Natalie Portman’s Oscar-winning thriller with an RT score of 85% receives rave reviews from visual effects artists 14 years later

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Natalie Portman’s Oscar-winning thriller with an RT score of 85% receives rave reviews from visual effects artists 14 years later

Thriller 2010. Black swanstarring Natalie Portman, receives detailed praise for its clever use of computer effects. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, the film is about ballerina Nina Sayers, who loses her grip on reality due to having to compete for the dual roles of White and Black Swan in Swan Lake Upon release, it was a success with both critics and audiences. The imagery used to convey Nina’s unraveling left a lasting impression, and the visual effects that made it happen have impressed professionals 14 years later.

In my latest entry in my series of reactions to visuals: Corridor brigade members Sam Gorski, Ren Weichman and Jordan Allen discuss the scene in which Nina Portman looks at her reflection while standing between two mirrors. Instead of the endless reflections that are usually seen, one of Nina’s reflections scratches her shoulder and then turns to look at her. After some thought about how it was done, Allen went on to break down the throw and explain what made it especially difficult:

They shoot from behind the response mirror, and then for the element in reflection, that is, on green. [screen]. They correspond to the light. Same camera movement, but interestingly, it’s just the intended camera movement… Since it’s not motion control, meaning both camera movements are identical, the composer has to stabilize one frame and then track it into the original frame. They only merge into the right shoulder of her arm after the interaction with the woman is complete, which is a great subtle way to introduce him, and then they use the head wipe to leave… Super well done.

What visual effects meant for Black Swan

The film’s subtle approach meant better immersion


Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is dressed as a black swan on stage in the movie Black Swan.

Black swan At the time of its release, it was nominated for almost 200 awards, including a BAFTA nomination for Best Visual Effects. Visual effects were handled by Look Effects, Inc., led by visual effects supervisor Dan Schrecker. Schrecker, who attended film school with Aronofsky. helped take the film to the next level and further strengthened the psychological thriller.

The approach to visual effects allowed the audience to truly believe in the world being presented, even when the images became impossible.

Although some of the film’s 250 shots, such as Nina’s transformation into a real black swan on stage in Black swanThe ending is very noticeable, many are barely noticeable if at all. This grounding is crucial to the film’s overall effect, as the audience experiences Nina’s break with reality from her point of view, and her hallucinations must be played out as if they were real. The approach to visual effects allowed the audience to truly believe in the world being presented, even when the images became impossible.

Our take on the visuals in Black Swan

A key part of Darren Aronofsky’s masterpiece

Black swan was another feather in director Darren Aronofsky’s cap. The Academy Award-nominated director has made a career out of making surreal and often unsettling films, but each one has an element of familiarity that draws audiences in. In case Black swanhe used visual effects to further illustrate Nina’s descent into madness, and the mirror scene shown here is a great example of how successful this strategy was.

Source: Corridor brigade

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