Monstrous effects: Tippett Studio's monster destroys digital Manhattan.(backdrop)(Interview)

Producer JJ Abrams and director Matt Reeves tried to keep the main focus of their recent film Cloverfield secret during months of pre-publicity. The strategy worked well, as moviegoers flocked to theaters to finally get a look at the monster that destroys New York City. Yet, the folks at the visual effects and animation facility Tippett Studio knew that monster well, very well. That's because Tippett' s team, helmed by visual effects supervisor Eric Leven and creative leads Tom Gibbons, Chris Morely, and Steve Reding, completed key dramatic and complex digital effects shots involving the monster and the deadly parasites, integrating them within the film's photographic and digital environments.

"The monster, which had been kept tightly under wraps by the filmmakers, is garnering praise from film critics and fans alike for its fearsome contribution of murder and mayhem to the movie," says Jules Roman, Tippett' s CEO. Adds Leven: "We loved working on Cloverfield; it was a fantastic opportunity to breathe life into a monstrous 25-story character shown from a unique perspective. What boy doesn't grow up wanting to make giant monster movies--smashing buildings, stomping on tanks, and blowing things up?"

Tippett's crew was responsible for scenes including the carpet-bombing of 10 blocks of Manhattan, an entire sequence--composited together to look like a single shot--dedicated to the deadly parasites, digital rats, and a full-CG shot of the creature in all its glory that lasts for more than 60 seconds. In order to feel like it was part of one continuous take, multiple shots were stitched together to give the movie the aesthetic feeling of found footage shot by an amateur,

Here, Leven discusses Tippett's work behind this project.

Q What was Tippett responsible for in the film?

A Tippett Studio was responsible for all the creature animation and related visual effects in the film; anytime a monster is on screen, the work belongs to Tippett, with the exception of a few crossover shots that were created in coordination with Double Negative in London. So, the creatures, the building destruction, rockets, explosives, and other military weapons, and, of course, all the shots involving the smaller, deadly parasites.

Q You were also tasked with compositing the monster into shots?