Jung_E is a South Korean science fiction movie from the mind of Yeon Sang-ho, for which we provided a range of VFX services. The movie portrays Earth in the 22nd century as a desolate wasteland after climate change wreaked global havoc. The remnants of humanity live in designated shelters and are in the middle of a brutal civil war.
We couldn’t have been happier contributing our work to this fantastic production. It encouraged creativity at every turn with its inspiring setting, giving us a lot to work with, and we were never short on ideas. Magic Media VFX & Cinematics completed extensive work for Jung_E, and we’re delighted to pull back the curtain and reveal details about our substantial work.
VFX Services Overview
Our VFX services were leveraged to produce over 90 complex and varied computer-generated shots. Every Magic Media VFX & Cinematics department was involved in this project to some degree, so our work proved to be quite the feat of management as much as a technical accomplishment.
Our work encompassed a broad spectrum of tasks requiring our technical and creative talents. Some other services we provided included 3D modeling, animation, lookdev, lighting, and more. Jung_E was one of the most large-scale projects we’ve had the opportunity to work on, and we couldn’t be more thankful to have Magic Media’s name and work attached to such a visionary film.
Intricate VFX Services
One of the most complex tasks we carried out for the project was rotoscoping, manually cutting objects from film frames. Rotoscoping was used prominently in action scenes where lead actor Kang Soo-yeon fought with actors wearing green screen suits.
Among the more technical VFX services we provided was match moving. Match moving matches live-action footage with a virtual camera to insert CG elements. Less of a creative exercise and more of a technical one, match moving enabled us to create flawlessly composited final shots.
A significant contribution to Jung_E we made with our VFX services was the development of several buildings, from concept to their final, polished versions in the released version of the movie. We developed the concepts of the futuristic buildings, and our look development artists defined how they should look overall and ensure consistency between them. We completed the subsequent 3D modeling of the buildings and their texturing. The buildings were crucial assets to complex 3D set extensions.
Beyond the buildings we created, our look development artists worked on a wide range of assets for Jung_E. We developed the visual identity for robots, 3D buildings, weaponry including spearguns and missiles, android components, a metaverse laboratory 3D location, and more. Lookdev proved to be one of the most significant VFX services we provided for the project.
Complex and Technical VFX Services
One of the biggest priorities for Magic Media VFX & Cinematics on this project was to create a seamless full-body double for the lead actor, Kang Soo-yeon. The body double proved to be some of the most intricate work of the whole project and required consistent attention to detail. Furthermore, we also had to create a CG face replacement for the stunt actor, which had to look completely seamless and photorealistic.
Photorealism would continue to be a style we strived for as part of Jung_E. Our lighting team worked diligently to produce photorealistic lighting for the many assets we created. We used light detection and ranging techniques and high dynamic range maps combined with live-action footage to produce hyperrealistic lighting that could easily pass as real-life, natural lighting.
Beyond these significant tasks, we had a broad range of special effects (FX) to create for this project. Our effects included action-oriented effects such as shattering glass and debris simulations, explosions, missile trails, muzzle flashes, ambient smoke, and even elemental gallium flowing from an android’s severed finger. We’re pleased with the sheer breadth of work we completed for Jung_E, which encouraged our creativity throughout the project.
You can see more of our work in our portfolio, and our wide range of service pages including FX, character animation, and more. Contact us today and we’d be more than happy to help your VFX for TV and film, and game cinematics projects come to life.
