In just two and a half weeks, Hollywood-based VFX company Dilated Pixels (DP) created and produced over 60 VFX shots for a special, recently-aired episode of FOX TV’s hit series “Fringe.” The announcement was made today by Dilated Pixels’ founding members, TJ Sakasegawa, Jeff Balis, Rhoades Rader and PJ Foley.
For the “Fringe” episode entitled “The End of All Things,” Dilated Pixels digitally produced a virtual set with visuals representing the creation of the universe, as well as a series of visually integrated flashback images relating to the episode’s storyline. DP developed the look for the entire episode, created intricate simulations, and composited all of its VFX shots within a greenscreen set environment.
DP’s Derek Smith, in-house VFX Supervisor, led the team on this project, while working directly with Jay Worth, VFX Supervisor for “Fringe.” Smith joined Dilated Pixels last year.
Jay Worth said, “Working with Dilated Pixels has been a real pleasure this season on ‘Fringe.’ It’s always a risk to start with new vendors and artists in an established show because much of the time there is a learning curve as to the show’s aesthetic. The team at DP got it right away and was able to deliver on a couple of very difficult concepts with exceptional results. For the episode ‘The End of All Things,’ I threw a bunch of new ideas for our mythology at them – going inside the mind of one of our characters, seeing galaxies, the big bang and finding an interesting visual representation to display memories is not an easy task in less then three weeks. And of course the shot count went up by 50%… and the team nailed it on every front. The results were awesome and remarkable.”
Derek Smith said, "Creating a high volume of visual effects is never easy with a small team on a TV production schedule, especially when those effects need to represent something as abstract as the inside of a character’s mind! Thankfully we had access to some very talented and dedicated artists at Dilated Pixels, and I feel that the dedication to the craft really shines through in the finished sequence."
Adds PJ Foley, Dilated Pixels co-founder, “This was really a significant project for us, as it was a high profile – and pivotal – episode within the ‘Fringe’ story arc. Working closely with the producers and show VFX supervisors to develop the unique, effects-driven sequences featured in ‘End of All Things,’ given a very quick turnaround time mandate, was a challenging and rewarding experience."
About DEREK SMITH:
After spending several years creating 2D and 3D effects for commercials, corporate video, and film, “Fringe” VFX Supervisor Derek Smith then entered into the world of prime-time television as a lead artist on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” where he eventually made the transition to VFX Supervisor. His work on that show earned him an Emmy Award and two VES Awards.
About DILATED PIXELS
Founded in 2007 by Rhoades Rader, Jeff Balis, TJ Sakasegawa and PJ Foley, Dilated Pixels is a full service visual effects, motion graphics, main title and live action production company based in Hollywood, CA. Since its founding, the company has blossomed not only as a noted visual effects house, but also as a one-stop production shop for commercials, music videos, and short-form web content from videogame companies, advertising agencies, brands, and notable directors.
The company’s staff is comprised of VFX artists and supervisors with a wide range of experience across all areas of computer generated visual effects. Dilated Pixels handles all aspects of any size CGI production, including concept design in pre-production, to on-set VFX supervision, and through to the creation of the final CGI elements for film, TV and web. Also featuring HD editing facilities, Dilated Pixels can deliver high-end visual effects through a highly efficient means of creation, maximizing the CGI- production-to-cost ratio for its diverse group of clients.
Clients of Dilated Pixels include FOX, Discovery, SyFy, Sony, Screen Gems, Lionsgate, Universal, Warner Bros., and CBS. The company is located at 6121 Sunset Blvd., Suite # 103, Hollywood, CA, 90028. The phone is 323/466-0930, and the web is www.dilatedpixels.
