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Behind the Scenes of Hollow Man |
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Other Articles |
Mind-boggling
visual effects highlight Hollow Man, the science-fiction thriller
starring Kevin Bacon as a government scientist, who is driven mad with
power after he discovers the secret of invisibility.
So ambitious was the project, when screenwriter Andrew W. Marlowe (End of Days) first wrote the script, he included special effects that were not yet possible! Marlowe gambled that computer graphics were developing at such an astounding pace, within a year movies would be able to produce these effects. His wager paid off with the help of two premier digital production companies, a $100 million dollar budget, and the talents of filmmaker Paul Verhoeven. The Dutch born Verhoeven was an essential choice not only because of his experience directing the science fiction genre (Starship Troopers, Total Recall, Robocop), but because he is also a scientist. Before he made movies, he earned a doctorate in mathematics and physics. Verhoeven's scientific knowledge proved invaluable in allowing him to fully exploit the potential of a brand new technology. The biggest challenge was to cinematically realize the process of making actor Kevin Bacon gradually turn invisible layer by layer, as his skin, muscular system, internal organs, and skeleton vanish. Over 560 visual effects went into an end result that is both gruesome and amazing as Hollow Man provides never-before-seen images. Ironically, technology specifically created to artistically enhance Hollow Man has proven beneficial to mankind! Research conducted by Sony Pictures Imageworks which involved observations of actual autopsies in order to make the software necessary to generate an accurate 3-D moving image of a disappearing man has advanced the study of medical anatomy. Educators had long sought an intricately detailed, precise human model, but funding for such a project was not available in the academic community. So what was originally designed for entertainment shock value is now evolving into a valuable teaching tool. |
