Conference The State of VFX VFX for Episodic
ON SITE König-Karl-Halle presented by Unreal Engine Wednesday, May 04, 12:30

Creature Ideation & Realisation for the World of Witcher Season 2

In this presentation Madeleine Spencer will present key elements from the Cinesite pipeline in the realisation of two creatures from the Witcher Season 2, The Basilisk and the Chernobog. 

Considered design is the cornerstone of every iconic creature.  Each aspect of the pipeline, from start to finish, should be guided by a consistent notion of shape language, colour palette, and anatomy, whilst remaining adaptable to the inherent changes between concept and final on-screen beast.   Focusing on informative case studies from Cinesite's concept driven asset pipeline, in this presentation Madeleine will break down how the artists at Cinesite make this happen. 

Madeleine Scott Spencer

Madeleine Scott Spencer, Cinesite Head of Assets & Visual Development, Cinesite

As Head of Assets and Visual Development at Cinesite, Madeleine’s role is pivotal to every production.  An expert in visually interpreting film-makers’ ideas, she drives and inspires the work created by the visual effects team.   Madeleine’s expertise is wide-ranging. She is an accomplished artist, having studied classical figurative sculpture at the Florence Academy of Art.  She has also performed cadaver lab studies in support of anatomy projects.  “When creating creatures,” she explains, “You need those touchstones in physiological reality.  No matter how fantastical the creature, without anatomical realism it just won’t ring true, it won’t be believable.”   One of the world’s foremost experts in the digital sculpting tool ZBrush, Madeleine has released several highly-regarded text books and numerous manuals and video tutorials for the ZBrush community.  She has also taught Advanced Digital Sculpting, Anatomy and Creature Design at the prestigious Gnomon School of visual effects for the past 15 years.   Madeleine's credits range from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug to Wonder Woman, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and of course, the most recent season of The Witcher.