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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Effects House Enters the ‘Underworld’

The newest creatures from character effects shop MastersFX came to the big screen recently in “Underworld Awakening.” The horror film, released Jan. 20, was the first in 3D for the Arleta-based company. The coloring and design of some of the creatures had to satisfy the discerning lens of the 3D camera, said Founder and President Todd Masters. “Adding the 3D aspect made this task even more challenging,” Masters said in a prepared statement. “It certainly elevated our game in the delicate art of monster-making.” MastersFX was new to the “Underworld” series. Seeking advice from Patrick Tatopoulos, the original creature effects designer/supervisor, and Steve Wang, an original creature effects designer, Masters and artists at the company’s Vancouver office created effects for the vampire and Lycan creatures at the center of the “Awakening” story. The latest film in the franchise starring Kate Beckinsale was the most creature intensive of the series, said James McQuaide, visual effects supervisor and executive producer, in a prepared statement. Filming in high definition and 3D left no room for error, McQuaide said. “The work that Todd Masters and his team at MastersFX delivered was exactly what this way of working required – perfection,” McQuaide said. — Mark R. Madler

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