- Before being awarded an Oscar for "1917" by Sam Mendes, Guillaume Rocheron was awarded in 2013 for "The Odyssey of Pi" by Ang Lee.
- The work of this specialist in visual special effects is all the more amazing that one does not notice it.
What is the common point between the mystical tale The Odyssey of Pi by Ang Lee and the 1917 war film by Sam Mendes? His name is Guillaume Rocheron, he is French, specialist in visual effects and received an Oscar for each of these two films.
" The difference ? The special effects of the first were flamboyant while those of the second had to be invisible, ”confides the almost forty-something in 20 Minutes . False sequence shot of almost two hours, the fresco of Sam Mendes, which comes out on Wednesday on video, gives the impression that the film is shot in one take.
Six months before filming
“We worked six months in advance to decide on the different angles of shooting with Sam Mendes and with the cinematographer Roger Deakins, explains Guillaume Rocheron. Everything had to be fixed before the shooting which lasted three months in order to be able to foresee the transitions between each shot. A team of six hundred people supported the special effects artist to bring the filmmaker's vision to life. “Sam Mendes had very specific ideas about what he wanted to see on the screen and our role was to create from scratch what could not be filmed in live action. This magician believes that his art uses cutting-edge methods to reconnect with the very essence of special effects, "undetectable for the public".
Differentiate true from false
Unlike productions based on universes and fantastic creatures, 1917 is rooted in reality. Guillaume Rocheron's mission was therefore to make each image realistic. "It is complicated to recreate decors and situations that the public could have known," he specifies. The spectator is more demanding when we aim for realism. One of his greatest pride is the streak of the burning church. "When I am told that it is impossible to differentiate the true from the false in the film, I believe that I have achieved my mission," he admits. Hollywood is snatching up to this gifted man who has since signed the special effects of Ad Astra by James Gray. When is a third Oscar for Guillaume Rocheron?
DVD, € 20 / Blu-Ray: € 23, Blu-Ray4K: € 30 (Universal)
Cinema
"1917": Sam Mendes immerses his heroes in immersion on the front line
Cinema
Oscars: How villages in Pas-de-Calais found themselves at the heart of the plot of "1917"
- First World War
- Sam mendes
- Oscars
- Cinema