'Big George Foreman' emplea DaVinci Resolve Studio

‘Big George Foreman’, directed by George Tillman Jr., used the DaVinci Resolve Studio solution (Blackmagic Design) to create images of viewers by SpinVFX and recreate the period setting in the hands of Company 3.

Toronto-based visual effects company SpinVFX helped create the front row of the ring for Foreman's various pivotal boxing fights, from the 1960s to the 1990s, when Foreman was crowned the world's oldest heavyweight champion.

The SpinVFX team, led by the visual effects supervisor Andrew McPhillips, helped create period-appropriate effects in each of Foreman's most notable fights. McPhillips explains that "because the film is based on a true story, we were able to reference the real crowd and the rings of each match. It all started in pre-production with the color script provided by director George Tillman Jr. and continued in post-production, where we used the different aesthetics and color palettes to tell the particular story of each of the fights."

The SpinVFX team worked on 10 fights for the movie, each with a different look inside the ring and outside of it. For example, when creating the crowd cheering on the boxers in Foreman's early fights in the 1960s, SpinVFX used a more harmonious palette of browns and blues. Then, for the match known as “The Rumble in the Jungle” against Muhammad Ali in the mid-70s, everything became more strident and colorful. In addition to this aesthetic that reflects the real spectators and fashion of that time, Foreman's emotions and life outside the ring are also shown, in order to contribute to the film's narrative.

"The costume department spent a lot of time making sure everything was as historically accurate as possible while adhering to the color script. During production, we took photogrammetry shots of the audience and used them as a basis for background shots, which we then imported into DaVinci Resolve Studio for the necessary compositions in the aesthetic development stage," notes McPhillips.

“DaVinci Resolve Studio really allowed us try different looks and discuss the approach we wanted to have for each fight. Before we start designing the lighting and VFX backgrounds, we play with different color stories that enhance the work already done by the costume and set design department. We use Resolve to develop themes assigned to each scene with viewers,” says McPhillips.

“Because each fight had its own aesthetic defined in terms of visual effects, we had the possibility of trying different chromatic tones within the same palette. Since the film is based on a true story, it's great to be able to see photos of the fights and recreate the narrative around them, whether by highlighting the bright, cheerful colors of the match against Moorer in the 1990s or a monochrome style with occasional touches of yellow, blue and pastels for the Olympic gold medal fight against Čepulis in 1968, "he adds.

McPhillips said the ease of use of DaVinci Resolve Studio allowed them to focus fully on the work and focus on the creative without being distracted by technical aspects. “DaVinci Resolve Studio was essential during the development stage. conceptual development. We used color wheels to try out different palettes very easily, which gave us the opportunity to showcase our artistic skills,” he added. “While we wanted to have fun and try out different looks, we also needed to make sure we were laying a solid foundation for the final visual effects. Color consistency was key, and Resolve was a big contributor to this, as we had a MacBeth table and could use the built-in tool to make sure we were color grading correctly throughout the process.”

“Creativity is at the heart of our visual effects work, so having tools that give us the freedom to explore different concepts without wasting precious time is totally revolutionary,” says McPhillips. "The creative process was essential, especially for a film like this where we wanted to showcase several distinctive aesthetics for each Foreman fight, to highlight the different years and stages of his life. DaVinci Resolve Studio made development a lot easier and, most importantly, it was fun."

Company 3

The main colorist Siggy Ferstl (Company 3) worked alongside cinematographer John Matysiak to bring the images to life, developing a period look that helped distinguish the various decades and fights throughout Foreman's career and, in turn, helped balance the story with distinctive, harmonious and consistent looks throughout.

Ferstl's favorite tool was also DaVinci Resolve Studio. “We used Resolve's 'Magic Mask' feature to isolate and track objects, which simplified the process of selecting particular characters and separating foregrounds and backgrounds to apply different corrections to fight scenes,” says Ferstl.

“In some of them, we reduced the exposure of the crowds in order to increase contrast and create greater differentiation with darker and lighter areas in the same frame,” he continues. “We also used the OpenFX tools offered by the program to apply additional touches, such as subject reflections, flares and lighting in some of the fights, to integrate the foreground with the background.”

Frestl was able to help the filmmakers distinguish not only the different periods, but also the places where Foreman's encounters take place.

“Each fight takes place in a different place, so we gave each of them a particular appearance,” explains Ferstl. "Foreman travels the world and competes in Mexico, Zaire and Jamaica, so all the rings vary. From the original shots, we accentuated certain elements, always making the most of the photographic material. For example, some rings have a grayish blue hue, while others are bright blue, so we made that contrast more pronounced. In addition, we adapted the color temperature in the different fights, in order to distinguish each venue. In some cases, we went for a more silvery aesthetic, while in others we opted for natural daylight lighting and more neutral blues.”

Regarding the fight that takes place in Las Vegas in the 1990s, he highlights that "all the images looked cleaner and brighter, without us having to add flashes like in the previous fights. Later, for a flashback sequence during an essential encounter, scenes from his entire life are shown, for which we created a desaturated look with a large amount of vignetting in the frame, in order to achieve the appearance of a memory."

Likewise, Ferstl resorted to the tools of graininess Resolve to add grain to digital images, not necessarily to emulate the look of celluloid, but to subtly highlight images.

"We achieved a satisfying grain pattern that we varied throughout the film and adapted based on the desired aesthetic and texture. Resolve's grain tool offers a variety of controls for manipulating grain beyond size, texture and intensity. It also allowed me to modify how pronounced the effect was in the different control channels or grayscale sections. It was really useful and effective in adding texture to the images. For example, in one of the main scenes in a church, there was a lot space between the walls, so by incorporating a little graininess, we achieved a subtle texture that pleased us all," he commented at the end," concludes Ferstl.