“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” marks the final installment of the globally acclaimed and timeless franchise. Directed by the award-winning James Mangold, the film features a stellar cast, including Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Karen Allen, Toby Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, and Antonio Banderas, among others. Set in 1969, the story follows archaeologist Indiana Jones on the brink of retirement when unforeseen events thrust him into a race against time to recover a legendary artifact with the power to alter the course of history. This ultimate adventure takes the beloved character across the globe, with key scenes set in Morocco, Sicily, UK, delivering an epic tour du monde. Staying true to the franchise’s tradition, the film masterfully blends historical grounding with supernatural elements, as highlighted by producer Kathleen Kennedy.
Since its release, the film has garnered multiple nominations, particularly for its visual effects, which required flawless integration with live-action footage. This monumental project involved 2,350 VFX shots, supervised by Andrew Whitehurst, with contributions from major industry players.
The Yard was entrusted with over 100 VFX shots, dedicating more than six months to crafting CG assets, set extensions, and an entire sequence for the film, showcasing their expertise and dedication to the project.
It was a pleasure to collaborate with The Yard on key sequences for "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny". The creativity and technical excellence was apparent in every shot they delivered. It was fantastic to see the attention to detail in the underwater scene with Teddy and Hauke, where a lot of storytelling had to be achieved in very few, action packed, shots. The Yard delivered beautiful work that perfectly fit the tone of the movie, and worked perfectly with the photography to realise James Mangold’s vision.
SCOPE OF WORK
Creating the town of Tangier
One of Dr. Jones’ memorable stops in “The Dial of Destiny” is the vibrant Moroccan city of Tangier, where the bustling streets set the stage for an exhilarating tuk tuk chase sequence and the pivotal moment when Jones attempts to persuade Helena Shaw not to sell the Archimedean dial. While production took place in Morocco, the actual filming occurred in the city of Fez, utilizing blue screens for some shots. The Yard team was tasked with digitally constructing Tangier in CG, meticulously capturing the authentic look of the late '60s to early '70s.
The scenes set in Tangier featured the town from various perspectives, including an aerial view from a helicopter, which The Yard team skillfully created and animated in CG.
Bringing life to the "Drain" sequence
One of the major sequences set in Archimedes’ tomb in Sicily features an intense underwater fight between Teddy (Ethan Isidore) and Hauke (Olivier Richters). As Teddy tries to escape his captors, he and Hauke are swept into a drain with a powerful water current, pulling them underwater. The initial footage was shot in a pool, and The Yard team was tasked with creating the entire environment in CG, bringing the scene to life and enhancing the fluidity and realism of the fight movements.
The team began the visual development process by concentrating on the movement of flashlights filmed on location, carefully considering the water dynamics and the texture of the inner walls of the drain.
The lighting was meticulously crafted, taking into account the flashlight's beam, its movement, color, and reflections, along with the subtle natural light filtering from above, as the drain was situated within a cave.
The extensive FX work involved designing a dynamic river and its flow, creating a churning roll effect at the tunnel drain's end, and adding white water elements, including foam, splashes, and aeration bubbles trapped against the end stone gate. These effects were animated to ensure a cohesive flow across various water stream levels. To heighten the intensity of the fight, additional bubbles were placed around the characters, accentuating their movements in the swiftly flowing river. The final step was complex compositing, seamlessly integrating all these elements into the scene.
