A movie like “True Grit” wouldn’t initially seem like the type of movie to have a lot of CG trickery in it, however Luma Pictures found themselves with lots to do in the movie to make the modern sets looks like scenes from the late 1800’s. In addition to modeling the town and buildings, they had various animals and environmental scenes to touch up or create from scratch.
On the outskirts of the town is a river that the main characters cross at a dramatic point in the story. Although the scene was shot practically, the Coens thought the river seemed too placid. Luma turned calm waters into a swift current by blending in CG fluid simulations and particle systems. “To add to the complexity, the water effects needed to interact with the actors as well as with a horse that was also digitally enhanced,” notes CG Supervisor Richard Sutherland.
via Computer Graphics World – Luma Pictures Saddles Up with the Coens for “True Grit”.
