The Revenant

In 1823, fur trapper Hugh Glass (DiCaprio) is mauled by a bear while hunting in the Dakota Territory. His companions rob him and leave him to die, but he survives and sets out on a 200 mile trek to get revenge on the men who betrayed him.

The overall visual effects supervisor for the production was Rich McBride, and our own supervisor was Nicolas Chevallier.  In this gripping, immersive film, the goal of the visual effects was always to be invisible.  The work covered digital matte painting and set extension, fx simulation (fluid and particles), character animation, lighting, cg trees, clean-up and compositing.  

Stylistically and in order to enhance the experiential aspect of the film, the action runs seamlessly, with few cuts between shots; the visual effects were essential in allowing these fluid transitions.  

Production provided post visualisation or editorial mock-ups for many shots, which were used to define the timing of takes and where in shot the sweet point would fall to make each blend.  

Each shot required compositing multiple match-moved plates as well as 2D, 2.5D and 3D techniques to warp, project and animate invisible transitions.  Cinesite’s team received a wide range of meticulously organised reference material from the location, including props and characters, which were essential for rebuilding locations, as was often required for projection purposes and to achieve many of the stitches.

Cinesite’s work was created as a partnership between all teams, in London, Montreal and Vancouver.

• Release date: 15.01.2016
• Studio: New Regency Pictures
• Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu