An element of Disney's live-action remake of Pinocchio that left viewers scratching their heads was the film's inconsistent visual effects. A team of VFX artists suggests this is likely due to the lack of time required for the film's artists to render photorealistic physics.
Corridor Digital, the team behind the popular YouTube series VFX Artists React, recently broke down the special effects in Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks' latest collaboration. "It's just so rare to see something like this, that's both high-budget and rushed at the same time," said team co-founder Niko Pueringer. "The artists are incredibly talented, but the amount of creativity going into this, like they had five minutes to conceptualize the shot. It's like, this is really complicated stuff, you know? It's not like this is easy to do."
According to the Corridor Crew, Pinocchio's depiction of water is a key example of the film's lack of realistic physics. "The water literally just doesn't make anything wet," Pueringer added. "The water physics are really good, and the rendering's really good, but then it's just missing a key detail of how water works." Pueringer and team noted that the water effects in Zemeckis' remake are more realistic than those in Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio but suggested the "cartoony" properties of those in the latter are not as noticeable due to the film's use of stop-motion animation.
Poor Working Conditions Plague the VFX Industry
Visual effects artists are known to be overworked, underpaid and subject to tight schedules and ever-shifting deadlines. Several VFX artists have recently shared their grievances with Marvel Studios, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, citing inadequate wages and maltreatment. There are even rumblings in the VFX industry that Marvel has a blacklist of artists they are no longer willing to work with.
Though the existence of such a list has not been confirmed, it is frequently discussed in VFX circles. "I don't know anyone that's seen [the blacklist] for real," an artist from Georgia said. "But it's a common thing that comes up whenever effects people talk together. 'If you do X, Y, or Z, Marvel will blacklist you and you won't be working for them again.'"
Some VFX artists consider Victoria Alonso, President of Physical, Post Production, VFX and Animation for Marvel Studios, part of the problem. "[Alonso] is known in the industry as a kingmaker," a Vancouver-based artist elaborated. "If she likes you, you are going to get work and move up in the industry. If you have pissed her off in any way, you're going to get frozen out."
These poor working conditions have led to several VFX artists blacklisting Marvel in return, refusing to work for the studio until such conditions improve.
Source: YouTube