Effects, Lighting and Digital Compositing for Film

The video posted on YouTube (click on the image below right) shows examples of film-effects work done by James Rowell at Industrial Light & Magic, Pacific Data Images (now Dreamworks Animation) and ESC. This is but a small sample of the shots that James has worked on over the years, but is a good representation of his work.

Film Demo Reel Breakdown

The following lists the tasks James performed on each movie presented in the reel to the right - the list is presented in order that they appear in the demo reel.

• Antz: Lighting Technical Direction (TD), Compositing and Effects (distortion in candy wrapper);
• Harry Potter: Lighting TD (Dobby);
• THX 1138: Lighting TD;
• Lemony Snicket: Lighting TD, Snake shader and material development;
• The Legend of Bagger Vance: Digital Compositing (fixing exposure and lighting problems in original footage);
• Star Wars: Lighting TD;
• The Matrix: Effects TD, particle and rigid body sims and hand animating various elements - for falling boulders, rocks, dust and debris;
• Star Wars (again): Lighting TD and Effects (lightning effect on Yoda);
• Mission Impossible II: Match-moving - lighting - particle effects;
• War of the Worlds: Lighting TD (helicopters);
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Lighting TD, FX - rope sims;
• Forces of Nature: Digital Compositing.