Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

The Tablet of Ahkmenrah keeps all our favourite NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM characters alive and ready to cause chaos in SECRET OF THE TOMB. When the magic starts to wither away and put our heroes at risk, Larry (Ben Stiller) travels to London to look for answers. Cinesite’s main task was creating the tablet’s death and regeneration.

One key scene begins with a close up of the golden tablet on the wall of the museum as it begins to corrode. The camera flies down to the surface at an almost macro photography distance, following the corrosion as it advances across the tablet.

It was necessary to create a CG version of the tablet to give more flexibility to the camera move and the magic corrosion effect. The team built an accurate 3D model of the tablet used on set, complete with detailed texture, created from sourcing images of rust and corroded metals. The animated leading edge of the corrosion as it progressed across the tablet surface was created in 2D using fractal noise tools.

Zave: “We learnt that with the right methodology and a large body of similar shots, it is possible to achieve a fairly large body of work with a relatively small team. In all, the team completed 87 shots to a high standard in just 5 weeks.”

  • Release date: 19.12.2014
  • Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
  • Director: Shawn Levy
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

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