Simulating The Incredible Hulk with Ziva & Goldtooth

By Irene Pu

April 28, 2020

To kick off 2020, Marvel is expanding their footprint into the world of role playing games in the form of a smart phone app. “Marvel: Realm of Champions” is a mobile RPG that reimagines the Marvel universe and 11 of its popular superheroes in a universe-wide battle themed around the
Secret Wars from 1984. Recently, we were tasked with creating an engaging game trailer to help hype the release.

Even with Marvel’s sky-high quality bar and the inherent pressure of showcasing 11 well-known CG stars, we were given only two months to bring the entire production to life. It is not uncommon for studios to work under such high-pressure conditions. With audiences constantly craving better looking characters and more of them, production companies frequently demand eye-catching results with extremely tight turnarounds. After the first mocap shoot and board edit approval for “Marvel: Realm of Champions,” we were left with only 1 ½ months to make it all happen. Keep in mind, the Incredible Hulk has been played by 18 different actors and starred in two films, five TV series and 11 games. So we had some massive green shoes to fill!

That said, we understood that our previous nCloth and PSD-based approach to character rigging just wasn’t going to make the cut for this high-stakes production. We were already encountering major tech difficulties on smaller productions, so we were forced to turn elsewhere. Not long after winning the project bid, we discovered Ziva Dynamics, a fellow Vancouver-based company thatspecializes in character simulation software. Their main product offering, Ziva VFX, is a Maya plug-in that allows creators to turn any 3D object into a soft tissue, such as muscle, fat or skin. The software’s advanced physics solver rapidly simulates the natural jiggle, stretch and excitation of these materials, so artists can build lifelike creatures that are highly dynamic and scalable. We had heard many positive reviews from close friends in the industry, so we made a point to get in touch with the team and learn more.

Read the full story in Digital Production.