VFX artists were impressed by the tsunami scene in The day after tomorrow. The 2004 movie with Jake Gyllenhaal and Dennis Quaid hit the world through a series of extreme natural disastersAs Jack Hall (Quaid), his son, Sam (Gyllenhaal), their family and the rest of humanity fight to survive the brutal conditions. 20 years after its theatrical release, the Gyllenhaal-led movie became a Netflix hit, as it earned the sixth spot in Netflix’s top 10 list of globally most watched movies during the week of September 9-15.
In a video breaking down VFX in past and upcoming movies, Corridor crew click glowing praise to the day after tomorrows tsunami scene and remarks on how it is old well. They compare The day after tomorrows tsunami to the depicted in other disaster movies and why this is more effective. An explanation is also provided of how the tsunami was filmed using a large water tank and how it helped set the precedent for similar scenes in the future. Read their comments below:
I’m not getting the crazy Hollywood Super Tsunami size, but it’s actually still massive and insanely scary without having to take on the Empire State Building.
It is not a huge wall of water coming through the city, it is a real situation where there is a tsunami and the water is just a trickle. They did something very interesting on the film, which is that they felt on a huge water tank full of cars, 200 extras, they had to clean the water and heat the water. They were filming in Montreal and then all the builds and the waves in the distance were all just set extension and CG added in. The movie came out in 2004, so it’s still kind of early days with large-scale water. Some of the guys who worked on the movie were the same ones who did the water simulations for Deep Impact, and this was only six years after Deep Impact.
All the foreground stuff with the actual water is really helping the sequence. You are just constantly reminded that these guys are soaked in water. All the images, especially in modern times, are all simulated in Houdini, which has the tools to do all the different aspects of the water simulation at once, whereas back in the day, they were literally inventing the tools on a per-shot basis. Basically almost, and I think nowadays you can almost say it’s all Houdini.
What this means for the day after tomorrow
This is a spectacle well done
Despite its 45% Rotten Tomatoes score, The day after tomorrow has kept its place as a memorable disaster movie, with the tsunami scene being an integral part of its legacy. When it comes to disaster movies, the spectacle is the biggest selling point, and The day after tomorrow Delivered that in abundance. At the same time, the visual approach to The tsunami is not as exaggerated as in some other movies but is still significant enough to inspire a sense of terror and awe..
The tsunami scene is impressive to watch and even more impressive when you hear about the complicated behind-the-scenes process that brought it to life.
By focusing on the rising water and the people on the streets of New York City being impacted by it, the story remains grounded in the struggles of the characters. This is part of the reason The day after tomorrow remains a popular disaster movie, vi The spectacle is matched by being invested in humanity’s fight for survivalEspecially where the Hall family is concerned. The use of 200 extras in a giant water tank helps emphasize the far-reaching impact of this latest disaster.
The Day After Tomorrow is another great disaster movie
The day after tomorrow is a perfect example of a movie that can be entertaining and stand the test of time without being a critical masterpiece. The tsunami scene is impressive to watch and even more impressive when you hear about the complicated behind-the-scenes process that brought it to life. In the last two decades, many disaster movies have been made, however Few have managed to be as impressive and entertaining as The day after tomorrow.
Source: Corridor crew