Rodeo FX completed 60 visual effects shots for “Arrival”, the alien visitation movie from acclaimed director Denis Villeneuve (“Sicario”, “Prisoners”, “Enemy”). Working once again with VFX supervisor Louis Morin, the studio helped create a gravity shift sequence, multiple aircrafts, and digi-doubles of actors.
Shot entirely in Quebec, “Arrival” is based on Ted Chiang’s novella “Story of Your Life”. It follows linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams), theoretical physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), and US Army Colonel GT Weber (Forest Whitaker) as they seek to discover the intentions of extraterrestrials that have landed on Earth.
Rodeo FX, led by VFX supervisor Arnaud Brisebois, worked on CG aircraft exteriors and interiors, including fighter jets in flight, a helicopter taking off and landing, and a spaceship interior. The most technically challenging sequence has Banks and Donnelly entering the alien ship for the first time, through a tunnel in which gravity disappears, allowing them to walk vertically up the shaft. Rodeo FX created full digital doubles of the actors, including the challenging fabric texture of their orange hazmat suits.
Rodeo FX previously worked with Villeneuve on “Enemy” (2013) and “Incendies” (2010).
Distributed by Paramount Pictures, “Arrival” received eight nominations for the 89th Academy Awards and nine for the 2017 BAFTA Awards, including Best Special Visual Effects.
Rodeo FX wishes the best of luck to Denis Villeneuve and his team for the upcoming awards ceremonies.
About Rodeo FX
Founded in 2006, Rodeo FX delivers award-winning visual effects to leading feature films and television productions. The studio’s VFX expertise appears in more than 80 feature films, including “Arrival”, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”, “The Legend of Tarzan”, “Warcraft”, and Academy Award-winner “Birdman”.
In 2017, the Visual Effects Society (VES) nominated Rodeo FX for five awards: four for episode 9 of “Game of Thrones” Season 6 and one for episode 10 of “Black Sails” Season 3. Prior VES Awards recognized the studio’s VFX work on “Game of Thrones” (2016) and “Birdman” (2015). Emmy honours include three awards for “Game of Thrones” (2014, 2015, 2016). Rodeo FX’s advertising division created the opening sequence for NBC’s Super Bowl XLIX (2015), the opening action videos for the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens, and Nike’s Just Do It campaign (2016).
With studios in Montreal, Los Angeles and Quebec City, Rodeo FX employs 350 accomplished artists and professionals and celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2016.