The human imagination combined with artistic and technical capabilities can present limitless possibilities. The film and television industry has grasped and applied this well, evident from the number of high-profile productions that employ computer visual effects to create characters and entire scenes out of mere puppets and green screens. Many of these critically-acclaimed, compelling stories are made possible because of visual effects studios that enhance video footage in post-production. A studio that has been part of the Indian film industry fraternity since 2010 is Makuta Visual Effects (Makuta).

Based in Hyderabad, India, Makuta is a full-fledged visual effects firm that offers an entire spectrum of services, from active on-set visual effects supervision through to immersive digital set extension, digital matte painting, high-end feature animation and effects work, clean-up, motion tracking, and final compositing.

The FARO Laser Scanner Focus3D is a high-speed, 3D laser scanner suitable for detailed measurement and Documentation

Manual Measurements: Time-consuming and Challenging

In just a few years, Makuta has collaborated with some of India’s best directors, including SS Rajamouli, AR Murugadoss, Bapu, and Shankar. “We are fully committed to the industry and emphasize on delivering best in class work to our clients in a timely fashion,” said Mr. Pete Draper, Co-Founder and Division Head of Makuta. “Right from the beginning, it was clear that quality was not something we would ever compromise on.”

 
Fundamentally, a visual effects artist works with digital data in a variety of software adept at achieving different outcomes. In order to achieve a realistic outcome, computer-generated objects must line up properly with live objects that have been captured on camera. If the data that the artist worked with was inaccurate, more time and effort would have to be put into fine-tuning and cleaning up, which adds to production costs.

For this reason, the accuracy of the data that Makuta collects is critically important. Mr. Draper shared, “While film sets are built according to architects’ blueprints, fluctuations to accuracy are common due to time constraints. A survey team would manually take measurements of every item in the actual set with a tape measure, draw up a diagram, and finally build a model before any work can be done. This entire process typically takes a couple of days to complete.”

Improved Data in a Shorter Time Frame

The team at Makuta was not satisfied with the status quo, and went on a search for an alternative that would provide more accurate data. After thorough research, Makuta made a firm decision to purchase a FARO Laser Scanner Focus3D in mid-2011. “The Focus3D stood out amongst the other laser scanners we were considering,” revealed Mr. Draper. “Right off the bat, we knew it could speed up the data collection process. Positive user reviews validated our decision, and we were bought over by the level of customer care FARO would provide.”

The Focus3D is a high-speed, 3D laser scanner suitable for detailed measurement and documentation. Using laser technology, incredibly-detailed three-dimensional images of complex environments and geometries can be recorded in mere minutes.

Gunshots and epic fight scenes are some examples of visual effects that Makuta applies to films.

Since investing in the device, Makuta has been able to confidently digitize film sets of varied sizes at the touch of a button – be it of a small indoor set that is just 0.5m in length, or an outdoor terrain of 400m in radius. The artists can now put their minds at ease, concentrating on creating desired effects instead of worrying about the accuracy of their raw data.

Mr. Draper said, “By relying on the Focus3D for data collection, we are saving a tremendous amount of time, reducing the total time spent from a matter of days into just hours. The scanner gets it right the first time round, and we only need to rescan if the set gets changed. The highly accurate data enhances our work in the areas of general set extension, motion tracking, and texturing.” Gunshots and epic fight scenes are some examples of visuals

Realistic floodwaters could be added in post-production due to the accurate scan data obtained at this outdoor scene.

In set extension, film recordings are digitally overlaid with computer-generated imagery to achieve scenes that are too costly, dangerous, or simply impossible to recreate. Out of what is finally shown on screen, only critical parts are physically present on set, with strategic tracking markers positioned for reference. Any inaccuracies in positioning would need to be fixed by altering the camera motion through reverse engineering, which would cost the team more time. For Makuta, acquiring accurate data with the Focus3D ensures that there is perfect alignment between the live and virtual sets. This prevents any misaligned geometry and camera glitches in the final combined output.

Apart from using scan data to create visual effects, the Focus3D is also used during location recces to visualize a potential shot. In addition, Makuta occasionally loans the device out to clients who need to perform scans on their own.

When asked about the returns on investment, Mr. Draper acknowledged, “The Focus3D has definitely been worth every cent of our investment. The device provides extremely high quality scans and it has been well utilized by our team. With the level of detail we achieve now, the tracking markers can be eliminated from the set altogether and there is less need for clean up in post-production. In general, the Focus3D has increased the production value of the projects we work on, and given us more exposure as a studio.”

Looking into the Future

Through Makuta’s use of the Focus3D, FARO demonstrates how its 3D measurement, imaging, and realization technology can enable mankind to easily and accurately connect the physical world to the virtual world. The future of the Indian film industry looks bright, and the team at Makuta foresees a growth in demand for visual effects studios.

In fact, Makuta expects more healthy competition that will spur them on in time to come. Mr. Draper expressed, “The run cycle of a production implies a natural delay before anyone sees the end result of our work. When the industry realizes how the Focus3D strengthened our capabilities, more studios will likely adopt laser-scanning technology and we will have to figure new ways to up our game then!”

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