WHEN Hollywood star Paul Walker died in a car accident in 2013, after only shooting a small part of Furious 7, the special effects team of the blockbuster franchise had to film Walker’s brother to ensure the story’s continuity.
Thanks to Cebuano visual effects (VFX) compositor Elohim Tampus, the visual effects made moviegoers think it was the real Walker on screen.
The beach scene at the end of the movie was one of Tampus’ special effects shots.
“Walker’s brother had a lot of markers on his face for motion capture,” he said, adding that the beach scene used Walker’s brother as a body double.
Using computer graphics, Tampus said he was able to carefully “stitch” Walker’s face onto that of his brother’s.
Visual effects, according to Wikipedia, is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live action shot in filmmaking.
“It was a tedious job. But it’s fulfilling, knowing that the fans were anticipating how the team would go about completing the movie, minus Paul Walker,” said Tampus, an Advertising Arts graduate of the University of San Carlos.
Besides Furious 7, which he worked on with Weta Digital, Tampus has worked for various VFX companies immediately after college: Hirota Paint Industries Inc. as paint roto artist for three years, followed by Double Negative, Weta Digital, Base FX and Feature Films, most recently.
His name has already appeared in the closing credits of popular movies like “The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies”, “Man of Steel”, “Captain America: The First Avenger”, and “GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra”, to name a few.
“It was my curiosity that led me to this industry. Although, at the age of three I already loved to draw. But as years went by, I was more drawn to and interested in knowing the ‘behind the scenes’ of movies, paintings; anything that is related to art,” said Tampus, a member of the Cebu Animation Guild (CAG), a group of professional animators.
An eye for detail
While in second year college, he took a part-time job as a flash animator and did some graphic design in his eagerness to learn everything. He also pursued cinematography and directing, as well as relied on books and the internet to better his skill, which he eventually mastered.
“This is a job that requires not just your creativity, but also a keen eye for details and tons of patience,” he said.
For Tampus, VFX is a high-value industry that, if serviced by the Filipinos, would put the country on the global filmmaking map. After all, he said, Filipinos are inherently creative.
“We are in a digital world now and if VFX investors come to the Visayas and Mindanao, they are assured of really talented and creative people with the right attitude. I believe this is our edge,” he said.
“Unfortunately, there is no support. There is no guidance,” Tampus added.
Although CAG has been mounting workshops in key cities of Visayas and Mindanao, Tampus said it would create a difference if aspiring VFX artists could immerse themselves in the craft.
Tampus said he has collaborated with UV New School of Arts (UVNS) to offer a VFX program, a first in Cebu, to properly guide and hone the skills of artists. Tampus will be joined by other mentors who specialize in 2D animation, 3D animation, and concept design for this new program offering.
With his network and extensive experience, Tampus welcomed the thought of setting up his own VFX company in the near future.
He maintains the Philippines is an ideal VFX destination because of its talent pool, but that investors may shy away because of the country’s image of corruption, terrorism, high cost of doing business, and poor internet connectivity.
“We have proven our capability to support the various kinds of outsourcing services. I believe we can do more than just handling customer service. We can offer high-value services including VFX,” he said. “Filipinos, Cebuanos in particular, are highly creative people.”
For now, Tampus said, India is one of the US’ go-to destinations for VFX.
According to a report, the post-production segment in India saw a growth of 16 percent in 2016, with international projects continuing to account for a lion’s share of the VFX industry revenues at over 70 percent.
The Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. (ACPI), a group of 50 local animation studios, has already sought government tax breaks of as much as 30 percent to be competitive with global animation players.
Tampus one day hopes more Filipinos VFX artists and animators could be commissioned for big Hollywood projects and be credited for their stunning effects and creativity. He hopes that a healthy ecosystem to sustain growth can be created.