Tell us a bit about your company.

Atomic Visual Effects is based in Cape Town, South Africa. We have a compliment of eleven very dedicated, talented and hard working 3D artists, slogging it out, under the hot African sun, to produce some fine pieces of (often award-wining) work. We are rather unique in South Africa as we work almost exclusively in LightWave and have done so ever since the company started up in 1999.

Why did we choose to go with LightWave? Quite simply, the overall cost of setting up a LightWave studio was much more reasonable than any other package and of course, the excellent renderer.

All of our current animators came to Atomic having never touched LightWave — it is not a common choice in South Africa. They all went through the Atomic Crash Course and pretty much learned on the job. It was never a problem because most were proficient in at least one or two of the other 3d programs and found it relatively easy to make the transition.

Our motives behind the Crash Course (aka Hellweek), are two-fold. Firstly, we are aware of how difficult it is for new animators to get out of the no experience/no work cycle and secondly, we always have an eye out for new talent! The Crash Course is a great opportunity for individuals to prove something both to us and to themselves. During the (very intensive) two weeks they create an animation in LightWave under the guidance of our animation director and are then assessed based on their performance.

Tell me more about the Crash Course (Hellweek) video.

Hellweek was written by our directors, Simon Hansen and Sharlto Copley. It is a great spoof on the classic American boot camp scenario, using our crash course as the basis for the 'hellish' training camp. Believe it or not it was shot on DV over a weekend, using the roof & interior of our building as the set. So it's not too far from the truth, if you think about it - although I can assure you that we do not electrocute our trainees nor do we dunk their heads in the fish tank!

All the aircraft and a surprising number of props were created in LightWave. To make everything sit together we had to downgrade our CG to match the live-action footage. It was also the little details we included that helped sell the shots. For example, when the Apache hovers in shot, we put a flapping CG jacket on our main character and added paper or leaves blowing around him - lots of small things that really add up.

Are those actual Atomic animators going through the training?

Yes - you invariably see at least one of our animators in just about every production that we do! In Hellweek the individuals being put through their paces, so to speak, are almost all Atomic animators and are still working at Atomic today.

We showed Hellweek at Resfest this year and you could just see who the animators were in the audience - it really struck a chord with them. They seem to understand, more than most, that the emotions being played out, although tongue in cheek are based in fact. I am sure that everyone of them at some point when they were just starting out said to themselves: "I could be a doctor or a lawyer and go back to the real world!" and wanted to ring that bell and quit! But, I don't need to preach to the choir - the rewards are there for those who stick it out!

I don't know if actors would have done as good a job as our animators did in Hellweek! That wasn't acting for them! ;0)

Are the animators you put through Hellweek already experienced in other 3D packages, or do you take non-computer animators on board?

Most of the guys and girls who do the crash course have had some experience in 3D - either having learnt another package formally or just played around with it at home. But we will take people on who have never touched a 3D package. What they all have in common is a passion for film or VFX and a desire to put themselves to the test. We fully recognise the catch-22 of no experience/no work that newbies find themselves in, particularly in South Africa. What we are looking for is talent and drive and the crash course is a great way for these guys to prove something to us and to themselves.

Who plays the sergeant major?

The sergeant major is the real deal - Sharlto Copely, founding member and co-owner of Atomic Visual Effects. He plays the role very believably, I am sure you will agree. He was totally in character the entire weekend of shooting - an absolute tyrant!