VFX pros explain why the sandworm ride in Dune: Part Two is better than House of the Dragon’s dragon-riding

VFX pros explain why the sandworm ride in Dune: Part Two is better than House of the Dragon's dragon-riding

As a seasoned film enthusiast with a soft spot for fantasy epics, I must say that both House of the Dragon and Dune: Part Two have certainly left their mark on me. However, when it comes to the art of dragon riding, my heart belongs to Denis Villeneuve’s masterful take in Dune.

There’s no question that the TV series House of the Dragon boasts some of the most stunning digital effects for depicting dragons on screen. Have you ever witnessed a clash between fire-spewing titans in the sky, like the one at Rook’s Rest where Meleys, Sunfyre, and Vhagar engaged in combat? Whether you’re deeply invested in the show, have concerns about its deviations from the original source material, or anything else, it’s challenging to deny that these dragons are awe-inspiring.

Could it be that in a recent video from the Corridor Crew YouTube channel, they analyzed some key scenes from House of the Dragon? While the visual effects on House of the Dragon might have left us ordinary viewers amazed, what about those who are interested in understanding how these visual effects are produced? Check out the video here:

How realistic is the dragon fire in House of the Dragon?

In the previous episode, the Corridor Crew discussed several intriguing moments. One of them was Vermithor’s fiery exhale, which scorched multiple dragon rider hopefuls in the penultimate episode of the season. Niko commented on how seamlessly Vermithor’s first breath was executed, as it singed Silver Denys while Rhaenyra looked on from a balcony overhead.

Jordan commented, “They truly emphasize the size of this creature since many of the shots are taken from ground level, looking up at this colossal figure.” He found it intriguing because the director claimed – something he’s skeptical about – that all the fire on display is real. However, the visual effects depicting fire look fantastic. They employed a significant amount of practical photography for capturing fire, constructing a flamethrower, apparently, to capture some shots or aspects of its fire-breathing scenes.

As a die-hard fan, I must admit that House of the Dragon’s fiery spectacle is nothing short of mesmerizing, but there are moments where certain shots fall flat for me, particularly one instance near the end – the grand display of Vermithor breathing fire onto the ground.

Often, enhancing an image with false lighting requires constructing a 3D model of the scene, but honestly, I feel that the benefits aren’t commensurate with the effort,” he commented. “I understand your perspective. It’s still superior to many movies.

VFX pros explain why the sandworm ride in Dune: Part Two is better than House of the Dragon's dragon-riding

VFX pros proclaim: Dune’s sandworm riding is better than the dragon-riding in HOTD

As a gamer, I must admit that my initial reservations about the inferno were quickly overshadowed by the sheer admiration I felt for the dragons themselves, particularly during the epic Battle at Rook’s Rest. The moment when Vhagar and Meleys locked in a fiery death spiral, engulfing each other with flames and tearing at one another as they fell to the ground left me utterly spellbound.

Jordan exclaimed, “This image is incredible! It portrays the fierce combat between birds of prey – they seize one another and plummet in a lethal spiral, twirling towards the ground. With the addition of flames, the scene becomes even more breathtakingly spectacular.

In essence, the act of riding dragons interrupted the believability for the team, as Clint humorously put it, “Riding a dragon just seems odd to me.

Jordan concurred, “It’s quite challenging,” he said. Here’s what makes it so mind-boggling: each individual shot of the dragon and the fire effects looks fantastic, almost too good. However, when it comes to incorporating an actor riding one of these beasts, they need to go all out in terms of how the rider is being tossed around. They did have a device called ‘the Bull’ – essentially a large mechanical bull. It was filmed using a mix of half-volume and bluescreen, creating this unique hybrid. The camera mount system even had the same programming as the buck.

Clint praised the scene featuring a sandworm from “Dune: Part Two” directed by Denis Villeneuve, saying he was pleasantly surprised by how well it was executed despite his initial skepticism. In his words, “I thought it might be a bit rough around the edges, but the way [Villeneuve] handled that scene? Man, I believed every moment of it.

Niko described how the sandworm sequences in Dune were filmed as if they were shooting someone actually riding a sandworm, requiring a film crew for each shot. The Corridor Crew episode features an interesting scene of Timothée Chalamet on a massive sandworm prop in the desert, which looks quite intense despite being just a prop that jostles him while he holds onto hooks attached to the worm.

Jordan wondered aloud, “It seems as though the action takes place primarily from the dragon’s perspective, but I can’t help but wonder, where do we actually see actors physically lifting off their saddles, experiencing the ups and downs of flight? It feels like we just glide sideways.

The conversation went full circle back to House of the Dragon when the group dissected the dust clouds shot at Chalamet while he clung to the sandworm, many of which were practical. To contrast, they pulled up what Jordan called “probably the worst sequence from [House of the Dragon],” when Rhaenys Targaryen and her dragon Meleys burst through the floor of the Dragonpit and ruined Aegon’s coronation in the penultimate episode of the first season.

In contrast to the scene featuring Chalamet, which was shot in a real desert with natural dust, the Dragonpit scene in House of the Dragon was mainly filmed inside a blue-screen room. The dust added later through visual effects was noticeably different for these professionals. Unlike in the desert scene, the dust in House of the Dragon didn’t dim the light as much, and it was hard to hide the fact that the extras being trampled by Meleys were clearly well-lit during filming. This discrepancy makes it less harmonious compared to Dune, where the artistry lay in making the dust hitting the camera appear both violent and intense.

Ready to dive back into it for a detailed comparison? I can’t wait! The dragon-riding scenes in “House of the Dragon” were impressive, but they seemed a bit overshadowed by the colossal sandworms from “Dune”. Share your thoughts below!

2024-09-27 00:41

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