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An artist who worked on pre-visualisation concept shots for the Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) movie has uploaded footage to his Vimeo channel that shows a bizarre gremlin-like, placeholder Sonic.

Ellery Ortiz, a pre-visualization artist who works for Digital Domain created the proof of concept footage using early placeholder assets and models to visualise how the scenes would play out in motion. These concept shots are then evaluated by the animators and directors before being filmed and then used by the animators to create the final animation seen in the movie.

Working from storyboards, I created animation and defined timing of action in the shots. Sweetened with FX and Lighting elements. Defined camera composition and lens choices for the purposes of storytelling.

The Sonic model used in the shot looks unlike any other version seen, even the one shown in the infamous 2019 trailer.

What do you think of the evolution of Sonic's movie design?

Sonic the Hedgehog: Previs (Vimeo)

 

[smf]

I wasn't expecting to see full 3D rendered scenes. Must have been a lot of work putting that together as rough mockups from the storyboards and then film it and render sonic over the filmed sequences.

It is quite good quality work for a rough draft.

I'm not sure I'd say they count as "full 3D rendered scenes".

Don't they throw scripts into unreal for pre-viz? I assume anyone working in this field day in and day out will need to be quick at knocking this type of thing together anyway, or nothing would ever get released.

 

[eyeliner]

I'm not sure I'd say they count as "full 3D rendered scenes".

Don't they throw scripts into unreal for pre-viz? I assume anyone working in this field day in and day out will need to be quick at knocking this type of thing together anyway, or nothing would ever get released.

Indeed they do. I was expecting something without background (or placeholder polygons), instead of a fully realized crude scene. Even the human characters are animated, which didn't happen a few years ago.

They really are advancing this stuff.

 

[VinsCool]

This is pretty disturbing. Could be one of those horror games jumpscare mobs.

 

[orangy57]

why were they so adamant on making sonic fugly from the get-go? Like how could the higher-ups that forced that design onto the animators even think that looked good

 

[wonkeytonk]

It's obviously going to look better once it's finished.

 

[osaka35]

shrek is love
shrek is life
sonic is speed
sonic is cool, dude

 

[Jayro]

From what I’ve read online (which is always 100% accurate and could never be false info), ugly Tails never existed, and that post credits scene came about as an attempt to try and “win back” the audience along with the redesign

Damn... If that's true, then that stinks.

 

[smf]

Indeed they do. I was expecting something without background (or placeholder polygons), instead of a fully realized crude scene. Even the human characters are animated, which didn't happen a few years ago.

It's probably mostly stock textures, models and npc's.

 

[Zonark]

This looks like somebody made it in their backyard

 

[MadMakuFuuma]

pretty cool movie adaptation to the PS2

or wii. (im talking about sonic unleashed XD)

 

[UltraSUPRA]

RETURN TO SPACE JAM

 

[gamesquest1]

PS2? I'd say this is some Tekken 1-tier stuff, lol

I was going to say ps1 at first, but thought I would be more fair, those are cutscenes actual PS1 graphics are much more blocky, I would say this footage is actually realistically PS2 standard, maybe a little better than PS2 or at least late PS2 standard, but they are after all just designed to show how a scene will playout before filming and designing scenes properly so they don't waste time doing a high detail model then finding out the scene looked crap

 

[MetoMeto]

wtf?

 

[chrisrlink]

don't they know the old saying "if it isn't broke.....don't try to fix it?" are they trying to kill Paramount's image? maybe their disgruntled employees now

 

[Tokiri]

I kinda forgot that probably not many people here are that familiar how previs are in the work pipeline and dont always look as amazing as the marvels previs.

 

[Justinde75]

Looks like a cheap mobile game ad lmao

 

[Eredhel]

Well, I took these pics from the deleted scenes part of the first movie (bought from iTunes). So I think they're just models to the final product

 

[guisadop]

lmao I loved it. it's really interesting seeing these bits of behind-the-scenes of film making.

 

[Raylight]

Thanks I just bought a Bible

 

[Xzi]

So do all movies initially render their CGI on an early 90s model Macintosh, or...?