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Swan Song
E. W. "Dub" Swan sings like a canary
At a Glance:
Occupation: Senior 3D Specialist, ITA, Inc.
REVELATIONS title: Technical Director
Preferred software: 3D Studio MAX; Adobe Photoshop; Adobe After Effects
RTOF: How did you hear about REVELATIONS?
DUB: A co-worker of mine named Mike Menez clued me in to REVELATIONS late last year. He's a fellow Star Wars enthusiast and member of the local 501st -- you know, the guys who spend hundreds of dollars putting together their own Stormtrooper outfits. He mentioned that he was going to be playing a trooper in the movie and that they were looking for digital effects artists. Sounded like a great opportunity, so I sent Shane an e-mail and some samples, which got me started down this long and windy road!
Incidentally, Mike can also be seen as one of the villains in the film.
RTOF: You ended up being an extra, too. How was that experience?
DUB: Totally cool! I got to play a dirty, filthy prisoner, roll around in the mud at the bottom of a huge quarry, and feel like a permanent part of the Star Wars universe. In a way it was a great distraction, too, because around that time the D.C. area was being menaced by those snipers. For a few hours, I was able to forget about that nightmare and have some fun.
RTOF: What is it about this project that appeals to you?
DUB: I guess the three things, in about this order, would be: Star Wars, Star Wars, Star Wars! I'm doing something that I've always wanted to do, living out a lifelong dream.
RTOF: Originally you were able to meet with the director because you lived in the same area. Now you're halfway across the country. How has this affected your work?
DUB: Right now it feels almost exactly the same as it did before. I guess I'm just kind of used to doing things remotely. Several years ago I wrote an entire book and submitted everything through e-mail; now I'm working for both my employer and for REVELATIONS over the Internet like nothing's changed. Also, keep in mind that our team members are scattered across the U.S. and we have artists from Canada and all over Europe as well. It's business as usual!
RTOF: Who or what has been your greatest influence in pursuing this field?
DUB: I would have to say the greatest "who" would be George Lucas. Star Wars is like the ultimate playground for a 3D artist. The "what" would have to be early desktop 3D programs. It was so cool when I first downloaded POV-Ray from a local BBS and discovered I could do computer graphics on my own PC. Of course I have to give a nod to Caligari trueSpace, which was cheap and great to use at the time.
RTOF: What tools/capability do you wish you had for REVELATIONS?
DUB: Aside from match-moving software (which would let us accurately track video or film footage in 3D), I don't feel our team is really hurting for tools. We still have some complicated shots to do yet, but our team has done a great job realizing everything so far; everything is well within their capabilities!
RTOF: What is the greatest challenge you've faced as a visual effects artist?
DUB: So far the most frustrating thing I've ever undertaken was doing motion tracking from live footage trying to make it match up in a 3D scene. Not just for REVELATIONS, but as a proof-of-concept for a previous project. In both cases I was working without the benefit of measurements, camera distance, or any of the other stuff the pros use. I can only say that I stink at it.
RTOF: Your other hat is as technical director (TD). What's the big challenge there?
DUB: Motivation is a huge issue! Star Wars is full of all this grand, expansive, complex imagery, and any given scene in the films are just full of all these little details. It's a huge amount of work! So, how do you get a whole lot of people to volunteer all the time -- huge batches of time, make it look like Star Wars, and still get the project done? It's slow going.
RTOF: What are the trade-offs you have to make between real science, the science of Star Wars, what you would like, and what the director wants?
DUB: I'm probably the nit-pickiest fan out there. The director will back me up on this! If we want to appeal to Star Wars fans, REVELATIONS should fit within the context of what we've seen on-screen or elsewhere in Star Wars canon. Being true to scientific principles would be nice, but there are times when real science falls apart in the Star Wars universe and you just have to look past it. The director has the final say about such matters as the way ships might move, how certain systems might operate, and so forth, but he's got a good eye and good working knowledge about the Star Wars universe. He has yet to be dead wrong about any aspect, but if he ever is, he knows I'll be there to point it out!
RTOF: What's the most important thing you keep in mind when trying to achieve a Star Wars look?
DUB: Detail, definitely. Each shot of a Star Wars movie has lots of buildings, lots of people, lots of droids, lots of vehicles. People have to watch over and over just to catch all the things that are going on. That's the true mark of the Star Wars look, I think.
RTOF: What advice can you offer someone looking to do this type of work?
DUB: First, get yourself comfortable as an artist. Draw a lot, paint a lot, take a lot of pictures. If you're not very good at drawing or painting, maybe the field isn't for you. If you're good, though, find yourself a 3D package that you're comfortable with, and then learn it to death. If you're good in one piece of software, you'll probably do well in the others, too. The most helpful thing I ever did when I was starting in CG was subscribing to the trueSpace mailing list. There were lots of other users there who had the same questions I did, and lots of other knowledgeable folks ready to answer them, and my work got so much better with their help. When I got started in character animation, I joined the CG-Char list and learned all sorts of wonderful things there. Best of all, there are lots of people there you can show off your work to -- that includes people who might want to give you a job!
RTOF: What's been your worst moment on this project?
DUB: Losing my cool and butting heads with a team member over the public e-forum was definitely a low point for me. If only I could say that it happened just the one time!
RTOF: What's your best?
DUB: I had worked for weeks and weeks trying to make my 3D scene match up with some live footage, and it was like banging my head on a brick wall. I just couldn't make it match up seamlessly. Then I came up with an alternative way of going about mixing the live action with the CG and the results were even better than I hoped. When I showed it to the director he wrote, "Yes! This is going to work!" What a rush that was.
RTOF: What do you hope to take away from the project?
DUB: Ultimately, it would be great to release this film and hear the world "ooohh" and "ahhhh" about the level of the FX. But in the meantime, I've met so many really neat people through this project and cultivated friendships that I hope will last for a long time to come. I don't think you can beat that, really.
RTOF: So, if you knew back then, going into the project, what you know now... would you still do it?
DUB: Hell, yes. Can I say "hell" here? I mean, heck, yes. Working on a Star Wars movie and surrounded by other FX geeks like me is one of the coolest things that I've ever done. Plus I've made some great friends in the process. What's not to love?
Here's a few renders Dub has done. Click to see larger versions.
A bunker entrance
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A Huey
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The #2 entrance to Sprinfield Mall
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And hey, since we're all about blowing our own horn, here's some promo items for ITA, Dub's employer
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