Postviz creates digital 3D animations from shot footage to plan and visualize complex VFX shots during post-production.
Technical Details
Postviz typically utilizes 2.5K or 4K proxy material from post-production with a frame rate of 23.976 fps or 25 fps. Software such as Nuke, Flame, or specialized tools like The Foundry's Hiero process the raw data into rough composite drafts. This involves combining tracking data from the camera systems used (mostly from Resolve Studio 17.0 or higher) with low-poly 3D models. The output is in ProRes 422 HQ or DNxHD 185x for review purposes, while the final assets are exported in OpenEXR 16-bit Linear for the VFX pipeline.
History & Development
Industrial Light & Magic developed Postviz in 2008 during the production of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" in response to the limitations of Previs for complex action sequences. Director Michael Bay and VFX Supervisor Scott Farrar needed a method to precisely plan the integration of 40-foot-tall robots into live-action scenes. By 2012, Postviz had established itself as a standard workflow at Marvel Studios, after "The Avengers" utilized over 200 Postviz shots for the Battle of New York. Since 2018, real-time engines like Unreal Engine 4.2 have enabled interactive Postviz sessions during post-production.
Practical Application in Film
"Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015) used Postviz for 80% of its 2,000 VFX shots to combine practical stunts with digital environments. VFX Supervisor Dan Oliver created Postviz versions of all chase sequences before the final 3D landscapes were rendered. For "Blade Runner 2049," Postviz helped choreograph the hologram scenes between Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas, as the actress was digitally inserted in post-production. Marvel systematically uses Postviz for all Iron Man suit shots to ensure seamless transitions between practical and CGI versions.
Comparison & Alternatives
Previs works with rough 3D animations before shooting, while Postviz uses the actual footage as its basis. Techvis focuses on technical feasibility during shooting planning, whereas Postviz focuses on creative execution in post-production. Modern Virtual Production with LED walls (StageCraft technology) reduces the need for Postviz, as final environments are already visible during filming. For budgets under $50 million, direct compositing without a Postviz intermediate step often replaces the elaborate visualization phase.