THE PRODUCTION - SPECIAL EFFECTS/ATARI

The special programs, Division of Atari helmed by Steve Wright worked 14 weeks creating a video game sequence for SUPERMAN III. Calling what did' computers visualizations." a fancy name for stop-frame computer animation, wright said the work has " helped push ahead the frontiers a little in the burgeoning state-of-the-art technology."

Wright assistant, Pat Cole, software manager of special programs, is one of several who designed the spectacular computerized Genesis sequence for Lucasfilm on Star Trek II."I suspect Warner Bros thought we'd be able to create the sequence on the same machines we use to create games. Unfortuately our special programs division had been developing a number of tools using more sophisticated computers. We were able to use those tools with some additional software to produce the sequence."

Compared with the recent MAGI footage for something wicked this way comes( never used) and TRON, Atari's computer footage is a totally different style. The Disney films used three dimensional computer animation images that had volume and shadow characteristics- to try and emulate real life. SUPERMAN III intentionally used the look of low resolution graphics and 2D graphics.The means flat xy- type images were preferred, combined with a few visual tricks to make them look as though they retained a sense of depth.

" The extra depth is where the '1/2' comes in." Said Cole. "We had a different set of challenges compared to Star Trek II. For Superman our effort was to fimly establish a look of videogames, but not any game you'd see on earth today."

These added ' Visual Tricks' cost Warner roughly $95,000 in equipment and nearly four months of production time. It took ten weeks to actually prepare the program, and four weeks to shoot the mere 26 seconds that appeared on film. The sequence literally forecasts the look of electronic gaming of the future ( Neo Geo 2D?).

Since the film was shot in Panavision format, the proper 2.35 to 1 aspect ratio was achieved via software programming rather than through anamorphic lenses on the taking camera. In other words, Atari " squeezed" the image to Panavision through an anamorphic software package, without worrying about distortion characteristics of an anamorphic lens.

Programmers:

Vick Parish and Mike marshall developed the paint program.

Art director larry Wright and Richard Sachs helped conceptualize the whole scene. And paul Hughett used his aesthetic judgment for Superman's flying motions.

From Cinefantastique

Edited by and typed up by Oliver 'The Man' Harper

The Master of Entertainment