American Cinematographer - July 1999 - 51

World's Fair. [See AC Dec. 1997 for

be sorted

details.] Wild Wild West is a big
buddy movie. It's interesting because
of the relationships - Will Smith [as
James West] and Kevin Kline [as
Artemus
Gordon] work great
together. The two films are also very

whereas

similar in that the comedy comes out
through the tone."
Overseeing the film's digital
work

ILM visual effects

supervi¬
sor and MIB veteran Eric
Brevig,
who joined West at Sonnenfeld's
was

insistence. "It's

a

lot like Men in Black,

but with

cowboys," Brevig agrees. "If
you've seen the TV show, you know
that it deals with

science-fiction-

a

like aspect

of the Old West. Since this
is a big Hollywood movie with high
production values, that [aesthetic]
has been pushed to the maximum."
As
trust in

a

testament to

Sonnenfeld's

Brevig, the director nearly

took Wild Wild West

to

another

visual effects house when the effects
artist wasn't

he'd be available.

sure

Sonnenfeld

eventually returned to
ILM out of respect for their excellent
work, and Brevig was coaxed back to
the project. "On Men in Black, he
really got a sense that my vision was
compatible with his," says Brevig.
"Barry understands that to me, the
story's more important than any
little technical aspect of a shot. He's
also comfortable with my aesthetic
my sense of what looks real or
not. Knowing that I'm a perfectionist

postproduction
running start

a

-

on

the effects for Men in Black."
It's

interesting to note that the

film also boasts
work

a

lot of subtle effects

including several digital
matte paintings - that add tremen¬
dously to its epic scale. Take, for
instance, a simple sequence in which
-

West rides his horse to the White

House, circa 1869. "As West is riding
down

Pennsylvania Avenue, we see
Capitol Dome being built in the
distance," Brevig details. "We could

the

afford

never

to

build such

an

expan¬

sive

period set, but we were really
able to give Wild Wild West higher
production value by doing a lot of
composite work.
"Believe it

or

that

not,

scene

actually shot at Woodley Park in
Van Nuys," Brevig adds. "The
production just built a road and
sidewalks in the middle of the

some

and put

and

the

worrying that they

was

matched

to

the

camera move.

When

Will gets off the horse, it really looks
as if the White House is behind him
the

-

to

the

up and
he walks down the path

camera even cranes

pushes in

as

entrance.

There

are

shots like that in the film

a

-

lot of

compo¬

sitions that are 20 percent

a

steam

hidden amidst the

our

heroes

to

done

scenes

had

Sonnenfeld says.

deliver over 400 shots in about

two-thirds the time

they actually

needed. "We had about nine months

of post on Men in Black, compared to
about six months for this show,"

Brevig

says.

"Plus,

couldn't be started

a lot of shots
early, and had to

were

stage with bluescreen behind

the windows for the convenience of
the

Co-stars Kevin

ILM also lent the

course,

production

uniquely
complex CG
creation. Above:

production."
Of

are

confronted by
the Tarantula, a

of the Bond-style
derring-do that endeared the origi¬
some

nal series to its fans. According to the
narrative, the Wanderer has been

Gordon, to protect it from

sabotage. Our heroes' first meeting is
hardly the most cordial of introduc¬

Kline and Will
Smith are

photographed
with ILM's
VistaVision rig
for an effects
shot. Below: A
model of the
Tarantula is shot
on location in
order to give
ILM's artists a

tions, and climaxes with West and

lighting

Gordon

reference for
their full-scale
CGI version of
the vehicle,
which would
later be added

grappling

the middle of the
a

on a

car.

pool table in

Fashioned with

faux bottom, the table

flips upside-

down, and the duo find themselves

hanging onto the speeding locomo¬
underbelly, mere inches from
the sparking metal train tracks.
Many effects artists would
tive's

have been
rail-ride

content to

digitally.

shoot this wild

soundstage against
bluescreen, but Brevig had another
on

a

various

hotspots
sagebrush. "A lot

of West's effects have

Brevig's task was daunting; his team
to

on

Opposite: West
and Gordon

locomotive

inexpensively as possible."
of Wild Wild West,

shot

tricked out with gadgets by its owner,

dubbed The Wanderer, which rides
the rails of the Old West and escorts

case

train. All of the train interiors

the

Artemus

painting that
mapped onto 3-D surfaces, and
a matte

would go off in a weird direction. He
also knows I'm trying to get effects
onscreen that serve the movie, as
In the

on

We then added

vehicle of choice:

look

storytelling, Barry allowed

[Smith] and Kevin [Kline]

up a big bluescreen
where the White House would be.

grass,

shoot certain sequences on my

to

the

both

backgrounds behind Will

put in

was

without

about

dramatic

own

in

had

real set and
80 percent synthetic location - and
they really give the story a sense of
authenticity."
Also adding to the film's
period feel is West and Gordon's

-

me

out

we

on

"That

to

the
was

do with

train,"

all shot

bluescreen, and then ILM had to
comp in backgrounds of various
parts of the country throughout the
characters' journey."
Brevig tallies, "There are prob¬
ably 60 shots or so where we've just
American

Cinematographer 49
American Cinematographer - July 1999

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - July 1999
