Exclusive: Check out the early-stage CGI used in Captain America: Brave New World

The visual effects company Digital Domain has unveiled an exclusive clip for DailyTech, highlighting the intricate work behind one of the crucial scenes in Captain America: Brave New World. The scene, spanning over eight minutes, depicts Captain America (Anthony Mackie) and the Falcon (Danny Ramirez) intervening in a dogfight over the Pacific Ocean between US and Japanese forces, potentially averting a large-scale conflict.

What sets this scene apart is its predominantly CGI nature. Previsualization supervisor Cameron Ward explained to DailyTech, “There was a lot of footage where they captured Anthony Mackie on all these wires. But by the time it was over, it was all CG.”

The previsualization (previs) clip offers a glimpse into the early-stage CGI process used to construct the scene entirely from scratch, including the vast open-ocean backdrop. Ward noted that the primary challenge was not creating such a vast space but rather portraying the high-speed movements of the characters and objects.

“The biggest challenge with this scene was the speed at which everything was moving,” Ward stated. “We had 600-mile-per-hour missiles flying through the air above an open ocean that we had to build from scratch. You have to set up your camera in a way that feels like Cap just flew by at 600 miles an hour chasing after them. So we had to ask ourselves, how do we visualize that?”

Creating the characters wasn’t the only challenge

Developing the clouds posed a significant challenge for the team. Digital Domain devised its proprietary cloud shader tool to ensure accurate sizes, shading, textures, shadows, and opacity levels, mimicking real cloud formations. The team layered multiple cloud renderings to achieve varying brightness and depth, similar to natural clouds.

Lighting and shadow played a crucial role in Digital Domain’s work. The scene unfolding over a reflective surface like water demanded precise recreation of sunlight reflections on the ocean. Additionally, creating shadows added to the photorealistic appeal, with meticulous attention given to every frame featuring jets or characters flying through the air to cast realistic shadows on the ocean below.

Prior to Captain America, Ward had contributed to several major projects such as The Last of Us, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Thunderbolts*. He described Brave New World as his most extensive project to date, with Digital Domain dedicating a year to the film’s production. Ward shared, “I’ve been with DD for five years, and this is the biggest, longest sequence I’ve ever worked on. It actually became much more CG than intended as the project went on, after they realized some of the plates didn’t work because of things like reflections in the shot.”

Viewers can now enjoy Captain America: Brave New World from the comfort of their homes. The Marvel movie will be available on DVD and Blu-ray from May 13. Disney+ subscribers can stream the film on the service starting May 28.