SAN FRANCISCO - The Orphanage recently completed work on 153 visual effect shots for "The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl" in 3D for filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. A crew of 100 visual effects artists, editors and production staff completed the 3D work, which included extensive digital environments, creature modeling and effects animation. Visual effects supervisor Ryan Tudhope headed up The Orphanage team with Marc Sadeghi serving as the executive producer in charge of the production and Arin Finger serving as producer for the project.
Stereographic 3D films are challenging from a visual effects standpoint as each element must be created twice - once for each eye. Designing an effective 3D experience is something that must be hand-tweaked on a shot-by-shot basis.
"Shark Boy and Lava Girl" is the second feature in 2005 as well as the second 3D children's film collaboration between The Orphanage and Robert Rodriguez's Troublemaker Studios.
"After working together on 'Sin City' it was a change of pace to create the colorful 3D world of 'Shark Boy and Lava Girl,' but The Orphanage was able to translate my wild ideas into some amazing environments and characters," says Rodriguez. The action-adventure is about a 10-year-old outcast whose fantasies become reality. The film features David Arquette and Kristen Davis as the parents, and George Lopez as Mr. Electric.