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Who's Effects Mike Tucker is well known to 'Dwarf fans as one of the best of the BBC effects team. But as a committed Dr Who fan - and writer - he's going back to the thing he loves most for BBC Online's new project, 'TARDIS Cam', which begins on November 23rd. |
23 November, 2001
I believe TARDIS Cam includes a couple of CGI creations. Where are you now with this ever-developing technology?
I'll let Nick Clark answer that one...
At this point, Andrew, Mike and Mr Flibble were joined by Nick Clark..
Hello. Well, as you know the rate of development in CGI is staggering. I use Lightwave, which is one of the most widely used and highly regarded 3D animation packages around. I've been using it for about five years and have seen an awesome increase in the tools and techniques that I can employ to get the job done.
That said though, no matter how fancy the software gets, I think it's important to remain focused on the end product, not the means to achieve it. Just because you can do a cool lens flare, doesn't always mean you should! The most beguiling thing about CGI is its ability to be very flexible and offer a scope that a miniature or live action set up can't always supply.
When we were discussing the TARDIS Cam project we realised that a good miniature landscape is going to look far more realistic than a CG one, and be much easier to create. However, having the TARDIS hurtling through explosions in space and then bouncing around inside a time vortex has CG written all over it.
Nick, which scenarios have you elected to do in CGI, and why? How closely are you working together?
Mike and I have always had a very complimentary vision when it comes to our work. We both share similar sensibilities about design and mood, and use a visual shorthand derived from formative years watching the same movies and TV shows. For TARDIS Cam we split the project cleanly between what would be done as a miniature and what could be better achieved via the computer.
Since Mike's stuff would be more sedate in terms of camera moves, I decided to play against this and design a couple of shots in Lightwave that were more dynamic and elaborate. Hence showing the TARDIS doing manoeuvres that were never seen in the show before, and in situations that the original series could never have afforded. I think they will all compliment each other nicely.
