Adelaide, South Australia—Rising Sun Pictures’
contribution to Twentieth Century Fox’s X-Men
Days of Future Past centered on a time-bending sequence in which
Quicksilver (Evan Peters)  displays his
hyper-speed abilities with spectacular effect.

In a scene set in
a Pentagon kitchen, Quicksilver runs about the room at lightning speed in order
to foil a group of security guards. As he does so, the camera enters his world
so that everything around him comes to a virtual standstill. Guards and mutants
appear frozen. Cooking gear, cutlery and vegetables hang in midair. Sprays of
water droplets from an overhead sprinkler system fall in surreal slow motion.
Bullets inch across the room toward Xavier and Wolverine. Capering gleefully
along walls and over cooking stations, Quicksilver alters the scene,
repositioning and disarming guards and plucking bullets out of the air.

The slow motion
sequence is an astonishing blend of live action, computer-generated objects and
extensive visual effects. RSP collaborated with VFX Supervisor Richard Stammers
and Director Bryan Singer to realize the creative vision of the sequence through
the production of scores of CG props, including frying pans, knives, pots of
boiling soup, carrots and bullets, as well as the omnipresent cascades of water
droplets. Each of these elements needed to be rendered in near microscopic
detail, placed precisely within the geometry of the kitchen and choreographed
to move and react realistically to lighting, other objects and characters.

RSP also aided in
integrating the speedy Quicksilver into the near frozen environment. That
illusion was accomplished through a combination of live action, a stunt double,
green screen photography, a partial CG body replacement and a shimmering “rain
tunnel” that forms around Quicksilver (caused by his swift passage through the
near motionless falling water). All of this had to work properly in 2D and
stereo 3D—and, of course, dazzle the eye.

Singer describes
RSP’s contribution to the film as “Truly!
Amazing! Work!” “It’s not easy to be ground-breaking and funny,” Singer notes. “The
work turned out incredible. I’m so proud of the sequence. I really believe that
what you guys have accomplished is something truly special Thanks for being
Super Stars!”

“The kitchen sequence is undoubtedly the most
memorable and awesome sequence in the movie,” adds Stammers. “Every nuance from
the plastic bullet emerging from the gun barrel to the bell pepper rolling out
the door has been crafted with an attention to detail so high, that people will
watch this sequence with wonder for years to come.”

With more than 100 features under its belt, RSP has
developed a rock solid workflow that enables it to manage large and complex
visual effects projects with peak efficiency. “We build on what we’ve learned
from previous shows,” says RSP Visual Effects Supervisor Tim Crosbie. “We’ve
been challenged in the past in terms of asset management and through those
experiences we’ve built systems to manage complexity and revisions. It’s one
thing to create a lot of assets; it’s another to be able to control them and
know that nothing is going to break.”

Crosbie adds that pulling off a sequence like Quicksilver’s
romp through the Pentagon is more than a matter of managing data. It also
requires a flair for the dramatic. “This work is grounded in realism,” he
says. “Even though it’s a fantastical event you still want to feel as though
you are there. The biggest challenge is to find that balance between an
exciting, magical event and one that looks real.”

About Rising Sun Pictures:

Rising Sun Pictures are a passionate team of producers,
artists and technicians, known globally for delivering complex visual effects
on high profile feature film and television projects. Our clients are inspired
by the creative and technical solutions we deliver, and our team is integral in
providing a truly collaborative experience. RSP’s recent film credits include
X-Men: Days of Future Past, Gravity, The Seventh Son, The Wolverine, The Great
Gatsby, The Hunger Games, Prometheus, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Green
Lantern and the final five Harry Potter films.   
More Info at http://www.rsp.com.au