of robots forms a drill that goes underground to emerge as one massive robot. Frankie Chung, a VFX supervisor from Hong Kong, who has Kung Fu Hustle and Kill Bill to his credit, helped the team execute this climatic sequence. The dust particles added in the shot where the drill starts rotating blended very well with the CGI and live action layers.
The most challenging scene
Besides the climax sequence which proved to be the most challenging sequence, Srinivas the vfx supervisor of the film emphasizes on executing the dual role scene played by Rajinikanth’ characters Dr. Vaseegaran and the robot Chitti. Instead of using a motion control rig which is usually used to film dual role sequences that have movement, Srinivas used a regular trolley track, super 35mm film and rhythmic beep sounds. During post production both layer movements were matched using tracking software. Because of elaborate setup process of motion control rig, it would’ve taken an astounding five years to shoot the entire film. The motion control rig was used for a mere 10 days to film the complicated multiple character shots.
