On the Development of 'Massive' Technology
The classic great epic films, including Gone With the Wind and Ben Hur, all feature massive hordes of extras all dedicated to making the grand scale of the movie stand out on the silver screen. Today, however, much of the funds once dedicated towards organizing and costuming these extras (many of which were volunteers) are now streamlined towards special effects and digital editing, both of which are essentially compulsory for modern epics such as Lord of the Rings. The pressing necessity of finding plausible solutions to this problem served as the main catalyst in the formation of many computer programs. From these programs emerged one of the greatest computer and technological breakthroughs in computer animation and largely as a result of this, Fellowship of the Ring and Two Towers have both won Academy Awards for their special effects.
Earliest in the age of CG or �computer generation,� a cast of hundreds of live action extras would be filmed, then reproduced to form the needed crowd. (Massive Attack, popsci.com) This crowd would then be pasted onto a digital backdrop that often was a simple digital �painting� of a pre-existing setting. Similar to a program such as Paintbrush, it became possible to slightly change the features of the same bunch of extras so that in a quick glance, these extras will appear to be different from one another. Still, when "viewed carefully, the carbon copy spectators can create a disconcerting effect." (Massive Attack, popsci.com) Techniques similar to this were used in early film making, including the Academy Award�s Best Picture of 2000, Gladiator. Other computer software allowed technicians to create animated characters through the creation of a digital skeleton later �skinned� with digital texture. These figures could then be programmed individually for action. Hence, once again, due to the individual attention required, many of these characters were simply copied and pasted throughout a digital landscape. (Massive Software, massivesoftware.com)
The newest software on the market available only to select studios is known simply as the independent Linux running program Massive, created by Stephen Regelous and regarded as "number one for making realistic digital extras." (Massive Software, massivesoftware.com) Originally, Massive began as Regelous� experiment to see if there could be interactions between a digital creation and their interactions with the digital environment. The first version of Massive was limited to slow action walking and simple box-like surroundings, hence, it was affectionately dubbed �Plod.� (Effects � Fellowship, LotR) The version used in Lord of the Rings has much advanced past this stage allowing for real time simulations and for characters to perform realistic stunt motions. (Massive Software, massivesoftware.com)
Unlike the programs of the past, Massive allows the resulting animated �Agents,� or digital creature, to act as an individual, and not simply a carbon copy of the character next to it. (Massive Attack � Exclusive, popsci.com) The secret to Massive�s success lies with the use of the implanting of a digital brain into every Agent, or increasing their sense of AI � artificial intelligence. Similar to a live extra, each Massive Agent has the ability to formulate answers to problems they may face when placed into digital environments. Massive technicians, though, program this brain, and Agents still lack the ability to learn (unlike humans).
Massive also allows for the capture of life motion, or �mo-cap,� of the actions preformed by live actors and stuntmen. These various actions are then formulated into an Agent�s brain in a programmable flow chart known as a �motion tree.� With choreographers, stuntmen walk through the script scene-by-scene to determine which actions they will need to make, as well, what �lead in� motions will be required to serve as in-betweens. Once created, the independent Agents are introduced to �digital others� on the world�s largest mo-cap stage, a four-by-eight foot digital landscape of �action space.� It is here that the created characters will be able to interact with one another. (Effects � Fellowship, LotR)
Furthermore, as Lord of the Rings features many different races or series of Agents, each race will have its own particular set of behaviors compatible to their culture. For all cultures, though, the basic actions of marching, walking, running, jogging, fleeing and charging are all recorded for their Agents, with slight independent cultural tweaking. Characters, furthermore, can be programmed to express certain small �personalities�, including individual feelings, preferences as well as the continuous motion of breathing.
Transferring data from live action to digital information is accomplished through the use of equipment similar to a digital camera. The stuntman about to perform a stunt to be recorded is dressed in a suit featuring strategically placed �reflector balls� which are made from materials easily traced by one of the twenty-four digital cameras placed in a complete circle. This �digital cinematography� requires the use of actors and the scene is shot as though a live action without the digital equipment. (Effects � Fellowship, LotR) The computer program reads only the actions interpreted from the actor, but not the appearance of the actor himself. Appearances are a later addition and digital texturing is referred to as a �skin� or a 3-D textured painting. A skin was placed onto the information received by the computer from actor Andy Serkis in the creation of one of the first totally CG characters to be in the same �setting� as live actors, Gollum. In the case of Gollum, the live action was taken independent of the live action characters, though Serkis was called upon to play Gollum in the live action shots so that the others would have someone to interact with. This �new� character was later digitally removed and replaced with the primarily created Gollum. Skins can also be digitally placed on digital �wire frames� that are similar to the skeletons used before the arrival of Massive.
Motion capture with the weapons of Middle-Earth was done in a similar way to that of characters without arms. Instead of building the solid entirety of the object to be digitized, only a frame of wire is constructed so that the computers would be able to �see� through the weapon and interpret the actions of the stuntman at the same time. (Effects � Fellowship, LotR) The stuntman would then perform the directed action and later, the digital artists will be able to �solidify� the piece of weaponry with a digital skin or texture. For each individual race of Middle Earth, their culture is carefully studied and the recorded actions as a result of this study are reflected upon the traditions within that culture, as well as the weapons which individuals used. After a series of actions are captured for a particular race, all of these motions would then be applied to the thousands of members in that group. In all of the cultures, the basic Agent brain allows the agent to find their way around digital landscapes; find, identify and attack enemy forces; as well as win or die. Furthermore, these brains can be tweaked with certain character traits including that of aggression, fear and strength. With what has been dubbed as a �micro-nose� and other senses, Agents can use their own �digital input� to help determine their course of actions. (Effects � Towers, LotR)
Once the actions of a stuntman are captured, a sub-program known as Tree Planner helps technicians organize the recorded actions into the various choices an Agent may choose to make throughout their digital encounters. Not every action an Agent makes is through a decision in the motion tree, but rather, more common are the use of �action cycles� or series of actions. Depending on the Agent, most have from 10 � 30 of these motion cycles and basic examples of such cycles include running, climbing, falling and basic fighting techniques. Digital doubles of the main characters though have upwards of 300 action cycles, depending on the ability and involvement of their Agent. In a sample motion tree (right), the white lines indicate possible motions while the gray boxes are transitions � or �small action cycles;� up to 100 different actions � between these actions. The compatibility of occurrences are determined by stage fighting experts and �stage combat technicians� who are responsible for recognizing the most reasonable course of action for these captured motions. (Effects � Fellowship, LotR)
Motion trees are essentially the brains of Agents, and thus, to test the performance of a tree, a body for this brain must be created. Traditionally, digital skeletons of characters are formed and then later skinned, but Massive offers the advantage of an option of forming Agents from standard solid geometric shapes. (Massive Software, massivesoftware.com) For each Middle-Earth race, thirty Master Agents were then created with basic shapes similar to those shown at the bottom left. These Master Agents were then given certain abilities according to their race, character and the weapons they carried and were labeled as such; �Elven swordsman.� (Effects � Fellowship, LotR) Standard behaviors such as reactions to certain other races are programmed into the motion trees of these Master Agents. From these Agents, others of a similar race and standing were created. Unlike the standard �cut-and-paste� digital characters, though, the use of the motion tree creates the minute differences between Agents and suggests their individuality. Each Agent�s brain interacts with the digital terrain which it is placed and the others on the field of interactions. Behavioral patterns include that orc armies prefer to stay together in a pack, hence, this would dictate the particular motion of a group of orc Agents. (Effects � Fellowship, LotR) Hence, as an Agent�s resulting actions depend on what they interact with in their digital environments, it is impossible to predict the exact result of certain actions.
The final conclusion to every battle, though, is preplanned through the �teaching� or programming of particular Agents to have the skills required to be successful. Most motion trees also contain the action sequences for behaviors such as charging, defending and eventually, dying. Factors effecting an Agent�s choice include the positions of other Agents, the amount of space necessary to perform a particular action, as with the condition of the terrain itself. As individuals, each Agent has the ability to access its own motion tree and form their own conclusions of the correct direction of choices, and the tree is constantly being accessed by an Agent � up to 24 choices per second. (Effects � Fellowship, LotR) There are usually more than thousands of actions to choose from and as much as possible, these digital creations are given as much freedom as possible to express themselves. This �intelligent� interaction between Agent and the environment gave Massive its name � Multiple Agent Simulation System In Virtual Environments. There is a maximum amount of Agents acting in an action space at a particular time, though. On the Lord of the Rings stage of four-by-eight feet, a maximum of 12,000 individual Agents can be played at once (the number that were shown in the Helm�s Deep scene in Two Towers). Up to 100,000 Agents, though, can be kept at one time in an �Agent bank� to replace those who are killed in battle. (Effects � Towers, LotR)
Finally, recording of the final scene takes many Agent battles due to the unpredictability of the individual Agents. One of the initial problems creators of Massive found was that on the outskirts of the battle, all of the individual Agents would simply turn and flee from the melee. This, though, was not because of cowardice, but rather a failure by the Agents to sense any enemy forces around them. Individual Agents lack the ability to sense friendly parties, hence, the Agents at the edge were simply running in a random direction. The Agents were thinking that they were running through fields of friendly forces and believing that if they ran far enough, it would be possible for them to meet with an enemy. (Effects � Towers, LotR) This problem was fixed by restriction of the Agent�s roaming range and the continual adjustment of characters� programs. (Massive Attack � Exclusive, popsci.com) The final scenes we see on the silver screen are furthermore enhanced by superimposing live action actors in the frontal areas of the armies (often volunteers from the New Zealand military) which adds depth and perspective to the shot. After many trials and error, there will be a �perfect battle� between the Agents that would then be added to the final film production.
Aside from the creation of massive epic battles, Massive Agents were also used to create the crows of Saruman, the Crebain, and the orc laborers found in the depths of Isengard. (Effects � Fellowship, LotR) There are plans to sell copies of Massive to movie studios in the near future and the release of Two Towers "represents a milestone in computer-generated filmmaking." (Massive Attack, popsci.com) Computer technology is used to solve yet another problem of mankind and with the creation of Massive the battle for Helm�s Deep is named one of "the most spectacular CG scenes ever." (Massive Attack, popsci.com) To date, Massive is only available under a �demo� license and it has been used only in the epic Lord of the Rings motion pictures. (Massive Software, massivesoftware.com) Still, this venture has proved this software to be an economical and massive success that will change the face of moviemaking for many years to come.
Works Cited
"Frequently Asked Questions On Massive Software." Official Massive Software Site. [website] www.massivesoftware.com. 2002
"Inside the Effects � Fellowship Prologue Sequence." The Lord of the Rings Official Movie Site. [website] www.lordoftherings.net. 2002.
"Inside the Effects � Two Towers Helm�s Deep." The Lord of the Rings Official Movie Site. [website] www.lordoftherings.net. 2002.
"Massive Attack Exclusive � Creation in Detail." Popular Science. December 2002. [website] www.popsci.com/popsci/science/article/0,12543,390906,00.html. 2002.
"Massive Attack � Massive Software and the Two Towers." Popular Science. December 2002. [website] www.popsci.com/popsci/science/article/0,12543,390918,00.html. 2002.