Combining forces with the creative and production teams at FX Networks, ECD Jon Noorlander and the crew at Method use Unreal Engine and Houdini to conjure a fully-animated six-minute prologue for the period drama series Shōgun.
In terms of division of labor, FX handled directing the motion capture shoot, title design, graphic design, edit, and several VFX shots (including the galloping horse) while Method handled the bulk of the visual effects and production including; layout, animation, look development, lighting, and compositing.
Jon Noorlander: “We have been working on projects with FX for over a decade so that made the creative process easier and gave us access a lot of show content early on, including footage from set, storyboards, and research from FX’s historians, which allowed us to produce a piece that was authentic to the location of the series and its history.
“Unreal Engine’s Metahumans made it possible to create photo-real likenesses, grooms and facial animations. The epic fight sequences were done by leveraging UE’s extensive mocap toolset.”
“The shot work was almost entirely executed in Unreal Engine, with minimal post-processing in Nuke. Unreal Engine’s Metahumans made it possible to create photo-real likenesses, grooms and facial animations. The epic fight sequences were done by leveraging UE’s extensive mocap toolset.
“The stylized treatment was also developed in Unreal, using carefully considered and hand placed brushstroke textures to nail the painterly effect. The Houdini VFX produced by Method Studios ranged from a photo-real falcon with a feather system, as well as cloth, armor, groom, water and fire.
“The project required just about every discipline at Method Studios to produce the final shots and was officially completed in February 2024, with a schedule just shy of two years.”
Client: FX Networks
Director: Steve Viola
Writer: Dan Masciarelli, Steve Viola, Synderela Peng
Producer: Dara Barton, Richard Hassen
EP: Stephanie Gibbons, Steve Viola, Synderela Peng, Dara Barton
Art Director: Synderela Peng
Editor: Dan Masciarelli
VFX Producer: Richard Hassen
VFX Supervisor: Jean Chiu
Concept/Design: FX Design & VFX
VFX/Animation: Method Studios
Global ECD: Jon Noorlander
ECD: John Likens
CD: Wes Ebelhar
Lead Art Director: Seiji Anderson
Design & Animation: David Weinstock + Ihsu Yoon + Michael DeCaprio
Senior FX Supervisor: Tomas Slancik
FX Technical Director: David Derwin
Associate VFX Supervisor: Alex Cheparev
CG Supervisor: Christina Faraj
Lighting Supervisor: Claire Chang
Senior Lighter: Irene Kim
Character Modeler: Tan Bi + Mason Trager
Senior Groom Artist: Jordan Soler
Senior Rigger: Rick Fronek
CG Generalist: Mark Yagos
Realtime Technical Director: Warren Wang
Realtime Producer: Fan Yu
Senior Unreal Generalist: Eugene Flormata
Technical Animator: David Jiang
Unreal Rigger: Justin Barcellos
Lead Animator: Greg Bekken
Art Director: Mateus Kurzhals
Technical Art Supervisor: Tanner McQueen
CG Supervisor: Michael Ferraro
Unreal Generalist: Adam Butler
Concept Design: Felix Soletic, Ivan Girard
VFX EP: Adrienne Mitchell, Nikki Ferrara, Karina Partington
Senior Design Producer: Claire Dorwart
Senior VFX Production Coordinator: Juliann Barbella
Motion Capture: Animatrik Film Design
Sound Editing: Dan Masciarelli (FX), Gavin Little (Echolab)
Sound Mixing: Gavin Little (Echolab)
Voiceover: Maya Aoki
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