Blur Studio has released a breakdown of their stunning visual effects work on the second installment of the Marvel Films’ Thor franchise. The 3-minute opening battle scene was created almost entirely in post but the characters and environments are hyper-realistic. With a combination of live action footage, digital motion capture and character design, and plenty of skilled compositing, this epic sequence puts the audience right in the middle of the action. Blur’s co-founder Tim Miller headed up the project:
This project hit on so many sweet spots for Blur, combining live action performance with photo-real CG action, actors and sets. This was one of those projects where everything just lined up. Our vision for the prologue seemed to sync perfectly with what Marvel felt the film needed.
The final sequence includes a total of 75 different shots, more than a third of which were completely CG, with digital characters seamlessly intercut with live action performers. The prologue was completed in just 12-weeks from concept to delivery!