Audiences who crave more “Get Smart” inspired, spy spoof hilarity are rewarded this week with the DVD exclusive release of “Get Smart’s Bruce and Lloyd: Out of Control.” Starring Nate Torrence and Masi Oka, the film was directed by Gil Junger and features visual effects by Digit (known as Moneyshots in the feature realm) — the sole effects house on the project.
In “Get Smart’s Bruce and Lloyd: Out of Control,” Bruce (Masi Oka) and Lloyd (Nate Torrence) stumble into their own comedy adventure in a zany story paralleling ‘Get Smart’ (including surprise star cameos from the recent feature). The R&D duo are out of the lab and their comfort zones as they scramble to find a nifty new invention they’ve somehow lost – an invisibility cloak (based on real world, developing technology) – before KAOS does. To view the trailer, visit: http://getbruceandlloyd.warnerbros.com/
Digit, led by VFX Supervisor and Creative Director Elad Offer, was awarded the project based on the company’s effects contribution to “Get Smart” and the trust earned during the process.
“There was a comfort level that I felt whenever Elad would walk onto the set,” says Director Gil Junger. “The script called for a number of effect shots that I had never attempted before. Not only did Elad easily explain the requirements for each shot, he adapted his plan from moment to moment to accommodate my approach to each scene. That, combined with his almost instantaneous on-set composites, gave me a confidence I didn’t imagine possible. I look forward to working with Digit again”
Over a rapid-fire three weeks, Digit executed a total of 216 shots including a number of highly complex sequences that were developed in post to enhance the comedic effect of specific scenes at the request of Gil Junger and Pete Segal (who directed Get Smart). Among them, adding additional people moving in and out of a Steadicam shot, placing invisible CG people under the Optical Camouflage Technology, creating a key effect wherein a rat loses its hair, and producing a “backfired” version of the OCT that becomes transparent rather than rendering the user invisible. Digit also inserted Bruce and Lloyd into two Hall of Doors sequences from the “Get Smart” feature, and produced numerous invisible effects that help tell the adventure of the two lab techies, Bruce and Lloyd, who have gone into the field.
“Working with Pete and Gil was amazing and an eye opener,” notes Digit‘s Elad Offer. “Never before have I worked with people who were so committed to storytelling that they would change the very nature of a shot in post in order to enhance the narrative to this degree. They both realize that today you can really achieve almost anything with the help of visual effects. And while we all extensively planed each shot, we were open to change and embraced experimentation if it achieved the best result. It was exciting and challenging in the best way possible.”
For more information on Digit (Moneyshots) and to view its contribution to features, spots and music videos, please visit http://www.digitinternational.com/
