“The Gray Man” is an action film adapted from Mark Greaney’s eponymous novel and directed by the multi-award-winning Anthony and Joe Russo. Bringing together a stellar cast, including Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Dhanush, and Regé-Jean Page, the film tells the story of a shadowy CIA agent who uncovers damning agency secrets during a mission in Bangkok. As a result, he is hunted across the globe by various international organizations and groups, including his former employer, and a sociopathic assassin who has put a bounty on his head. After a limited theatrical release on July 15, 2022, the film was streamed on Netflix a week later, becoming the sixth most-watched film of all time on the platform, amassing an impressive 139,300,000 views in its first 91 days.
Eager to work with the latest technology to create shots and experiences that have never been seen before, the film production collaborated with several VFX vendors, including The Yard. Our studio, the only one based in France, worked on 270 VFX shots, including the creation of stunning visual effects that contributed to the film's dynamic and immersive experience.
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SCOPE OF WORK
Travelling the world up to the middle of the jungle
Netflix’s The Gray Man is a globe-trotting thriller both on and off the screen, taking audiences around the globe, sprawling from North America to Europe and Asia. The film was indeed shot on location around the world but still required the creation of eight CG environments with extensive DMP work.
The main sequence The Yard worked on required creating an entire landing strip, concealed within Thailand’s jungle. Initially shot on an airport runway, our teams had to deliver an extensive environment work, including the creation of vegetation.
The Yard also worked on the finest details of creating skylines with CG buildings and other assets at various locations and times of the day.
Creating and animating CG vehicles
For this main sequence, our team was entrusted with creating a CG plane and tuktuk.
Additionally, our team was responsible for a sequence requiring the creation and animation of a CG train. This included adding subtle effects alongside the train track, such as moving rocks, to enhance the realism of the scene.
Mastering lighting and final touches
With the multiplicity of places under various climates and the large array of times of the day involved in the storytelling, our lighters paid a particular attention to render scenes, incorporating interactions with live-action plates. They took great care of light interactions, especially reflections on vehicles and windows, to ensure visual authenticity.
With the amount of details and tiniest elements, our compositing team integrated CG renders and matte paintings seamlessly into plates, simulating lens imperfections, depth of field, and glares for a cohesive visual narrative.
I'm so happy we were able to get a chance to work with you guys, it's been a real pleasure so far. All your work has been amazing and consistent and we thank you for all the hard work.
Thank you so much for The Yard team’s hard work and excellent final product. You were all an absolute pleasure to work with and I’m very much looking forward to continuing with you on the next project.
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