Gravity, an international creative content and brand communications company, created over 350 visual effects shots for the Warner Bros. Pictures romantic comedy “Arthur,” which opened nationwide, April 8th. Zviah Eldar, Gravity’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Creative Officer, made the announcement.
Gravity’s Karin Levinson, Vice President of Features & Television, Jim Rider, Visual Effects Supervisor, and Yuval Levy, Head of CG, oversaw Gravity’s New York based visual effects team involved for “Arthur”.
The most involved visual effects sequence produced by Gravity featured a high-speed car chase through lower Manhattan with Arthur and his chauffer, that ends abruptly with a crash into the famous Wall Street bull statue. For this, Gravity created a 3D pre-visualization of the entire sequence before it was filmed. Gravity also added 3D chunks of concrete to the bull’s hooves, as well as smoke, dust, and particle effects to help make it appear that the bull’s hooves are ripped out of the ground.
Gravity also created a series of shots for a large party scene in Arthur’s penthouse, where Arthur, though in the center of the action, appears disconnected from everything. Jim Rider explained, “To accomplish this effect, we filmed a series of shots using a motion control camera, which traveled through the massive penthouse. We also worked closely with the lighting department to interface the motion control system to the lighting board, so we were able to create a day to night time-lapse effect. The crowd of partygoers was filmed to appear at super high speed while Russell Brand was filmed in slow motion on green screen.”
In another sequence, Gravity produced a series of digital effects which helped to showcase Arthur’s magnetic, floating bed. Using 2D/3D techniques, Gravity removed the hydraulic motion-base system used to physically raise the bed and the stunt rigs used to levitate Jennifer Garner’s character as if she is being attracted by the bed’s magnetic force.
Gravity’s work can also be seen in a number of other scenes throughout the film, including the views outside the windows of the character Naomi’s apartment, and an outdoor estate set, for which the actual dry grass and cloudy skies were digitally enhanced to give the appearance of lush green landscape on a sunny day.
About GRAVITY
Gravity is an international creative, content and brand communications company with proven expertise in three integrated divisions: Features & Television, Commercials and Digital. With 250 talented professionals across offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Tel Aviv, the company is a widely renowned generator of high-end visual effects, creative content, motion graphics, animation, branding, and digital strategy.
Gravity’s powerful combination of innovation and design are consistently aligned to help brands drive meaningful, dynamic connections with consumers – whether they experience them via television, cinema, websites, social media or mobile applications.
The company’s clients include DreamWorks, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Coca-Cola, GM, Mercedes Benz, Verizon, Pantene, MGA Entertainment, Carlsberg, Kmart, and Braun. In addition to “Arthur,” Gravity’s feature film credits also include “The Adjustment Bureau,” “The Other Guys,” “Salt,” “The Reader” and “Ghost Town.” The company’s television credits include HBO’s “Bored to Death,” “The Sopranos,” and “Sex and The City.”
Gravity’s New York office is located at 315 Madison Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY, 10017. The phone is 212/986-1584. The company’s West Coast office is located in the Lantana Building, 3000 West Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica, CA, 90404. The phone is 310/264-3909. For more information, please visit www.gravityworld.com.
