Integration: Cause and Effect PART 1

Cause and effect is a concept I was first introduced to at Framestore when I trained in the comp department, and I started to gain more of an understanding since I began working at ILM. Cause and effect is essentially a bridge from object to scene that brings the two into the same world. Below is the clip from Speed Racer that got me excited to delve deeper and write a study.

Notice how car is tied to the scene with use of force, heat distortion and blue lighting affecting the curtain. That’s the cause and effect bridge.

In Temple of Doom, bullets are integrated in this scene with smoke and debris. The structures are also shaking due to activity and pieces of the hanging platform break when Indy swings onto it.

In Clash of the Titans, integration is on display as dust falls from the rope that Sam Worthington cuts, and there is dust interaction with the clothes line and character interaction with the dirt street.

In the same movie, the Kraken screams which causes wind to move the mist in the air and blow the clothing of nearby characters.

Next, let’s look at a scene from Zootopia. Notice how when the brick buildings collide, there is dust dispersion and more volume dispersion when the buildings are set back in place as they collide with the ground. There is also secondary animation: The planters bounce in the air and the lid on the trash can bounces as well.