Hyderabad based Creative Multimedia group‘s visual effects arm ‘Pixel FX‘ executed a major portion of the VFX for ‘Dookudu‘, the mega-budget Mahesh Babu starrer produced by 14 Reels Entertainment and Directed by Srinu Vytla.
Pixel FX is promoted by Raja Sekhar Buggaveeti, a movie enthusiast with 13 years of eventful experience in the Digital Media and Entertainment industry. A recent entrant in the VFX space, Pixel FX has already made its mark in Telugu cinema with its high quality work in three mainstream feature films so far. The studio has also contributed in part to the VFX of popular Telugu films- ‘Maryaada Raamanna‘, ‘Anaganagaa O Dheerudu‘ and ‘Don Seenu‘.
‘Dookudu‘ is the latest effort of Pixel FX. On-location coordination for the entire movie was handled by Satish Dayapule, VFX Supervisor, Pixel FX. A team of 20 VFX Artists at Pixel FX took 40 days to create 240 shots for the film. ‘Pixel FX‘ recreated some of yesteryear‘s moments for the film. The dynamic team comprising experienced VFX Artists such as Ramesh Gadiraju, Dev Babu Gandi (Bujji) and others created several seamless VFX shots with remarkable detailing to add depth to the visual narrative.
Talking to AnimationXpress.com Raja Sekhar says, “We are currently working on two other big-budget Telugu films. Work is on in full swing and the result is turning out far better than expected. At Pixel FX, every new project is a challenge and our studio‘s high quality standards ensure that there is no room for complacency. Having proved its VFX capabilities with four popular films, Pixel FX has earned a strong reputation as a dependable studio and is ready to pack a punch in its on-going project”.
VFX shots executed by Pixel FX for the film ‘Dookudu‘
The input (Before) which was originally shot with a hand camera and provided in 720 resolution was enhanced with stabilization, scratch removal, extraction and seamless colour correction for the entire sequence. The output was composited with the Red Fort BG (After) to give the impression that NTR, yesteryear‘s legendary star, is speaking from the fort.
The shot of the sparse crowd (Before) was digitally manipulated with crowd multiplication techniques to create a jam-packed arena (After). Shot stabilization due to the camera‘s panoramic view position proved to be a challenge which ‘Team-Pixel FX‘ overcame with ease. The alternating light intensity of dark and bright clouds in the sky was also worked upon for uniformity and scene aesthetics.
The original input provided was meant for a PIP shot (Television) on screen. The spoofs of two popular films essayed by veteran comedian M.S. Narayana demanded BG work which was executed to perfection by ‘Team Pixel FX‘. The result was so visually appealing that the film unit decided to have the shot not as a PIP shot but as a full screen shot.
The input (location of the shot) needed to be projected as a different location according to the script. Team ‘Pixel FX‘ got cracking by digitally erasing buildings in the background and replacing the cloud-dotted sky with a clear blue sky to maintain continuity of the previous shots. The challenge however was to composite the sky against a dynamic foreground with swaying trees. The team executed the shot to perfection.
The input (structure in the backdrop) was extended in 3D to create the impression of a larger structure and to reduce production costs.