With the goal of capturing the film’s energy and increasing fan anticipation, ESPN CreativeWorks and Stept Studios created a spot starring a similar larger-than-life hero, LA Chargers Linebacker Khalil Mack.
Khalil Mack of the Los Angeles Chargers enters the world of Black Adam in ‘The Man in Black’
Stept Studios mixed the use of virtual and live action production with the distinctive abilities of director/VFX/editor Gianluigi Carella to transport Mack into the world of Black Adam.
Carella was hired not only to assist in bringing their vision to life, but also to add that extra Black Adam-style punch.
His method began with mapping out the entire location in previs within his treatment, followed by building out his locations in Unreal.
ESPN CreativeWorks was possible to see all of the places and how they would connect with the VFX and talent before the shoot even began.
The digital worlds can be adjusted on set if the ESPN CreativeWorks team desires, which is a significant advantage over working with a practical location.
By the time everyone arrived on set, they could see an image in camera that was very close to the final product. We were able to change the lighting, time of day, and physical elements of the location on the fly.
“The flexibility of Unreal Engine allowed us to shoot in multiple locations within minutes of each other by simply swapping out the computer-generated environments.” “We were able to change camera direction, time of day and weather conditions within the amount of time it took for a wardrobe change and re-dressing the set,” explained D. Ryan Reeb, Lockt Editorial’s head of VFX and animation.
“The interactive backgrounds also move in real time in relation to our camera movement, helping sell the digital worlds as reality. After the shoot, Lockt Editorial handled the postproduction and added an additional layer of VFX work that was delicately integrated to tie everything together.”
Director Gianluigi Carella’s strong background in VFX and typesetting made him the perfect choice to bring their vision to life on the big screen.
“Gianluigi is really gifted at bringing abstract concepts together by mixing live action production and VFX work,” ays Nick Martini, the founder and CEO of Stept Studios.
About Khalil Mack
| No. 52 – Los Angeles Chargers | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Outside linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | February 22, 1991 Fort Pierce, Florida, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 269 lb (122 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Fort Pierce Westwood (Fort Pierce, Florida) |
| College: | Buffalo (2009–2013) |
| NFL Draft: | 2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5 |
| Career history | |
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| Roster status: | Active |
