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OPSIS recently called on VFX Legion to lend its talents to 'Songbird,' director Adam Mason's new dystopian thriller from producer Michael Bay. As the film’s primary visual effects vendor, the visualization services company provided end-to-end services - from Previs, Postvis and finalizing VFX shots to assembling the right talent for the job. OPSIS integrated Legion into its team, tapping the pioneering remote company's experience and ‘deep bench’ of home-based senior talent for the film,

Spearheaded by OPSIS' VFX supervisor Michael Jackson and VFX producer Lena Bahrs, Legion created over 200 photorealistic visual effects for 'Songbird.' VFX supervisor James David Hattin and VFX producer Nate Smalley in LA, and Dylan Yastremski, Head of Production in B.C., led the company's diverse group of talent. Drawing from Legion’s global collective of remote-savvy artists, they assembled and helmed a workforce with the expertise needed to efficiently craft the mix of high-quality visual effects that the film demanded.

“OPSIS explored creative options, integrating conceptual artwork into Postvis, getting sign-offs on 'looks' during principal photography, and delivering final layouts for most visual effects before the post process began,” says Hattin. “They provided us with a blueprint for each shot, as well the timing and beats, eliminating the need for endless versions. The efficient approach enabled our artists to cost-effectively turn around large volumes of complex shots on very tight deadlines with ease.”

Songbird is set in 2024, as a much more deadly mutation of coronavirus spreads throughout the world. The story unfolds in Los Angeles, where the military meets the crisis with an enforced lockdown, compulsory scanning, and the infected forced from their homes and transported to quarantine camps. The sci-fi thriller centers on a handful of people and their plight to survive the pandemic and navigate the oppressive totalitarian system.

While safety concerns kept most people off the streets during production, creating the desolate, apocalyptic look of a city ravaged by a deadly pathogen and dismal living conditions required the help of digital imagery. Legion crafted a mix of photorealistic visual effects and CG environments that seamlessly blended with practical footage, bringing the director’s vision to life.

Artists applied a range of skillsets, including animation, CGI, compositing, camera tracking, and rotoscoping to create a variety of visual effects. VFX Legion crafted fully digital backdrops of Los Angeles, from wide sweeping shots of the city to virtual cityscapes and digital augmented skylines. Animated CG helicopters and an ominous armed surveillance drone that monitors the city appear in several live-action and virtual shots.

'Songbird' was an ideal candidate for OPSIS’ visualization services and Legion’s road-tested remote approach. Both the production's timeline and bottom line benefited from the efficient management and execution of the visual effects for the film.

Along with changing the dynamics of productions, the pandemic has had a significant impact on the collaborative process of creating visual effects. Helmed by industry veterans, OPSIS’ experience working in the visual effects arena, in-depth knowledge of its players, and seamless remote capabilities keep the company ahead of the curve.

“Having Legion as part of our team allowed us to get a jump start in allocating artists and technologists, working safely and remotely, as Legion has been operating with distributed teams for years,” says Henrik Fett, OPSIS’ CEO. “Their tremendously experienced managing remote VFX productions with a deep bench of senior artists really makes a difference.”

“It is refreshing to work with people who know the important value they bring to a project while embracing being part of a bigger group,” Fett adds. “All of our partners and collaborators are established in their field, and we are excited to have assembled such an all-star team for 'Songbird'"

CREDITS:
Title: ‘Songbird’
Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller
Release: December 11, 2020 /Premium VOD Streaming Platforms

Written by - Adam Mason, Simon Boyes
Directed by - Adam Mason
Produced by - Michael Bay, Marcei A. Brown, Jason Clark, Jeanette Volturno, Adam Goodman, Andrew Sugerman, Eben Davidson

Production Companies - STX Films (presents), Invisible Narratives, Platinum Dunes,Catchlight Films (as Catchlight Studios)

Editor - Geoffrey O’Brien - Editor
Production Side VFX Supervisor/Producer - Dan Levitan

Primary Visual Effects vendor - OPSIS, LA
Henrik Fett - Executive Producer
Michael Jackson - VFX Supervisor
Lena Bahrs - VFX Producer

Visual Effects by - VFX Legion, LA/B.C.
James David Hattin - VFX Supervisor
Nate Smalley - VFX Producer
Dylan Yastremski - Head of Production
Joe Soloway - VFX Coordinator
Compositors - Brad Moyland, Eugen Olsen, Milton Muller, Rafael Perez, John Mcconnell, Nick Guth, Tyler Nathan, Matthias Lowry, Dan Molina
Lauren Morimoto – Rotoscoping
Rommel S. Calderon – CG Artist
Bryan Shepperd, Blake Anderson – CG Artist
Chris Derochie – Animation Supervisor
Ruy S. Delgado – Camera Tracker

Cast - KJ Apa, Sofia Carson, Craig Robinson, Bradley Whitford, Demi Moore, Paul Walter Hauser, Peter Stormare, Alexandra Daddario