Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, the fourth installment in the Disney/Bruckheimer franchise, saw a combination of Cinesite’s visual effects and stereoscopic expertise, with the completion of 300 native stereo visual effects shots.

Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too. The majority of Cinesite’s work can be seen in the carriage chase sequence through Greenwich, featuring Johnny Depp, which comprises 200 back-to-back visual effects shots.

Large-scale photorealistic 3D environments were created to fill three massive blue screens which formed the backdrop of the set in Greenwich. Complex 3D environments were created, including full CG streets with detailed period buildings. Background extensions were combined with atmospheric smoke, smog and fog to give an old London feel. Additional elements, shot in stereo against a blue screen, were seamlessly composited to enhance the busy London streets.

Proprietary tools were developed to ensure Cinesite’s pipeline would handle all of the challenges of the stereo files, like colour differences between stereoscopic image pairs and respeeds for given shots.

Cinesite also created Barbossa’s peg leg by replacing the blue sock actor Geoffrey Rush wore on set with a digital peg leg. And watch out for the CG poison dart frog, which was also one of Cinesite’s creations…

• Release date: 20.05.2011
• Studio: Jerry Bruckheimer Films / Walt Disney Pictures
• Director: Rob Marshall