Killers in Eden : Orca CGi Computer animation VFX

[rorotherolo]

This is really really amazing, excellent work :)

[TheArtsCountess]

The Orca scene in Happy Feet is probably my favorite part!

I've been wondering for a while, did you give the Orcas in that scene names while you were working on them?

[GregOrca]

@TheArtsCountess

Hi.

Kind of... I did give them names when working on them based on two of the Eden orcas just so I could distinguish between them in the maya files. But because we decided not to give them human voices and used real orca voices, I took the same philosophy in the naming. We didn't refer to them with human names as we thought they would have chosen their own unpronounceable names, known as "signature whistles"

So we mostly referred to "propellor chopped one" rather than "barry"

[GregOrca]

@TheArtsCountess

Incidentally the propellor chopped one is based on a still living New Zealand orca documented by researcher Ingrid Visser.

The orca had massive propellor scars so large we didn't think people would believe it if we modelled it accurately so we made smaller fresher propellor wounds.

If you look up the NZ orca known as "prop" you will see what I mean.

[SketchMyEtch]

One day i want to be able to make animations like this, underwater animals have to be my favourite thing :)

[777funfunfun]

hi greg

is this %100 cgi?...if it is, can you please email me your direct email address...i am a music composer/prducer and may have a proposal for you....

cheers...

please reply to...

warren@warrenthjomasproduction­s

[FirefoxMick]

That's really good CGi.

[GregOrca]

Thanks. On the strength of this work I was offered to conceive, storyboard and develop the Orca scene from "Happy Feet". I think the orca scene in Happy Feet turned out pretty well.

[Shevina]

This is AWESOME! Really.

[RoadRunnerLaser]

Nice...

Maya can produce some really stunning results.

Softimage can be nice too but I tend to find it kind of grainy.

I didn't realise that orcas sung... Or is that just a bit of "Poetic licence" ?

[GregOrca]

@RoadRunnerLaser

Yes, Orcas have those nice high pitched calls you can hear at the beginning, quite distinct from the Humpback noises in the audio that might be more recognisable.

The recordings I used though are actually Canadian Orcas and resident salmon eating pods at that, recorded by Dr Paul Spong.

Whale hunting orcas tend to be silent when sneaking up on whales, but are free to be noisy as they want when the attack is underway.

The whalers described their cries in oral history interviews

[RoadRunnerLaser]

@GregOrca - Cheers... I learned something new.

It's apparent that they're crafty hunters. I've seen footage of them knocking seals off small icebergs with their wakes... I figure that's only one of their various hunting techniques and different pods would possibly employ different techniques depending upon the prey and environment. Beautiful creatures, though.

[GregOrca]

@RoadRunnerLaser

Yes, have a read about "culture" in relation to orcas.

Orcas are one of the few species other than humans that clearly have "culture" the same way we have. Individual communities pass down learned behaviours by teaching, not instinct. Their ways of life are radically different between groups and similar to the snobbish ways humans keep to themselves, will also refrain from interacting . Their vocal dialects are often easily discernible by researchers.

[RoadRunnerLaser]

@GregOrca - I'll do just that... They are truly fascinating.

[vvelvettearss]

not bad, not bad at all :) I loved how smooth and seemless this was sometimes a little TOO smooth but very realistic indeed, if it didn't say animation I might not have bn able to tell!

[124yuppers]

This is amazing!

[FreedomForOrcas]

This is beautiful!

[willowspeaks]

Only CAPTIVE orcas get a curl in their Dorsals.?? Pretty sure.

[GregOrca]

@willowspeaks

These orcas are exactly modelled on historic photos of wild orcas from Eden Australia.

One individual had bent dorsal and was known as "Hookey". The other had a curled dorsal and was known as "Humpy".

If you look at the pics on my killers of eden web page you will find the photos dating from 1910 of Hookey and Humpy.

[GregOrca]

@willowspeaks

Unlike Nth American orcas that hunt grey whale calves, the Eden pods were involved in epic battles with full grown right whales, humpbacks, fin whales and even a 97ft adult blue whale. They hunted adult whales and often left the calves alone.

Receiving damaged dorsals was quite understandable.

[horseluver106]

@willowspeaks not necessarily there has been an orca to have a curved dorsal fin. its is only gravity that makes that happen if they are on the surface most of the time, so it could happen to any whale

[metridium]

@horseluver106 Sea World's desperate rationalizations for their Captive Orcas flaccid dorsal fins is completely unsubstantiated by empirical observation and data, clearly the fact that Orca dorsal fins have no bones or muscles for support is irrelevant to their stability. To imply gravity to be the cause is at the very least misleading. Sea World's Brad Andrews commented, "It doesn't mean anything really. I like it. It's a little bit different"

[124yuppers]

@willowspeaks 100% of adult captive males have curled dorsal fins along with some captive females. About 1% of wild orcas have curled dorsal fins, many wild orcas also have damaged dorsal fins.

[kinjablackrose]

@willowspeaks Their dorsals never actually curl, they flop :) Its from lack of calcium in their diet to keep the cartilage from going soft, it is common in captive orcas but does still take place in the wild :)

[sweetnessboy1]

@willowspeaks Actually, that's not true. Captive Orca's only get it because of how many times they jump breach and spend time at the surface. That can happen to Orca's in the wild to. 30 percent of all Orca's around New Zealand have completely flopped over fin. Healthy whales.

[ALoveForOrcas]

Very nice! ... keep up the good work!

[EmberPrincess]

wow that was some amazing work!! omg the graphics looked so clear and it almost looked real!!

[morgan1999123]

i think u were there its way too good to be animated i LOVE the part when they saved the people from the sharks gr8 video=)

[SidneyXda]

Thats how they ambush poor grey whales, :( especially the baby, they gang up and separate the baby from the mother . But before all that they head butt the mother, drown her, torture her basically. They are sadistic killers.

[taranakinz]

O sorry, i guess innocent baby orcas should all slowly starve to death then, since you know they have no right to live

[DonutGuard]

You do realize that there really isn't any better way, right?

Orcas are usually not even half the size of the mature whales they're attacking, the only thing they have going for them is speed... so they use that to their advantage by ramming into their larger foe until it ruptures internally, drowns, or exposes the weaker prey.

They're incredibly smart animals, and remarkable hunters. They've even been known to show mercy to seal pups once in a while if that makes you feel any better.

[TruthinMe44]

@SidneyXda That's nature. It's the food chain.  To call them sadistic killers is completely inaccurate and shows lack of knowledge or basic understanding of the animal kingdom.

[LaFloful]

that's nature. and they are humpack whales.

[GregOrca]

Thanks for the nice comments folks.

On the strength of these shots and my Orca knowledge I was asked by Dr George Miller to conceive, storyboard and choreograph the orca scene in "HappyFeet".

Dr George and I directed the crew from Rythmn and Hues who did the final work on that.

I think that turned out pretty well too

[akos12345678]

the orcas saves the humans lifes ??? or what

[GregOrca]

Yes, the orcas protected people from sharks and lifted people to the surface who were drowning.

Protecting and assisting members of their own pod is natural for orcas.

Because they co-operated with humans for so many decades they interacted with humans as if humans were pod members too.

Conversely the Davidson whaling family and Yuin tribe claimed that the killers were

"part of their family"

[marilynnblock]

My question i, , is this authentic orca behavior or a human's concept of what orca's do.? I hate orcas being called "killers". Humans eat EVERYTHING that's alive from insects to whales.

[GregOrca]

Yes this is thoroughly documented historic fact.

All orca groups have unique cultures, so Nowegian orcas or Washington State orcas may never exhibit the same behaviour as the Eden orcas but some orca cultures focus on killing marine mamals and this pod ate both baleen whales, seals and fish.

Their protection of humans is also well documented from numerous independent 1800s diaries and newspaper accounts and eyewitness accounts.

Check out the website KillersofEden com

[MsCarter8705]

I hate the term too. Orca isn't much better though because its literal translation is "demon from hell". Its just a very bid dolphin and it can eat anything it wants

[WildOrcas]

Awesome I really love this video well done..

[RavenOrca]

Wow... Cool!!!!!!

[Orkid8591]

Amazing. Well done.

[bettiena]

Amazing. Well done!

[OrcaAmy]

thank you

[LoveforOrkid]

Wow, this is amazing.

[BelieveLover]

Amazing!

[OrcaAmy]

wow thats so amazing. i too am interested in the killer of eden. the relationship they had with the whalers is one of the most amazing historical relationships between man and whale that ive seen. great job im hoping to get killers in eden dvd soon. if u have a link where to get it plz send it :) thnx

[GregOrca]

If you google "killers in Eden DVD" you will find a link to the nature pbs webshop. Hope that helps

[Corkylover08]

awesome job!!! I loved it!