
Primeval is the culmination of
a long journey for Producer/Director Fred Tepper, but the film itself was
created in record time: it was conceived in February 2002 and principal
photography wrapped at the end of August. For an independent film that’s
unheard of, and it was only made possible because of the producers’ experience
and the hard work of everyone in front of and behind the camera.
Film is a collaborative art and Primeval is a great example of
that. It was a true team effort, and with a team as accomplished as the
one assembled here, cast included of course, there was never any doubt about the finished
result. Everyone rose to the challenge and exceeded their goals.
Production
took place at three locations: Topanga State Park, Malibu State
Park, and Griffith Park, all in Los Angeles. Other locations
had been considered, but the look of the trees in these parks lent themselves to
the film in ways that no other location could match. The twisted, gnarled
trees give an eerie feel to the whole film and enhance the mystery and suspense.
Also unusual for a film of this budget is the number of digital visual effects,
and their quality. Utilizing the latest and most powerful animation/visual
effects software available, messiah:studio, the award-winning software
behind the recent hit film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (and
countless other films), the creature
is being brought to life in record time and with a quality level previously only
available to major studios and multi-million dollar budgets. In fact,
several features were written into the messiah:studio software
specifically for Primeval, something made possible because
of The Flickerscope Company's unique partnership with
pmG Worldwide, the
company behind the multi-award winning messiah:studio.
Working with a creature designed by famed digital
effects artist and designer
Taron (Dogma, Battlefield Earth,
Spy Kids 2, etc.) and his wife Olivera, Technical Director Ron Griswold has used messiah:studio
to create an advanced animation rig that allows us to turn out studio quality
animation with an ease previously unimaginable.
And of course you can't have a Sasquatch
without hair, so
Worley
Laboratories' amazing, and aptly named, Sasquatch plug-in for LightWave is
being used. The quality of the fur/hair and the amount of control over its
application are crucial in matching the look to the live-action costume.
In fact, several scenes require applying a digital head to the suit, and the
match is perfect.
Click on the images below to see them full
size.
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Primeval
cast. |
Dr.
Helen Gilbert
(Amy Shelton-White) |
Janet
Combs
(Stacey Branscombe) |
Roger
Gordon &
Brian Stratton
(Matt Lattimore
& David Zelina) |
Roger
Gordon
(Matt Lattimore) |
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Dr.
Helen Gilbert
(Amy Shelton-White) |
Makeup
effects being
applied to "Brian." |
Dr.
Ethan Edwards
(Gary Sturm) |
Spencer
Combs
(Rick Holland) |
Louise
Keaton
(Juliana Dever) |
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Roger
Gordon fends
off the creatures. |
Tom Zimmerman
works on the
dead bear. |
Fred
Tepper
directs the Rangers. |
Director of
Photography Lowell
Peterson, ASC
lines up a shot. |
Cast
and crew
watch the video tap. |
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