Killers in Eden : Orca CGi Computer animation VFX

I developed the "Happy Feet" Orca scene too, http://www.mckeewildthings.com
but these shots show my first ever attempt at 3D CGI animation, using Maya.
Hopefully not too bad for a learner's first attempt and miniscue budget.
These are from the ABC documentary "Killers in Eden" which I also appear in on camera. I am an Historian and authority on this extraordinary True story from Australian history and interviewed elderly eyewitnesses for the program.
I also built a full size animatronic orca model that was filmed on location in Twofold bay, Eden Australia.
The Orcas were modelled by my colleague/business partner Alister Ferguson and myself to match photographs of the real historical orcas from Eden in the 19th century.
I textured the whales and they were rigged for animation by Alister. All underwater shots were camera tracked by hand.
I animated all shots. Compositing by Alister, myself and a few colleagues, all working from home in our pyjamas.
On the strength of this work I was offered to conceive, storyboard and develop the Orca scene from "Happy Feet"

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Happy
• Feet
• Orcas
• Shark
• Vs
• Orca
• surfing
• Killer
• whale
• sharks
• cetacean
• Killers
• of
• Eden
• whaling
• CGi
• animation
• Walhaie
• Wal
• Walfang
• CGI-Animation
• tiburones
• asesinos
• de
• cetáceos
• del
• Edén
• la
• caza
• ballenas
• animación
• CGI
• chasse
• baleine
• orques
• requins
• Megalodon
• الحوت
• رائعة
• الرسوم
• المتحركة
• animated
• wildlife
• bromas
• cartoon
• hunting

[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.

[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.

[rorotherolo]

This is really really amazing, excellent work :)

[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.

[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.

[Shevina]

This is AWESOME!  Really.