I have to say Johnny Depp didn't fit in this universe at all, as his celebrity status came across as bigger than the character. Sadly, it was one too many bad actors and terrible acting. The uneven pacing and poor direction gave me cause to yawn, The one thing that really got me irritated was the ensemble cast in this latest "universe". For a die hard fan, I left the cinema feeling betrayed and milked by a greedy film studio and an author who should leave writing screenplays to real screenplay writers. Luckily, we were able to make it work in CG by using the tail as a device to fill frame and give depth.What a disappointment! Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald was such a waste of time that I could have slept right through and woken up just for the final 15 minutes and never missed a thing. Occasionally, director David Yates wanted to make the Zouwu even bigger than was physically possible. “For example,” describes McConnel, “they would run through the streets holding these props. Depending on the scene, there was a variety of props that puppeteers used to represent the Zouwu’s head and tail, to help give an eye line and sense of scale. The Zouwu is a large creature, too large to be played by one single stand-in performer for the action shots during filming. Similarly, the fin-like tail was keyframed, while simulations added in extra motion. Framestore considered bioluminescent creatures as inspiration and then animated a timing guide that was handed off to the creature effects and effects teams at the studio to complete. In particular, the mane pulses with light from the base through to the tips of the mane tendrils. The Zouwu has, of course, many magical elements, including a mane that allows it to apparate. Underneath this tough exterior of a hugely powerful predator, there’s this playful, tender quality.” “That contrast was something we tried to imbue into the Zouwu’s performance. “There was this amazing sense of gentle affection – licking and nuzzling – mixed in with an abrupt demonstration of raw speed and terrifying power as the lion ran off,” says McConnel. To communicate that kind of emotion, Framestore’s artists found reference of a lion whisperer who had formed a close bond with a lion cub and then reunited with it many years later. One signature attribute of the creature is that it could at once be menacing and then equally reduced to a kitten in its behavior. However, for the body mechanics we also looked at lizards, since the anatomy more closely resembled a reptile than a cat.” “As a starting point,” recalls McConnel, “we looked at references like the Chinese New Year Lion Dance and ribbon dances for the head and tail motion. Rowling had referred to the Zouwu as a ‘gigantic elephant-sized cat that is multi-colored,’ which spurred Framestore on to find the right kind of reference.
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“One of our animators, Mike Brunet, created a series of animated vignettes illustrating how the Zouwu could burst into life in the ministry of magic after being surrounded by Matagots, the cat-like defenders of the ministry.”įantastic Beasts creator J.K. “We had a small animation team based in Leavesden that played a key role in shaping the Zouwu’s personality and performances,” says McConnel.
Framestore took on the challenge of crafting the Zouwu, with Animation Supervisor Nathan McConnel running down for VFX Voice how they brought it to life.įramestore came on board right from the concept stage for The Crimes of Grindelwald. The Zouwu is a giant furred beast with a lion-like mane and a magical tail, and happens to be as playful as it is ferocious. Easily one of the most unusual elaborate so far is the Zouwu, appearing in the recent Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. It’s a fair bet that visual effects studios tasked with working on a Fantastic Beasts film are going to have to deliver some unusual creatures and characters.
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