Rob Legato Uses Blackmagic Design To Create Virtual Production for “The Lion King”
Summary
Visual effects supervisor Rob Legato, an Academy Award winner for films such as “Hugo” and “The Jungle Book”, wanted to take the technology to a new level, and create a space where traditional filmmakers could work in a digital environment, using the familiar tools found on live action sets. “The goal wasn’t to generate each shot in the computer,” said Legato, “but to photograph the digital environment as if it were a real set.” Bringing beloved characters back to the big screen in a whole new way, the story journeys to the African savanna where a future king must overcome betrayal and tragedy to assume his rightful place on Pride Rock. The production stage where “The Lion King” was shot might look strange, with unusual devices filling the main floor and an array of technicians behind computers around the perimeter, but these were just the bones of the process. Despite the cutting edge systems used to virtually shoot the film, the final product reflects the true art form of filmmaking, simply by providing real tools for cinematography and a creative workflow throughout. “From Caleb being able to move the sun to achieve the right time of day, or the art director able to place trees or set pieces during production, the virtual world allowed us an amazing platform to shoot the movie.