The Hindu Business Line : Special effect

The beauty of our work is to make sure that the viewer forgets about the artificiality of the shot. We would be failing in our work if, even for a moment, a thought comes into the audience's mind that they are watching a computer-graphically generated shot," said Sharmishtha Sohoni, who works as a compositor at Sony Pictures Imageworks, based in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

She was part of the team that worked on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which was nominated for this year's Oscars. "We were slightly disappointed that Narnia got the Oscar for best make-up, whereas King Kong bagged it for best graphics. But King Kong was good," said Sharmishtha while vacationing in Mumbai recently.

Explaining her work she said, "I am basically a compositor.

It means composing one shot by merging several shots to make it appear like one! Like the last shot in Matrix Revolutions where the aliens enter the space station. I had to use 500 layers to compose one shot." Some of her work as a compositor includes Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Van Helsing, Legally Blonde 2, Bulletproof Monk, George and the Dragon, Open Range, Maid in Manhattan, Willard, Scorpion King, Final Fantasy and a few TV mini series, including Rose Red and Annie's Point. Sharmishtha, a gold medallist (1995-96 batch) from Mumbai's Sir J.J. School of Arts and College, is ad guru Sohoni's daughter. Her interest in art was kindled from childhood, and in computer and graphics during the last year of college.

After college, she joined Shyam Ramanna in Crest Communication, but when she got admission for post graduation in computer arts from Savannah College of Art and Design, Georgia, USA, "I jumped at it," said Sharmishtha.

From there it was a hop from one organisation to another till she landed a job with Sony. Explaining her work, she said computer graphics is absolutely gruelling — sometimes they work without a break for 18-20 hours a day and this goes on for weeks. "But I enjoy the creativity and freedom of imagination the work gives."

She recalled the time when they were working for Matrix Revolutions. They had a very short deadline — just about a month — to complete their work; it was all the more challenging because the audience of Matrix series was aware that the film mostly depended on special effects and computer graphics.

The company, Sony Pictures, ensured every one stayed put at the studio for days to complete the work, and provided food, bed and laundry. Even a hairdresser was brought to the studio! "But none of us complained because it was exhilarating to meet our deadline and we are willing to do it all over again," said Sharmishtha.

There is an increased dependency on computer graphics in Hollywood, and this has created a huge demand for computer graphic designers and compositors. Even for a simple shot that requires the film's heroine to carry a flame, a compositor is required. The actual shot is taken with the heroine carrying a tube-light, which emits light as similar to the burning flame as possible.

This raw film is handed over to the compositor, who replaces the tube-light with the flame torch and also ensures that not only the heroine's face but even her surroundings are illuminated the same way as if she were carrying a real torch.

About the huge success of computer graphics and animation films in the West, she said, "We work as a team. Every one knows that the success of a project depends on the collective collaboration of the work.

And before the actual shooting of the film begins, the storyboard instructions are so clear that each of us knows what exactly needs to be done. The computer graphics supervisor discusses every detail with the director of the film and then with every designer. So the work runs smoothly."