04.15 – Emmy nominated boutique visual effects studio Rocket Science VFX (RSVFX) crafts panoramic CG Crowd for Barry Jenkins penned boxing drama THE FIRE INSIDE (Amazon MGM Studios).
Cinematographer Rachel Morrison (MUDBOUND, BLACK PANTHER) makes her directorial debut with this chronical of the Olympic champ, Claressa Shields. The only American boxer, male or female to win back-to-back gold medals at the games.
The RSVFX team, led by VFX Supervisor Peter McAuley, was tasked with creating an immersive crowd for the pivotal match.
“Morrison’s vision centered on capturing the real look and feel of the Shields v. Torlopova fight at the ExCel Arena during the 2012 London Olympics”, says McAuley.
A full authentic boxing ring was constructed on location, complete with Olympic markings.
“Morrison and DP Rina Yang wanted the freedom to shoot in and around the ring with handheld cameras. With wider shots of the arena captured with moving cranes. Visual effects needed to accommodate a 360 view of the arena and ring with thousands of interactive people on two bowl levels”, said McAuley.
RSVFX produced the large-scale crowd comprised of 17,000 spectators.
Approximately 100 extras, including officials, coaches and floor spectators, were placed in close proximity on the floor surrounding the ring, with empty stands.
Element plates of the extras were shot in the lower bowl. Various crowd actions – sit, stand, cheer, clap – were filmed to the match the storyline of the boxing sequences. Additional plates were shot on blue screen to match specific medium and close up angles.
The visual effects team captured a full lidar scan of the arena location, including the ring and both decks of the stands. “The lidar geometry was critical for the camera tracking, especially the handheld shots following the boxers fighting in the ring”, commented McAuley.
Crowd plates in the lower deck were chosen and stitched together in DaVinci Resolve, matching to the arena orientation and the correct crowd action synched to the storyline. Compositing artists then built the final shots in Nuke.
The top bowl was built with CG crowd created in Houdini. Their wardrobe and actions were developed and animated, to match the lower bowl’s reactions to the fight.
The two levels were seamlessly integrated to create the mass audience that would cheer Shields on to victory.
“The team nailed the authentic action and look and feel of the crowd. Not wanting to draw attention away from the main event – the fight”, says McAuley. “RSVFX is grateful to have been entrusted to support the story telling of this historical sporting event. Collaborating with Rachel, Rina and crew, was a true pleasure.”
Additional supporting visual effects included, weather augmentation and location extensions to support Toronto playing for Flint, Michigan.
THE FIRE INSIDE world premiered at The Toronto International Film Festival to critical acclaim, before launching in North American theatres on December 25th, 2024. Amazon MGM released the film to VOD and streaming services January 28th, 2025.
THE FIRE INSIDE is the inspirational true story of Claressa Sheilds, arguably the greatest female boxer of all time. A high school Junior from Flint, Michigan, aided by her tough-love coach, Jason Cruchfield, pushes past all limitations to become the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. But even at the pinnacle of success, Claressa has to reckon with the fact that not all dreams are created equal, and the real fight has only just begun.
Established in 2003, Rocket Science is an Emmy nominated boutique visual effects studio collaborating with filmmakers to create stunning visual imagery utilizing artistry, science and technology. Located in Toronto, Canada, television credits include Tim Burton’s celebrated WEDNESDAY (Netflix), Eric Kripke’s superhero series THE BOYS (Amazon), Rian Johnson’s POKER FACE (Peacock), and the global hit sensation from Mike Flanagan, THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (Netflix). Feature titles include David Cronenberg’s Canadian Screen Award Winner, CRIMES OF THE FUTURE, Jeremy Garelick’s MURDER MYSTERY 2 (Netflix), Marvel alum, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s FREAKY TALES (Lionsgate) and the upcoming Dustin Hoffman starring, TUNER.
Visit rsvfx.com