MPC created the visual-effects for a number of key sequences in Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix – the latest instalment in JK Rowling and Warner Bros Pictures’ adventures of the boy wizard. Directed by David Yates, the film is enjoying record opening-weekend box office sales.
MPC's visual-effects work included fire effects for fireworks, the marble staircase and more fire and the breathtaking climactic Atrium battle featuring the Fire serpent and water prison. The team once again carried out Voldemort’s digital nose job and extensive set extensions.
The majority of MPC’s work was created in Maya and Shake. The fireworks seen tormenting Dolores Umbridge – Professor Dumbledore's hated replacement – were enhanced using a proprietary shader which replicates real firework colour temperatures and uses each particle as an individual light source. Other elements of MPC’s work saw the team re-visit the nose replacement compositing pipeline developed for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Similarly, the wand duel effect from the previous movie was further developed for the atrium based battle between Harry and his nemesis, Voldemort.
Bespoke particle systems were exploited for the ‘shockwave’ and ‘sand tornado’ sequences with the PAPI rigid body dynamics system allowing fast and accurate simulations of shattering glass seen in the explosion shots. The Atrium battle sequence was one of the biggest challenges and required a wide range of effects work. Huge scale set extensions complete the atrium environment, and hydro simulations used Flowline to create realistic fluid effects for the fantastical water serpent and swirling fire.