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The Creature and Special Effects of Alien: Covenant – More Behind-the-Scenes with Adam Savage

Posted 25 Comments

Tested and Adam Savage are back with yet another behind-the-scenes video from Alien: Covenant. The latest video is focused around the special effects and the use of practical sets with an interview with Neil Corbould, Visual Effects Supervisor.

The video also features a segment about the creature effects in Alien: Covenant with interviews with Odd Studio co-founder and Creature Effects Supervisor, Adam Johansen, and Damian Martin, Creature Effects Workshop Supervisor.

“Adam Savage explores the massive built sets of Alien: Covenant and chats with visual effects supervisor Neil Corbould about the resurgence of practical effects to complement cg effectrs in blockbuster filmmaking. Adam also gets up close with some familiar Alien universe props in the creature fabrication workshop!”

Keep a close eye on Alien vs. Predator Galaxy for the latest on Alien: Covenant! You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get the latest on your social media walls. You can also join in with fellow Alien fans on our forums!


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  2. cucuchu
    Posted
    Will be seeing movie a second time today, but on my first viewing I noticed quite a bit of practical xenos but with CGI layered on top. I will pay attention to which shots specifically but the only times I saw it as pure CGI was when it was running on all 4 limbs and climbing. Of course, the xenos did a lot of that...

    Still, I thought everything looked great and the only time it really jumped out at me (as someone who looks for it, probably not the average viewer) was the neomorph birth when it is just starting to stand up (after it sheds its blood sack membrane junk, that part looked AWESOME), and when the Neo ran up the wall of the temple.
    Reply
  7. Bruin
    Posted
    OmarVel1692 Couldn't agree more. That shot of the Xenomorph slowly entering/walking into the hanger at the climax looked terrifying. Was great to see the practical suit in use there. It's just a shame it was a blink and you miss it moment. :( 
    Reply
  8. irn
    Posted
    The most-CGI looking part I can recollect was when David was watching it moving around the ship on the security cameras and the xenomorph went down through a hatch on a ladder. It looked just very over-animated.
    Reply
  9. zoidy
    Posted
    I've said it before - much of the criticism of things looking fake in cgi are about seeing something on screen we know in the back of our brain isn't actually there and isn't possible (or very unlikely) as a practical on set object. Even when it looks great.
    Reply
  10. markweatherill
    Posted
    I am not that bothered as a viewer if a particular effect is achieved using 'practical effects' or CGI. It just has to look convincing and not eject me from the movie. I couldn't tell which portions of this film had green screen or matte paintings; it just worked.

    But CG blood never looks right! It certainly took away from the backburster scene for me.
    Reply
  11. C91_SJ
    Posted
    Quote from: locusta on May 17, 2017, 04:22:26 PM
    Yes! Yes! and YES!

    Can only triple agree to that. Beside David´s workshop abominations and facehugger and eggs, there was not a single practical creature shot in my observing eye. Maybe the inner mouth attack one was a prob effect. Well, well, at least the creature creatures had a good job and did great art. I deeply hope that we get more and closer look at these in the coming books and BluRay extra disc.

    Spoiler
    I wondered if the shot from the working machine the Alien tried to escape (when it's head stuck out from the shattered window) was a practical effect. To me it looked rather natural (even though CGI pimped).
    [close]
    Reply
  12. OmarVel1692
    Posted
    Actually I could catch more practical effects scenes in the movie: the head during the shower attack, the tail hiding again after touching the girl in the shower was totally practical, the scene were the xeno entered the zone of the las fight with daniels...that alien just walking was practical too and it looked creepy as f**k in that very human way to move (then it started to be in all four again xD), the dead neomorph was practical too, and obviously shaw
    Reply
  18. irn
    Posted
    Quote from: darcevil on May 17, 2017, 06:28:47 PM
    Reminds me of The Thing (2011), where most of the movie was shot practical and then the bean counters inisted it be replaced with CGI. Wish I could get inside some of these execs heads to see why they inist so much on CGI when the audiences for these are just begging for practical effects.

    That was criminal what happened with the practical effects in The Thing (2011). Whoever made that decision should be kicked out the industry.
    Reply
  20. Vertigo
    Posted
    I don't think heavy CG painting onto a practical entity works well. It allows more interactivity than straight CG and more freedom for embellishment than practical alone, but it usually still retains CGI's uncanny valley.

    Jurassic World used CG painting for its raptors too, and you just wouldn't know you're looking at a practical effect. Kind of the opposite result to what you want to achieve - making a real object look fake.
    Reply
  21. Ultramorph
    Posted
    I'm still looking forward to seeing the movie, but it's a bit difficult not to be discouraged by the creeping suspicion that the movie was dramatically reworked in the 11th hour. Hopefully they at least commit to the story they set up in this film.
    Reply
  22. darcevil
    Posted
    Quote from: locusta on May 17, 2017, 04:22:26 PM
    Can only triple agree to that. Beside David´s workshop abominations and facehugger and eggs, there was not a single practical creature shot in my observing eye. Maybe the inner mouth attack one was a prob effect. Well, well, at least the creature creatures had a good job and did great art. I deeply hope that we get more and closer look at these in the coming books and BluRay extra disc.
    Reminds me of The Thing (2011), where most of the movie was shot practical and then the bean counters inisted it be replaced with CGI. Wish I could get inside some of these execs heads to see why they inist so much on CGI when the audiences for these are just begging for practical effects.
    Reply
  23. locusta
    Posted
    Quote from: XENOMORPHOSIS on May 17, 2017, 04:07:46 PM
    Neat, though its a shame the majority of the xenomorph effects were cgi, perhaps they felt that the practical effects didn't hold up the way the filmmakers wanted.

    Neat, though its a shame the majority of the xenomorph effects were cgi, perhaps they felt that the practical effects didn't hold up the way the filmmakers wanted.

    Neat, though its a shame the majority of the xenomorph effects were cgi, perhaps they felt that the practical effects didn't hold up the way the filmmakers wanted.
    Quote from: irn on May 17, 2017, 04:17:19 PM
    Quote from: XENOMORPHOSIS on May 17, 2017, 04:07:46 PM
    Neat, though its a shame the majority of the xenomorph effects were cgi, perhaps they felt that the practical effects didn't hold up the way the filmmakers wanted.

    I agree.

    Quote from: XENOMORPHOSIS on May 17, 2017, 04:07:46 PM
    Neat, though its a shame the majority of the xenomorph effects were cgi, perhaps they felt that the practical effects didn't hold up the way the filmmakers wanted.

    So true.

    Quote from: XENOMORPHOSIS on May 17, 2017, 04:07:46 PM
    Neat, though its a shame the majority of the xenomorph effects were cgi, perhaps they felt that the practical effects didn't hold up the way the filmmakers wanted.

    Absolutely.

    Yes! Yes! and YES!

    Can only triple agree to that. Beside David´s workshop abominations and facehugger and eggs, there was not a single practical creature shot in my observing eye. Maybe the inner mouth attack one was a prob effect. Well, well, at least the creature creatures had a good job and did great art. I deeply hope that we get more and closer look at these in the coming books and BluRay extra disc.
    Reply
  24. irn
    Posted
    Quote from: XENOMORPHOSIS on May 17, 2017, 04:07:46 PM
    Neat, though its a shame the majority of the xenomorph effects were cgi, perhaps they felt that the practical effects didn't hold up the way the filmmakers wanted.

    I agree.

    Quote from: XENOMORPHOSIS on May 17, 2017, 04:07:46 PM
    Neat, though its a shame the majority of the xenomorph effects were cgi, perhaps they felt that the practical effects didn't hold up the way the filmmakers wanted.

    So true.

    Quote from: XENOMORPHOSIS on May 17, 2017, 04:07:46 PM
    Neat, though its a shame the majority of the xenomorph effects were cgi, perhaps they felt that the practical effects didn't hold up the way the filmmakers wanted.

    Absolutely.
    Reply
  25. XENOMORPHOSIS
    Posted
    Neat, though its a shame the majority of the xenomorph effects were cgi, perhaps they felt that the practical effects didn't hold up the way the filmmakers wanted.

    Neat, though its a shame the majority of the xenomorph effects were cgi, perhaps they felt that the practical effects didn't hold up the way the filmmakers wanted.

    Neat, though its a shame the majority of the xenomorph effects were cgi, perhaps they felt that the practical effects didn't hold up the way the filmmakers wanted.
    Reply
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