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The 33

Spin VFX, which has created stunning visual effects for over 75 features and 15 television series, including Emmy award-winning work on HBO’s Game of Thrones and most recently work on Columbia Pictures’ upcoming feature release The 5th Wave is pleased to share their work on The 33. A remarkable true story of 33 miners’ survival which has stirred the hearts of many and proved how enduring hope can be.

“ReconstructinThe33_008_ccg the magnitude of the collapse was challenging and exhilarating. We would like to thank Alex Henning and Magdalena Wolf for their creative direction and collaboration in realizing Patricia’s incredible vision. Our team did an incredible job and worked tirelessly to bring the traumatic experience and daring rescue to life”, says Neishaw Ali, Spin President and Visual Effects Executive Producer (The 5th Wave, Point Break).

VFX Supervisor Jeff Campbell and Supervising VFX Producer George Macri led the Spin team to deliver close to 150 shots to create a fully CG interior mine environment, augment construction vehicles and tools assisting in the search and rescue, and to bring the dramatic Megastone collapse to life. Multi-layered large-scale dust and debris simulations and dynamics brought the destruction to life to tell the harrowing story from the perspective of the trapped men.

The33_026_cc2“It was a pleasure to work with Alex and our team to realize the complex CG destruction sequences. We established early on that we needed to set up efficient ways of working with the massive sims that would not impede our creative process. We’re extremely proud to showcase our talents in handling significant CG heavy shots.” Jeff Campbell, VFX Supervisor (The 5th Wave, John Wick)

Disaster strikes on August 5, 2010, as a copper and gold mine collapses in Chile, trapping 33 men underground. With more than 2,000 feet of rock in their way, members of a rescue team work tirelessly for 69 days to save the seemingly doomed crew. Beneath the rubble, the miners begin an epic quest to survive, contending with suffocating heat and the need for food and water. With family, friends and the rest of the world watching, it becomes a race against time and a true test of the human spirit.

Produced by Phoenix Pictures and Alcon Entertainment. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Special thanks to Patricia Riggen, Robert Katz, Alex Henning and Magdalena Wolf.

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