REBEL 3199: The unique exaggeration of Space Battleship Yamato
A focus on “weight” – Behind the scenes of CG production
Published April 22 by Mantan Web. See the original article here
Photo posted on Twitter by AnalyzerAU09
A “Screening with Yamatalk” of REBEL 3199 Chapter 3 was held on April 22 at the Shinjuku Piccadilly Theater in Tokyo. In the “CG Edition,” General Director Harutoshi Fukui, Director Naomichi Yamato, Screenwriter Hideki Oka, and CG Director Masahiro Uechi took to the stage to talk about the behind-the-scenes of CG production.
Uechi, who has also worked on 2199, Ark of the Stars, and Age of Yamato, cited “expressing Yamato‘s exaggerated flair” as something he valued in the visual expression of the remake series.
He said “weight” is particularly important, and added, “If you only express weight, it’s difficult because the sense of speed is lost. Since most of the CG staff are young, we start by explaining it to them.” Fukui expressed his gratitude to the CG team, saying, “The sense of weight is amazing. The shading is different. Through shading and timing, you can feel the weight. The CG team is also handling the parts that would be done in filming.”
When the topic turned to the highlights of the CG in Chapter 3, Uechi commented on the activation scene of the omnidirectional radar room. “Yamato is a collection of designs. It was very difficult to depict the walls. It was an irregular shot that we don’t usually do in Yamato.”
Fukui praised the scene, saying, “The battle between Grodez and Yamato‘s rocket anchor…I’ve always wanted to do this. 3199 puts a lot of emphasis on the movement of the thrusters. The thrusters are really active,” to which Uechi smiled and said, “That was great.”
Naomichi Yamato chose his highlight: “The Wave-Motion Gun scene. It’s not shown straightforwardly. It was a lot of hard work for us,” and Uechi said, “There were a lot of effects.” Oka nodded, saying, “They’re at the bottom of the plasma ocean. The fluctuations are wonderful. It’s a good finish,” and Uechi said, “I was imagining the ocean.”
How to make Grodez: the CG Director Explains the Details of the Cannon Barrel and Explosion Effects
Uechi explained the process of “making Grodez,” including the rough model, modeling, and texture. It took about six months to complete the CG model, but he said, “Not all models take six months.” He also explained the CG production process, which involves placing the model in 3D space based on the storyboard and deciding on the timing, etc.
When the topic of “depicting the main guns” came up, Uechi revealed his challenges, saying, “I gathered up reference footage from previous works and explained the movement of the barrels to the staff. The movement of the barrels is also unique to Yamato. The pulse lasers are tricky. There are so many of them. Each barrel emits a beam, so each one needs to be controlled separately. The shock cannon is just right, which is good.”
The explosion scenes are also a highlight. “Some parts are done with hand-drawn animation, but most are CG. Explosions vary by the work, and in 3199 they were created from scratch. There are various explosions, from battleships to fighter jets. Previous Yamato works had many simulation-style explosions, but this work has a more hand-drawn look,” he explained.
There are other difficulties unique to Yamato. “The bridge of Yamato is very detailed. There are 200 monitors,” said Director Yamato. “There are exchanges on the bridge, and the seats change,” said Fukui. “There’s a lot of drama on the bridge. We can’t use the bank very much.”
Will Yamato be renovated? Fukui: “It’s going to be amazing,” “There’ll be things from the original…”
In response to a question from a fan asking “Will Yamato be remodeled in the future?” Harutoshi Fukui, the general director, revealed, “It will change a lot.”
Fukui hinted, “The basic model of Yamato is the same as in 2205, and it has decorations. If you ask whether it will change drastically, it will change a lot. The inside will be amazing. There will be things from the original. It’s close to that, but even more amazing. I’m confident. Please look forward to it.”
The third chapter also depicts the interactions between children such as Fleur, a citizen of Dezarium who settles as part of the Earth occupation plan, and Tsubasa Kato, the only son of Saburo Kato, who died in the Gatlantis war. Director Naomichi Yamato said, “Fleur is not just an enemy or an alien. She is connected to the theme.” Fukui nodded and said, “There is an episode coming up featuring the two of them.”
There are still many mysteries surrounding Yamato 3199. Fukui concluded by saying, “There are still quite a few surprises left. Please look forward to those as well.”
Backstage photo posted on Twitter by the Yamato Production Committee