A Small Soldiers Story

Article by Jody Duncan

For the high-concept DreamWorks project Small Soldiers, centering on toy action figures implanted with high-tech military computer chips that allow them to take on a life of their own, director Joe Dante worked closely with Stan Winston Studio, which designed the Commando Elite and Gorgonite characters and then built them in puppet form for use on set, and Industrial Light & Magic, which duplicated the combative toys in digital form and computer-animated them for scenes requiring complex action.

Armageddon

Journey to Armageddon

Article by Mark Cotta Vaz

For Armageddon, about roughneck oil drillers sent on a heroic mission into space to save earth from a killer asteroid, director Michael Bay and producer Jerry Bruckheimer needed near-nonstop visual effects to support the action. To meet the demand, the production formed an in-house effects unit, Vfx, overseen by visual effects supervisor Pat McClung, and engaged Dream Quest Images, under fellow supervisor Richard Hoover. Also making sizable contributions were Blue Sky | VIFX, Digital Domain, Cinesite and Computer Film Company.

From the Earth to the Moon: Shooting the Moon

Blade: Going For the Jugular

Dr. Dolittle: Animals With Attitude

The Truman Show: The Unreal World