Double Negative Studio Visit

www.dneg.com

Whilst on our London trip we visited Double Negative, a visual effects studio based in the centre of Soho. I was looking forward to visiting this company more than any other because of the films they had worked on. When arriving at Double Negative, the whole place caught me by surprise, with the size and the layout of the building itself. The place was huge and very posh and clean inside with signed film posters everywhere including Hot Fuzz, Harry Potter and Batman Begins.

When we got into the cinema room, we were shown a half an hour DVD of the making of the, 'The Dark Knight'. This was amazing! I have been a huge fan of Batman since Batman Begins but to see behind the scenes footage, that only a handful of people would of seen was wonderful. This DVD shown us the process of creating visual effects, from the green screen filming right through to post production with lighting and effects being added on. They explained how getting the angle correct whilst filming is crucial because with visual effects you can not change the angle once it has been filmed.

I was quite amazed at how much of films is actually special effects. I obviously knew that the Wayne building wasn't real but after watching the DVD I realized that most the film is actual special effects. Scenes such as when the Batmobile crashes and the Bat-mobike comes out, is all made up in 3D and the scene where Bruce Wayne enters his party by Helicopter, all of that was made up in 3D also. I found all this overwhelming and was very surprised and excited about the company even more so.

The young lady who was explaining parts of the film to us, then told us that every showreel that is sent in is watched by a team of people and is shortlisted if it is successful. She also explained that when coming to showreel, they'd rather see less and more creative work then lots of projects that aren't very good.

She also explained that many students become runners when they first start of at Double Negative such as Paul Greenwood who graduated from Stockport College last year. He was a runner for 4 months in which he learned all the software and gained lots of experience and knowledge and is know working on the latest blockbusters such as Harry Potter and The Fast and the Furious.

The whole experience of visiting a studio as big as Double Negative has made me realize that it is possible to get your dream job if you work hard at it. Although I do not want a job at a 3D company, I am still aiming high and will put everything I have into my final major project.