Double Negative - London Visit (March Visit)
Posted by Jenn | Posted in 3rd Year Posts, practitioner | Posted on Monday, March 08, 2010
When we went to visit Double Negative when visiting London at the beginning of March, at first I found it very nerve-racking meeting Vic, the head of human resources. She seemed extremely professional and serious about the work that they carry out at Double Negative. Our small group even had to sign a confidentiality form agreeing not to give any information about the current projects that they are working on at the moment out. This is very understandable, but at the same time the whole place had a very business like feel to it.
Despite the feel of the building, the people we passed in the corridors and saw glimpses of others working on particular projects seemed really down to earth and obviously knew what they were doing!
In the past, Double Negative have worked on some of the visual effects for some major films, such as:
The Dark Knight (2009)
World Trade Center (2006)
Atonement (2007)
After showing us around different areas of DNeg, Vic took us into a screening room, which was the highlight of the visit for me!
She put each and every one of us on the spot by asking us why we are studying Moving Image and what do we want to get out of it?!...I really wasn't expecting that, and felt a little uncomfortable because we were in a Visual Effects design company who are really well known for their effects in certain films etc. They are a very respectable company. My area of interest isn't really Visual Effects, even though I do take an interest in them, it isn't the area i myself would like to go into. So when Vic asked me what I would like to get out of doing my course, a split second came over me to say, 'oh I would love to work in the film industry' because of the environment i was in, and because it is what i wanted to do when i first joined the course!
But I was honest with her, and told her that I actually wanted to become an artist and work with abstract/experimental films - Her reaction surprised me, she seemed pleased that i had a different perspective on things, she also said that they wouldn't be able to do their job without people like me!! ... She did seem really impressed, she told me that people within the DNeg team also have little side projects on the go whilst doing the visual effects work, that look at experimental films just for their own personal preference! This response really gave me a boost of confidence, I honestly thought she wouldn't have been interested in my direction i've decided to take with my Moving Image course. It was a nice little confidence boost that i needed.
Vic then showed us all a step by step reel that showed us in a little more depth how they create the atmosphere and little extras that are needed within films.
The above image is taken off their website: www.dneg.com This is the type of thing that we were shown, the different layers added on top, all the people we once thought were played by extras, are in fact clones of a small crowd reciprocated. I found it really fascinating looking at the build up of layers and how they all stitched everything together.
I found it funny as well that she mentioned that Matt Damon had sat in these seats that we were sitting in a couple of years ago, he had come by the studio to look at the type of work that they were doing for 'The Bourne Ultimatum'.
Overall I thought the experience of visiting this Visual Effects company was extremely insightful! Like i said, at the very beginning i felt nervous, but by the end of the experience I felt extremely lucky to have had the chance to see this type of work environment behind the scenes with my own eyes!
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