Fuzzy Door Tech’s ViewScreen Brings Digital Worlds and Characters to Life on Disney's ‘Moana’

ViewScreen unlocks the bluescreen and lets the entire crew see sweeping oceans, endless skies and Tamatoa live on set

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fuzzy Door Tech today detailed how ViewScreen^®, its suite of real-time production visualization (ProVis^®) tools, was used on Disney's live-action “Moana.” Without ViewScreen, the set was a vast soundstage wrapped in bluescreen. The sweeping oceans, Tamatoa's glittering underwater lair and boundless skies of Moana's world were still months away from existing anywhere but in the imaginations of director Thomas Kail and the crew.

ViewScreen put Moana's world directly in camera and in video village. Now the director, DP, VFX supervisor and crew could all see the world they were building live, while they were still shooting. Creative decisions that would typically wait for post could be made on set while there was still time to adjust and reframe shots to get them right.

Oceans, Skies and Lava, Visible in Real Time

For a film like “Moana,” the environment is as much a character as anyone on screen. The ocean, the islands and the underwater world where Tamatoa lurks shape Moana’s journey and are all integral to her story. Without ViewScreen, the crew would have had to imagine all of it.

Seeing the digital environments, including oceans and skies, in real time gave the crew the ability to see what was being captured. It also allowed them to see exactly how much of the environment was in the frame and make informed decisions about blocking, lighting and cinematography on set.

The climactic Te Kā battle, an epic sequence set against lush jungle, fire, lava and water, would typically be created in post, long after production wraps. ViewScreen made it possible to previsualize everything so it could be played back in real time on set. This allowed the 500-foot lava monster, Te Kā, and the environment surrounding her to be visible to the entire crew while they were still shooting.

“‘Moana’ is exactly the kind of production ViewScreen was built for – complex environments and giant characters interacting with live actors in a world that doesn’t exist. Seeing composited scenes come to life on set, in real time, is what ViewScreen makes possible,” said Faith Sedlin, president of Fuzzy Door Tech.

ViewScreen Helped Tamatoa Hit His Marks

One of the film's most visually ambitious sequences – the Tamatoa scene, where Moana is held in the massive crab's claw – is a prime example of ViewScreen's impact on set. Rather than shooting against a bluescreen, the crew could see Tamatoa and the glittering treasure cave surrounding him, giving them a clear frame of reference for every shot.

About ViewScreen

ViewScreen is an innovative suite of ProVis tools that allows filmmakers to simultaneously integrate and animate anything digital – including CGI characters and virtual set extensions – with the real world, live during filming. From pre-production through post, ViewScreen accelerates workflows by delivering in-camera visualization, real-time VFX integration and immediate creative feedback. The technology has been used on major film and television productions.

About Moana

Disney’s live-action reimagining of the beloved Oscar^®-nominated animated adventure, Moana (Catherine Lagaʻaia) answers the Ocean’s call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with the infamous demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) on an unforgettable journey to restore prosperity to her people. The film is directed by Emmy^® and Tony^® Award winner Thomas Kail (“Hamilton”).

About Fuzzy Door Tech, Inc.

Fuzzy Door Tech is the technology division of Seth MacFarlane's production company Fuzzy Door. The company's ViewScreen^®, a patented suite of production visualization (ProVis^®) tools, lets filmmakers see anything digital combined with live action – in real time – and has been used on major film and television productions. For more information, visit viewscreen.com.

ViewScreen makes stories happen.