The Valley of Gwangi: CGI blur enhancement concept

[Patrx]

So, awhile ago, I started wondering what stop-motion effects could look like, if the techniques had continued to be refined and updated with modern technology. I think that with the use of computers and modern compositing effects, a stop-motion maquette could be brought to life in a much more convincing way than ever seen before - muscles could be seen to flex, pupils to dilate, and fur to move with the wind. Most critically, perhaps, the missing factor of photographic motion blur could be reintroduced convincingly into the scene.

In lieu of all that, I thought I might be able to take a finished stop-motion scene and work some CGI motion blur into the frames using the same techniques I use to blur my computer-generated creatures. Ideally, I'd have liked to start from the beginning, as I'm sure the effect would be more convincing if I had control of the framerate and the freedom to work with the creatures and the backgrounds separately. As it turned out, the effect is pretty subtle, but I thought some of you folks might want to take a look at it. There's also a little extra dust and smoke in places, just to blend things a bit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGx8M8uzs-s

To clarify, my intent isn't to imply that the work of Ray Harryhausen and his team was somehow incomplete or ineffective. I simply thought it would be fun to test my ideas out on a piece of animation that was as good as it could possibly have been to start with.

[fleshanthos]

Wow. That difference is definitely not subtle! I think you should apply that to the whole movie. Phil Tippet used the same idea with his go motion, though of course he didn't have CGI to do it.
The scene looks far more dynamic, especially when the dinos are moving! If you put that up on youtube, a remake of the entire movie will be along soon enough for sure, just like they did with the Transformers when someone made a short CGI transformation from car to robot.
Everyone would sing your praises if you gave the studios the kick in the pants to get Gwangi remade. I saw the DVD for someone who is high up at the museum where I volunteer - the Museum of Paleontology and Evolution.

Ol Gwangi looks like greased lightning when he moves from the back to the front of the Styrac! I think modern enhancements can be great - look at how much TOS was improved with CGI effects replacing the dated stuff from the 60's...


Amazingly good work!

[Roselaar]

Looks excellent! I doubt Harryhausen would have approved though.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Honestly that beats most CG I've seen in major films..really looked excellent.

[Takama]

I have yet to see the Valley of Gwangi. But if you go through the entire film with this new technique, I would buy a copy from you (if it weren't illegal to reproduce copyrighted material)

[Patrx]

Amazingly good work!

Honestly that beats most CG I've seen in major films..really looked excellent.

I have yet to see the Valley of Gwangi. But if you go through the entire film with this new technique, I would buy a copy from you (if it weren't illegal to reproduce copyrighted material)

Looks excellent!

Wow, thanks, everyone!

I doubt Harryhausen would have approved though.

From what I understand, Mr. Harryhausen was something of a traditionalist, so you may be right, there. Kind of a distressing thought, though, as I've admired his work for as long as I can recall.

I think you should apply that to the whole movie. Phil Tippet used the same idea with his go motion, though of course he didn't have CGI to do it. The scene looks far more dynamic, especially when the dinos are moving! If you put that up on youtube, a remake of the entire movie will be along soon enough for sure, just like they did with the Transformers when someone made a short CGI transformation from car to robot. Everyone would sing your praises if you gave the studios the kick in the pants to get Gwangi remade. I saw the DVD for someone who is high up at the museum where I volunteer - the Museum of Paleontology and Evolution. Ol Gwangi looks like greased lightning when he moves from the back to the front of the Styrac! I think modern enhancements can be great - look at how much TOS was improved with CGI effects replacing the dated stuff from the 60's...

Indeed, it is a sort of updated take on the go-motion idea. The sad thing there is how few movies actually feature the technique, given the advances in 3D animation and compositing at the time. I think modern CGI is an invaluable and endlessly versatile tool, mind you - but the notion of computer-aided stop-motion is fascinating. Doing something like this for the entire movie? That'd take ages! I mean, I may continue editing and working on it, but it'd take me awhile. The trouble with it is that the composites are already done - that's to say, I can't edit the stop motion elements separately from the backgrounds and such without tracing the outlines of Gwangi and company frame-by frame. Even then, the blur occasionally shows up on small areas of the background - like around the edges of Gwangi's trademark constantly-thrashing tail.
I'd certainly support a remake, but there's not much to do with it - basically, the movie's just King Kong with cowboys and more dinosaurs. It could be tough to sell to a wide audience. Then again, anything's possible in Hollywood, eh?

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Dont be so sure feather man, they are seriously considering a large scale movie about Turok....which is just indians versus dinosaurs in a lost valley right?
Loved what you did with the piece too Patrx...stunning, and thanks for sharing it. I loved that movie .

[Takama]

Dont be so sure feather man, they are seriously considering a large scale movie about Turok....which is just indians versus dinosaurs in a lost valley right?
Loved what you did with the piece too Patrx...stunning, and thanks for sharing it. I loved that movie .

Well unless they decide to base it off the 2008 remake

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Dont be so sure feather man, they are seriously considering a large scale movie about Turok....which is just indians versus dinosaurs in a lost valley right?
Loved what you did with the piece too Patrx...stunning, and thanks for sharing it. I loved that movie .

Well unless they decide to base it off the 2008 remake

Lord I'd hope not.

There was a pretty good animated film for Turok awhile back : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBtTqOW5TBw

I could see Gwangi getting an update from someone or other.

[tyrantqueen]

I for one do not want Gwangi to be remade. The original is fine the way it is. I hate that Hollywood tries to remake everything these days for a quick buck...Robocop, Nightmare on Elm street, Total Recall....no thanks.

[Gwangi]

I for one do not want Gwangi to be remade. The original is fine the way it is. I hate that Hollywood tries to remake everything these days for a quick buck...Robocop, Nightmare on Elm street, Total Recall....no thanks.

The good thing about a remake though...it has no effect on the quality of the original.  I tend not to like most remakes either but their existence does not bother me, I can always watch the original if I want. If the remake turns out better, great!

I think Gwangi would be the perfect candidate for a re-make. Aside from the dinosaurs the original is not really a good movie. If someone were to come along and make it as a genuinely good western flick with modern looking dinosaurs, I would be ecstatic. Finding dinosaurs in the old west is a great story for a movie.

And also Patrx, great work!

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

If nothing else a remake shines light on the original film. 

[amargasaurus cazaui]

I for one do not want Gwangi to be remade. The original is fine the way it is. I hate that Hollywood tries to remake everything these days for a quick buck...Robocop, Nightmare on Elm street, Total Recall....no thanks.

The good thing about a remake though...it has no effect on the quality of the original.  I tend not to like most remakes either but their existence does not bother me, I can always watch the original if I want. If the remake turns out better, great!

I think Gwangi would be the perfect candidate for a re-make. Aside from the dinosaurs the original is not really a good movie. If someone were to come along and make it as a genuinely good western flick with modern looking dinosaurs, I would be ecstatic. Finding dinosaurs in the old west is a great story for a movie.

And also Patrx, great work!

I thought I would somewhat address the comments you made there Gwangi. One thing about the movie " Valley of the Gwangi" is timing and context. It was a movie offered many many years before the advent of the "blockbuster" style movies laden with special effects and intricate plot devices. For the day and age the movie was offered it was an amazing piece. Some odd fifty years later we can look at it and say it was not that great plot-wise or well produced, when compared with more modern works. Much in the vein of how purists defend Jurassic Park, this is another movie that somewhat lends itself to that defense. For me "Valley of the Gwangi" was the "Jurassic Park" of my childhood. I have always loved the movie just for that alone. To be a child of that time and see the Gwangi battling the Styrac, or the scene with the Pterodactyl are fond memories, and not something to be found much in other movies for that time period.
  A remake might be a stunning thing actually.I hope I never become so pessismistic that I hate something simply because its a remake, or use the broad broom approach and sweep anything out the door simply because there was a previous version at some point.
While it is true hollywood has really ruined some excellent opportunities for remakes, there have been some i found to be quite well executed.

[Hermes888]

My problem with remakes is that they can't stand alone. I actually really liked the Total Recall remake, and with a few improvements it could have been a great film. It's actually kind of original, which is what confuses me - why (other than brand recognition) make it a remake?
I'd say make something inspired by Gwangi, but not an actual remake. If you remake something, you are inherently drawing comparisons, and most of the time they won't live up to the original.

[fleshanthos]

Remakes really kicked into high gear with the extremely successful BSG. There were remakes before that of course, but not as much of a fad like after, when the rest of Hollywood jumped on the bandwagon. 
With all the remakes around, how can there NOT be a new wangi? That's a flick prime for a remake; it's from the 60's! Something like Robocop was recent enough, and Total Recall was REALLY not ready for a remake. The least they could have done was  their OWN adaptation and call it "We Remember it for you Wholesale".