Archive notice: This article was originally published on March 9, 2015. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
To credibly create the A.I. robot "Chappie" as a full-CG version, the team used props as references. The CG character had to be created for more than 1,000 shots and can be seen on screen for around 60 to 70 minutes of the complete film.
On set, actors in grey suits played the role of the police robots. Former "District 9" actor Sharlto Copley plays "Chappie"; his performance was not captured using motion capture, but was used only as a reference for the keyframe animation. In addition, the actors were equipped with GoPro cameras, whose video material was used as the robots’ point of view in the film.
"Chappie" opened in Germany last Thursday and placed at number one in the cinema charts on its opening weekend, just ahead of Will Smith’s "Focus".
You can find more information about Image Engine, the VFX studio responsible, here.
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