MILL VISUALS FOR
TOMB RAIDER MOVIE
Copyright 2001 Marc Graser - Variety Magazine
[ March 27th 2001 ]
Forget
the computer-generated tidal waves or the completely
digital disappearing humans. Oscar voters issued
a surprising message Sunday when picking the winner
for best visual effects: less is more, and simpler
is better. F/x giants Industrial Light & Magic,
nominated for "The Perfect Storm'' and Sony Pictures
Imageworks, cited for ``Hollow Man,'' were left
in the dust Sunday as "Gladiator'' was honored
for rebuilding Rome inside a computer.
The prize
went to John Nelson, Neil Corbould, Tim Burke
and Rob Harvey of the Mill, a London-based post-production
house founded by "Gladiator'' director Ridley
Scott and his brother Tony. The picture featured
a scant 90 f/x shots, compared to "Storm's'' 350
and "Hollow Man's'' 572. "Storm'' had been considered
a shoo-in by f/x industryites to win the Oscar,
thanks to its hard-to-create water visuals. The
Mill, relatively unknown in the entertainment
biz beyond its commercials work, has usually created
shots solely for the Scotts' pictures. But it
has quickly been building its reputation and nabbing
major projects away from stalwarts. Next up from
the Mill: visuals for "Tomb Raider,'' "Harry Potter
and the Sorcerer's Stone,'' "Black Hawk Down''
and "K19: The Widowmaker.''
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