MPC Dossier: from keyed crowds to digital mobs

Whilst we’re on the subject of software, it’s useful to think how far this changes not only the kinds of films we can make, but also how we think about our stories.

Here’s an extra video from MPC; Adam Davis, Head of Crowds and Motion Capture tells us how and why we’ve moved from making crowds from keyed individuals to the spectacular heights of the digital mobs in films like World War Z (2013).

A look at any multiplex cinema will show you VFX heavy films seem to sell. Do you think too many films are made these days because of the software available? Who is pushing VFX heavy films- is it the software creators, is it the public’s demand for bigger spectacular shots, or is it that film directors are getting more and more ambitious. What do you think?

Next week we’ll look at whether guerrilla filmmakers can get their hands on this software, or how they might create crowds in other ways…stay tuned!