God has a grand design… Guess who has to build it?
When Universal Pictures’ comedy Bruce Almighty arrived at the summer box office on Memorial Day weekend in 2003, it blew audiences and box-office records away. Director / Producer Üom Shadyac had crafted yet another film that spoke to moviegoers’ desires to suspend disbelief and spend time following extraordinarily funny people who were put in outlandish circumstances.
In the `90s, the talented filmmaker had made a household name out of Bruce Almighty’s star, comedian Jim Carrey, with such comedy classics as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Liar Liar. Shadyac had also, along with comic actor Eddie Murphy, reintroduced a new generation to a lovable, unlucky college teacher known as Sherman Klump, a.k.a. The Nutty Professor.
Bruce Almighty would prove just as much a comic springboard for another man. The film was an explosive hit, earning almost one-half billion dollars in revenue at the global box office. In addition to the praise Carrey received, the world was quite enchanted by a polished, preening newscaster by the name of Evan Baxter.
The chief rival of Jim Carrey’s title character, Evan and his omnipresent smugness were rewarded with an interesting affliction by the all-powerful Bruce-the ability to speak only in a torrent of babble while Evan was on the air. And so was launched the film career of actor Steve Carell (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, television’s The Office). The comedian had previously found success on sitcoms and as a regular correspondent on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show. Carell’s scene-stealing performance led to parts in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and as the lead of NBC’s hit comedy The Office.
But it was the Second City alum’s decision to portray a shy, romantically curious electronics store employee named Andy Stitzer in 2005’s The 40-Year-Old Virgin that would officially put Carell on the star map. Four years after his Buffalo reporter had audiences doubling over, Carell returns to the role, playing the next one anointed by God to accomplish a complicated and hilarious mission in Shadyac’s comedy: Evan Almighty.
Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby, Bruce Almighty)-bringing his unique brand of sly comedy and quiet wisdom-also returns to the franchise as God, coming to intercede in the life of the Baxters with a command for the husband and father that will shake the very foundation upon which Evan stands.
Newly elected to Congress, Evan has left Buffalo behind to shepherd his wife, Joan (Lauren Graham, television’s Gilmore Girls, Bad Santa), and three sons-Dylan (Johnny Simmons, My Ambition), Jordan (Graham Phillips, The Ten Commandments: The Musical) and Ryan (Jimmy Bennett, Firewall)-to the suburban town of Huntsville, Virginia, where they will begin the next chapter of their lives.
As the Baxters become ensconced in their enormous home nestled within the pristine hills of northern Virginia, Evan prepares for his first day on the job as the freshman congressman from New York. The casually spiritual politico offers a prayer to God to “change the world.” Little does he know that The Man upstairs already has big plans for him.
Invited to co-sponsor a high-profile bill by one of the House’s most powerful members, Congressman Long (John Goodman, The Big Lebowski, television’s Roseanne), Evan is sure that his prayers have been answered. His crackerjack team of aides-assistant Rita (Wanda Sykes), chief of staff Marty (John Michael Higgins) and intern Eugene (Jonah Hill)-couldn’t be more thrilled at this opportunity, although Evan realizes it will take him away from his oft-neglected family. However conflicted, power is important to Evan, and so he accepts the offer.
Almost immediately, odd things begin occurring, and the self-centered representative’s life becomes officially turned upside down. From mysterious deliveries of ancient tools and large parcels of wood to curious stalkings by birds of every feather, Evan is certain he’s losing it. His certain descent into comic confusion culminates with a visit from a tall stranger claiming to be God who has one simple, albeit ludicrous, command: Evan must build an ark to prepare his friends and family for a mighty flood.
With the help of his three boys and armed with a first edition “Ark Building for Dummies,” Evan begrudgingly begins to build the ship, not knowing what’s in store once it’s completed. To his utter dismay, animals of all shapes and sizes begin appearing two by two, until a menagerie of God’s creatures inhabits the wooded forest surrounding his home.
That’s not the only thing changing. Evan’s normally manicured appearance heads south as his befuddled wife observes him transforming into a barely recognizable bearded, longhaired, robe-wearing weirdo. No amount of trimming, tussling or trickery keeps the beard from growing… and growing.
Despite being on the verge of losing everything he previously held precious, Evan continues to build for the flood that will either destroy the land or prove to be a figment of his imagination. And while all around him shake their heads and stare, one man must discover whether he is having an extraordinary midlife crisis or is truly onto something of biblical proportions…
And Bruce beget Evan: The Next Chapter in the Almighty Series
“Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.” – Genesis 6:14
Four years after the release of Bruce Almighty, Tom Shadyac remained intrigued by the spiritual. Though having declined offers to sequels before, he very much wanted to return to familiar territory with this next installment in the Almighty series. “We always thought it would be fun to make different chapters in a God series rather than just make a straight sequel to Bruce Almighty,” remarks the director. It always felt more fruitful, creatively, to spin off different characters.”
With Evan Almighty, the director delivers the uproarious laughs he provided in films from Patch Adams to The Nutty Professor-comedies interwoven with morality tales, done in Shadyac’s inimitable way. Whereas Bruce Almighty debated the question of where true power comes from, this episode of divine intervention delves into what can be forsaken in the pursuit of happiness, and the humor that lies in that conundrum.
The search for an actor with the comic versatility to step into the lead role proved a bit easier than any of the filmmakers expected. A 40-year-old virgin who just so happened to be an alum of Bruce Almighty answered their prayers.
Steve Carell’s small but standout performance as Bruce Nolan’s nemesis, the preening, über-confident newscaster who is reduced to a babbling on-air mess, was the perfect segue for the next chapter. Carell’s success on Virgin and his popular, Golden Globe-winning performance as manager Michael Scott on NBC’s television series The Office had recently further showcased his comedic talents. The filmmakers were impressed and excited about the possibilities.
Recalls Shadyac, “Steve did such an amazing job in Bruce Almighty; everybody remembers his scenes. He delivered some of the funniest stuff in the movie. We thought, Why not take that character and spin him off into a different film?’ We already had the basic idea where God would come to someone and say, `Build an ark.’”
Story-wise, the filmmakers envisioned their lead character as a polished professional brimming with ambition and self-importance, yet imbued with a genuine desire to make a difference in the world. It was a premise that Shadyac and the producers realized could fit seamlessly with the character of Evan Baxter from Bruce.
“For this film, we’ve taken the American dream to its nth degree, which has nightmarish consequences,” Shadyac comments. “Evan desires the biggest house, biggest car, biggest job-the biggest everything-but he doesn’t understand the cost of all that. He ultimately discovers that everything he does has a cost.”
Producer Michael Bostick notes, “There was something about the characters that Steve created that we thought would be great fun for God to come into Evan’s life. And it just so happened that not only did it work for story purposes, but it was a blessing that Steve’s star was on the rise as we were developing this movie.”
For Carell, the opportunity to reprise the arrogantly funny Evan Baxter was one he couldn’t overlook. The actor was interested in expanding his role because of the direction in which Evan, a character with relatively little screen time in the last film, could go.
He explains: “I think this story is more of Evan’s journey to find out who he really is, as opposed to who he’s been posturing to be. His campaign promises were about changing the world, but they’re empty. And along the way, he finds that a platitude is one thing, but an actual effort and a self-awareness is something that is only gained through pain, suffering or introspection.”
With the title character cast, it was time to check in with the Academy Award-winning actor who could be the only one to bring God back to the big screen: Morgan Freeman.
In 2002, when the filmmakers initially reviewed their casting options for the role of God, Shadyac maintained that Morgan Freeman was the only actor he could see in the role. Securing his return as The Almighty was paramount to the creators when considering any type of sequel. In their minds, there was no one else to don the whites and anoint a new messenger with a crucial and hilarious message. The director and producers agreed that Freeman-complete with his elegant dignity and infamously wicked sense of humor-was the only option.
Producer Bostick succinctly states: “There’s only one God, and there’s only one Morgan. He absolutely has that awesome, commanding presence.”
For Freeman, coming back to his role had everything to do with working with the director. “Tom so enjoys what he does, and people who enjoy their work primarily do things well. He is one of those people that I have an easy rapport with.”
The acclaimed actor is the first to admit that his niche is not always comedy. “Me, I’m not a comedian. Write it down, and I’ll say it,” he says with a chuckle. His philosophy is simple: “Learn the lines and be as honest as you can. If the material is funny and the timing is right, it will be funny.”
Working with the legend would prove a bit intimidating to the cast and crew, but Freeman instantly put them at ease, and proved to be quite the joker on set. Recalls Carell, “Morgan just wanted to be accepted like everyone else, and not with any sort of greater reverence. There’s such a calm to him and a confidence without arrogance.”
Armed with the triple threat of Carell, Freeman and another script written by Steve Oedekerk-a frequent collaborator of Shadyac’s on such comedy classics as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Liar Liar-Shadyac and the producers were on track to recreate the magic that made Bruce Almighty a worldwide box-office hit. Now, they just needed an arkload of animals.
Lions and Tigers and Alpacas… Live Animals of Evan Almighty
According to the Book of Genesis, God’s creatures instinctually gravitated toward Noah two by two. The filmmakers on the set of Evan Almighty, however, had to look to veteran animal coordinator Mark Forbes to oversee the selection, care and training for well over 177 different species brought in from all over the country.
From his first meeting with the team, Forbes knew he needed to surpass his past efforts on films such as Dr. Dolittle 2 to fill the prow of Evan’s mighty ship. “It’s Noah’s Ark. You have to have lots of animals,” Shadyac plainly states. “We have the most animals ever shot practically in a movie in show business history. And every animal you’ll see in Evan looks seamless and very integrated, as each animal was placed into each shot individually.”
Of the head trainer who helped work this magic, the director notes, “Mark Forbes is a miracle worker, and we could not have done this movie without him. He had to work with each animal individually, since each animal specifically responds to different things. It’s very precise.”
Forbes unveiled a veritable zoo that included lions, tigers, pelicans, leopards, giraffes, elephants, Kodiak bears, baboons, zebras, reindeer, camels, raccoons, cats, porcupines, dogs, buffalos and snakes, to name but a few. The menagerie surrounding them on a daily basis enamored cast and crew alike. Notably, animals were supervised by AHA representatives whenever filming of them occurred.
Of utmost importance to the filmmakers was to keep to the theme of Noah’s biblical tale. Shadyac wanted the animals to help build the ark with the natural tools God gave them (e.g., an elephant would “hand” Evan a piece of timber with her trunk or a crow would bring Evan a nail in his claw). The filmmakers didn’t want common gags, such as talking chimps and parrots rolling their eyes, to color the production.
Carell’s on-screen wife, Lauren Graham, remembers the surreal aspects of filming with her co-stars: “People will be amazed at how much the animals really could do. They’re incredibly trained. You can say specific things to the elephants and they understand. `Rosie, move your right foot. Dixie, back up to the ark.’ You just strangely get used to being close to these incredible animals and interacting with them.”
But it was Carell who ended up spending the most time with his furry or feathered, two- or four-legged cast members. “I probably had a harder time remembering my lines than they did doing anything they had to do,” laughs the actor.
Though amazed at the tasks that the animals were able to accomplish as they helped to build the ark, the actor had strong feelings about several of them. “The elephants, actually, were very soulful, as were the giraffes,” Carell offers. “There was an intelligence that you could see in their eyes. But the alpacas and camels were fairly disgusting. It’s literally an ungodly smell that comes from them.”
All of the animal training began weeks, and sometimes months, prior to their respective arrivals on set. Acclimating and training them for specific behaviors-especially for tasks that were consistent with their natures-was the norm on Evan Almighty and took the majority of the planning and shoot time for the filmmakers, including cinematographer Ian Baker. It also took quite a bit of nurturing from Forbes.
With so many different animals working so closely together, Forbes and his team of trainers made sure that exact safety precautions were taken during filming, particularly when it came to predator-prey issues with so many different species on hand. “I couldn’t put a wolf next to a sheep and have a nice, calm set,” he states. “Some of these animals are food to the others. So, we would film them separately to ensure it’s safe for the animals and safe for the crew.
“We would film the owls, and then we would put up a blue screen behind them,” Forbes continues. “And then we would film the pigeons flying in, and then we’d shoot the doves, and then the eagles flying in.” Often, domestic animals would take the place of wild ones for purposes of lighting. Two horses, for example, would stand in for larger, more dangerous animals such as rhinoceroses, which would later be shot against a blue screen and mapped in by the visual effects team-who provided many CG birds and mammals to complement the insane zoo-and compiled by film editor Scott Hill.
Director Shadyac was up to the challenge, but he wasn’t quite sure what he had gotten himself into by directing animals. “Seriously, we’re composing shots with these animals, and you’re asking a 1,000-pound bear, `Two inches to the left, Mr. Bear. Could you hit your mark?’ It’s a bear, after all.”
Animal harmony came at a minor cost to the human actors’ egos. Of Carell, Forbes laughs: “What a trooper. The very first day that we’re shooting with animals, we have him covered in pigeons and doves and blue jays. And he’s got bird poop all over him, and he’s got all these birds fluttering around, landing on his head. Steve’s been wonderful with them.”
God’s Funniest Mammals: Supporting Cast of the Comedy
The filmmakers set out to bring together a well-rounded ensemble of equally funny standout performers to complement their principal human and animal cast. Actress Lauren Graham, known for her role on the popular television series Gilmore Girls, joined the cast as Evan’s patient wife on the ark, Joan (yes, pun intended). The filmmakers were thrilled when the performer, whom Shadyac considers “one of the most gifted comediennes on television today,” agreed to be the better half of the Baxter couple.
Graham was interested in taking on the part, despite the hectic schedule of her shoot with her CW series. “I thought Joan shouldn’t be a traditional kind of congressman’s wife,” she notes. “This is all new to them. The Baxters are just moving, leaving their lives to go follow Evan as he pursues this new career. I wanted her to be softer, not stereotypical.”
Graham, who played opposite Carell for the majority of her scenes in the shoot, enjoyed watching the funnyman work his magic. “I’m the straight man to Steve’s imagination, and that’s been fun. He’s smart and spontaneous, which keeps you engaged and on your game.”
Known for his ability to elicit unforgettable comic performances from his cast, Shadyac encouraged his actors, particularly Carell, John Michael Higgins, Wanda Sykes and Jonah Hill-all who have strong improvisational backgrounds-to attempt new approaches to the material.
John Michael Higgins, cast as Marty, Evan’s harried congressional chief of staff, looked forward to working with a story that crossed several genres-biblical epic, family comedy and special effects extravaganza. “Evan Almighty is a wonderful mix of genres, but with any good comedy, you need a good story,” the actor notes. “The biblical telling of Noah’s story is a fantastic one. It’s got everything you want-it’s human, it’s epic and it has a moral. We’re only using a tiny piece of it and have obviously contemporized it.”
Though optimistic about the project, native Virginian Wanda Sykes was not thrilled about the upcoming weather battle. The actor knew that summers in her home state would be hot and humid. No matter how much she cared for the character of Rita, Evan’s no-nonsense assistant, she needed further convincing.
Sykes met with the director and was immediately taken by his enthusiasm for the project. “He’s just a cool dude,” she says. “You can just see it in his eyes, that crazy passion for what he does. He was so excited about the film. I walked out of the meeting thinking `Yeah! Let’s get on the ark; this is going to be fun.’”
The process and the end result were just that. Adding Sykes to the mix of gifted actors provided a backdrop ripe for good comedy. Shadyac comments, “I love these moments of creativity and spontaneity. I’ve watched Wanda get into her head for a second, and then come back with this gem.”
Another Shadyac alumnus, Jonah Hill, worked with the filmmaker on the last film Shadyac produced, the comedy Accepted. Hill had stolen scenes in both that and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and he reunited with Carell for Evan, this time as the eager-to-please intern Eugene. Like the rest of the cast, Hill was overwhelmed when he saw the ark, noting, “It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever seen, complete with elephants and giraffes and so many animals. I’ve never seen anything that massive before. It’s crazy big.”
The addition of Academy Award-nominated actor John Goodman to the cast as veteran Congressman Long added a layer to the story that further illustrates Evan’s comic downward spiral. For Goodman, keeping his stoic demeanor in place during filming was a lesson in self-control. “It’s hard to keep from laughing all the time; Steve’s so damn funny, recalls the seasoned character actor. “It has been a lot of fun to see him in action.”
Filling some of the smaller roles with comedic powerhouses like Molly Shannon (Year of the Dog, Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby) as hyper realtor Eve Adams and up-and-comers such as Ed Helms (The Daily Show, The Office), the filmmakers knew that all the players-no matter how little their dialogue-had to be humorous to make Evan Almighty work well. Creating a family-friendly movie was extremely important, and young actors Johnny Simmons, Jimmy Bennett and Graham Phillips were cast as Evan and Joan’s three very different sons who help Evan out with the building specs.
With cast and crew in place, the production could begin the simple task of building an ark to biblical specifications-all the while making sure that they created a ship that left all who saw it awestruck, seamlessly integrated thousands of CG animals into the zoo already on set and left no ecological footprint over the course of production. Easy.
“Ark Building for Dummies”: Rewriting the Manual
Early on during the writing process, Shadyac sat with Oedekerk, discussing the ark and what they envisioned for it. Little did they know that their preliminary research would set the foundation for one of the film’s most elaborate and jaw-dropping set pieces. The design and timing of the construction schedule of the ark set, complex to say the least, would become one of the biggest challenges for the company.
The Herculean task of designing and building a practical ark-both exterior and interior sets-rested with production designer Linda DeScenna, a close member of Shadyac’s team who has worked closely with the director on four previous films. Alongside art director Jim Nedza and a construction department of several hundred people-headed by veteran builder Dennis DeWaay-DeScenna’s art department rose to the challenge of not only conceptualizing and constructing several enormous structures, but doing so in a short amount of time to accommodate a shooting schedule built around Carell’s hiatus from his television series.
Armed with detailed research-including ancient Biblical specifications found in the Book of Genesis, both modern and dated equipment and a bit of movie magic-they constructed a vessel that attracted much attention from animals and humans alike. To design and build a set piece of such an immense scale and not rely entirely on computer-generated images was indeed an impressive sight-especially an ark that could dwarf the enormous creatures, such as elephants and giraffes, working alongside it.
The construction crew began preparing the site in the bucolic town of Crozet, Virginia, in January 2006. From laying the concrete foundation to building the eight 4,000-pound cedar-paneled steel ribs, the “sleeper” support beams, the keel-the main structural base that runs the full length of the ark-and the 59′-high carved-foam bow of the ark, they worked around the clock to have all the elements ready for filming in early April 2006.
The final rendering for the ark layout incorporated the original Biblical design and, surprisingly, elements from various children’s books that contained familiar images the cast and crew knew from their youth. Comments DeScenna: “Tom wants as much stage and as much of the real thing as he can get. It helps him and, in turn, it helps his actors.”
“It’s true,” remarks Shadyac with a nod. “I felt it was important for everyone, but especially for Steve, to stand there every day and think, `Oh, my God. What am I doing?’ The ark was impressive, and I wanted it to resonate with the actors and crew.”
Finding a practical location to mirror a detailed, plot-specific setting proved to be a fine coincidence for the filmmakers. A luxury housing development (in the midst of construction) nestled at the base of the stunning Shenandoah National Park would serve as home to the ark, as well as several other houses comprising the Baxters’ new suburban neighborhood in the fictitious town of Huntsville.
An added challenge to the process of working at the location was the delicate balance of a synchronized construction and filming schedule, which was all subject to the whims of Virginia’s notoriously mercurial weather.
Once the 250′ (W) X 260′ (L) X 8” (D) concrete base-the same thing engineers would use to build a runway at LAX for landing 747s upon-was laid into the Virginia countryside and covered in red clay soil, all phases of future ark construction would be dovetailed with the filming of the identical sequences over a six-week period. This resulted in a seamless ark-building schedule that complemented Evan’s journey and progress of shipbuilding.
The production schedule was mind-boggling. The company would film the actors at the ark during the day or relocate to another location while DeWaay’s crew worked throughout the night-or up to seven days in their absence-to build up the ark for their return. “It was a huge endeavor,” remarks DeWaay. “I’m happy that we are able to build something of this scale. With all the advancements in CGI, it’s almost unheard of today.”
Once the company arrived in Virginia to begin filming, all the elements needed to begin building the ark were in place and ready to be assembled like a massive 3-D jigsaw puzzle. Supporting DeScenna and DeWaay’s efforts was special effects supervisor Dan Sudick, who worked in tandem with the pair, particularly on the structural elements of the ark.
The steel-reinforced ribs of the ark, which anchor the structure, were the brainchild of Sudick. He was also an integral part in the development of an additional set piece that had the ark’s bow piece suspended in the air against a massive blue screen and affixed to a hydraulic gimbal. The gimbal was rocked side to side while those aboard (cast and stunt members alike) were doused with hundreds of gallons of water during one of the film’s pivotal scenes. The special effects team would come along later and add even more water to the shots.
Although the ark-with its final dimensions set at 80′ (W) X 60′ (H) and 275′ (L) [ultimately digitally extended to 450′ (L), the length of Noah’s Ark in the Bible]-was the highlight of the Virginia movie set, the Baxter family’s “McMansion” and the surrounding three houses on the street were conceptualized and built by the art department on the site of an existing upscale housing development. Often, it was difficult to discern where DeScenna’s handiwork ended and where the actual neighborhood began-especially for the thousands of people who made the weekend trek to view the local wonder, often not realizing they were on a film set until they saw the awe-inspiring vessel sitting on a hill.
Production returned to Los Angeles in late spring 2006 to complete the remainder of the shooting schedule on Universal Pictures’ back lot. The sets included all of the scenes set inside, as well as those shot on the bow of the ark. Hundreds more animals and background extras-wet down by sprinklers on a daily basis-would file onto soundstages to film their scenes on the enormous ship at Stage 27.
While cast and crew were filming in Los Angeles, the disassembly of the Virginia ark set commenced and was, surprisingly, completed within a week’s time. The removal of the concrete foundation, however, would take another week. But after months of shooting, nothing remained of the ark or the hundreds of people and animals who worked alongside it for months.
Visual Effects of the Production: Creating Water
While in days gone by, miniatures, rear projection and optical matting would provide a flood of biblical proportions on the silver screen, it was no longer feasible to bring movie audiences images that they could see through in an instant. To meet the specifications of the director and producers, Evan Almighty would need to break new ground (erm, water) in how it would render torrential waters onto an unsuspecting city.
In charge of the visual effects for the production was VFX supervisor Douglas Smith. Smith, the veteran filmmaker who cut his teeth on such seminal epics as Star Wars and Star Trek: The Motion Picture has recently brought his talents as VFX head on pictures from Independence Day and Dr. Doolittle 2 to Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat and The Longest Yard. It would require every trick in the book to bring Evan Almighty to life. Smith offers, “Evan was an ambitious task…and a huge technical challenge. Getting the audience to believe that this flood and the computer-generated animals were real required enormous effort and care on visual effects team’s part. I loved the fact that I got to help in re-telling of the story of Noah’s Ark.”
The San Francisco-based visual effects giant, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), was charged with working with Shadyac and Smith to create the flood that provides the breathtaking climax to the comedy. It would take an ILM crew of 80 people more than a year to develop just the water shots for the film.
All the elements of the production were carefully storyboarded, then roughly animated on computers through the process of previsualization (“pre-vis”). Once “pre-vised” scenes were agreed upon, the production team-including the director, production designer, director of photography, special effects coordinator and visual effects supervisor-analyzed the shots to decide what could be done practically and what had to be represented through visual effects.
For example, if Shadyac wanted to show a giant wave crashing against the side of the ark as it flowed down a body of water, a decision was made whether it was best (or even possible) to photograph the scene on location, or on set, with a partial section of the ark in front of a giant blue screen. In every case, the pre-vis process helped guide the choice of process, location and the CG wave sequences that followed.
According to ILM’s visual effects supervisor, Bill George, there were three stages mandatory to make Evan and his clan, their neighbors and the animals’ journey on the ark as seamless as possible. “Creating the water is a very long process that requires a lot of artistry and a high degree of technical skill,” George provides. “Once a background plate was shot, we did a match move-which is to re-create the movement of the camera in the computer-and that gave us a scene that we can work on.”
He continues, “Next was the fluid simulation: the computer takes component pieces, such as the ark and the trees, and you send virtual fluid through there. Then, the computer figures out how the fluid would flow around these objects in nature.” That would be a trial and error process for the filmmakers, because of the number of parameters to set for water, such as velocity, wind and gravity.
Once fluid simulation occurred, it was on to step three, the rendering stage, which would make the flat surface of the water on screen not so flat after all. As water has reflections, refractions, mist and waves, those component pieces all needed to be built in to make the images realistic. And they were built in separately. George says, “Our compositors had to control how bright the reflections on the water were, as that changes from scene to scene. So many pieces had to come together correctly for the flood to look like it was really happening.” Indeed, one shot alone could take 15-20 weeks to make it through all three stages. And that was just the tip of the iceberg.
In the style of old-school filmmaking, miniatures would also play an integral role. The randomness of nature couldn’t be denied; while digital technology allowed for the control of every drop of water in a painstaking process, the unpredictability of practical shots would add unexpected excitement to Evan’s journey in the flood.
The team shot for approximately three months alone with miniatures of the ark, trees, cars, etc… For example, in one particular scene, where a bulldozer is hit by a monstrous wave, a third-scale miniature was used in place of a CG dozer. Digital and practical shots would be mixed in to make it truly look like the construction apparatus was flipping through space and millions of gallons of water were splashing it during its journey.
Redefining Feathers and Fur
Billions of drops of water would not be the only items the special-effects teams would re-create for Evan Almighty. While the animal actors were relatively well behaved on set, many CG creatures needed to be created to give the film the breadth and scope required of a biblical comedy tale. And visual effects shop Rhythm & Hues Studios was responsible for multiplying them in the digital world, two by two by two by…
The effects studio created 300 pairs of the large-scale CG animals to help fill Evan’s ark, as well as 15 pairs of “hero” CG animals for close-up, brilliantly detailed shots. Though Noah had two of every species on his ship, it was necessary to duplicate some of Evan’s zoo to give the effect that every pair on Earth was represented in the background. This would result in creating more individual CG animals than any production had ever before for a film.
Rhythm and Hues Studio was responsible for the CG animals and compositing of some of the blue screen animals. In addition, because of the vast amount of animal shots and animal elements, another visual effects company, C.I.S. Hollywood, also contributed a large number of composites, involving hundreds and hundreds of blue screen animal elements.
In a particular backyard scene-handled by C.I.S. Hollywood-in which Evan is backed up to the woodpile by numerous creatures, the only animals that actually existed in the shot with Freeman and Carell were the horses and cows. All of the rest of the creatures were photographed on a blue screen stage, then “composited” onto the scene. In many other shots, those that couldn’t be brought to set were supplemented with CG animals. R&H would take the CG animals necessary to complete the background and carefully place them around the “live creatures” (photographed on a blue screen)-complete with perfect shadowing and blades of grass placed carefully around respective paws and hoofs-to complete the look.
For every shot in which Evan and the Baxter family were surrounded by animals, it would take camera crews of up to 40 people an extra three to four days of photography to get all the creatures-who were to appear seamlessly next to him-shot on blue screen. Then, R&H and C.I.S. would have to put those animals back, one by one, into the same scene with the human actors and spend weeks or months blending the two.
Having the animals prepare to “walk” onto the ark for the climactic ride would prove one of the most difficult scenes of all for the crew. Initially, members of the production team thought they could have live creatures with their trainers walk around, in a carefully controlled fashion, the open Virginia field. The trainers would be removed via computer, CG creatures would fill in the blanks and it would provide a seamless look. However, that would prove impossible to accomplish with so many animals.
It was much more feasible to film empty plates of the open field, then separately photograph the creatures, one by one, in relationship to a layout that had been determined by pre-vis or a storyboard. Once the background and layout were determined, animals would be brought into a blue screen room and photographed. They were then repositioned, added back into the field and finally shadowed; the visual effects crew would then move on to the next creature. In the final, painstaking step, CG animals were blended into the scene.
Animation supervisor Andy Arnett, veteran of such films as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Scooby-Doo, was one of the scores of animators brought onto the production to flawlessly blend real and fictional creatures. Arnett relates, “The research was extensive. It took six or seven months to perfect the look and feel of the animals before we had the first shot out the door.”
The animals R&H created were the ones that would be difficult to work with on set, creatures that would never be available or ones which the filmmakers needed to get a specific performance from- things animals would never do so on set in front of a camera crew. With motion libraries, the production house could provide customized performances for their animals, every time.
It was vital to build these motion libraries for each of the CG animals. If the filmmakers wanted a musk ox to look to the left vs. right or to sit vs. stand, CG proved a fine compromise. “We built these libraries to see how the animals would look and the many types of movements they would make,” remarks Arnett. “Then, we could place them into a scene and multiply them out to fill in the background. Whether it was walking or showing a head turn, we created a set of actions for every animal we had that we could fold into a scene.”
Birds would prove to be some of the more difficult animals to create-especially a dove that needed to fly in a very specific path-as were the animals with a good deal of flowing fur (think polar bears and musk oxen). During the climactic ark ride, only a few of the real animals could actually be positioned on a moving platform in front of a blue screen to help show reactions to the swaying ark motion in the flood. Once again, CG stepped in to add the amount and variety of animals necessary within the ark interior. The animators allowed realistic reactions from animals in their pens as the ark bumps into gigantic waves of water, and CG made it possible to get accurate movements from the pandas or the wildebeests that would be jostled about at a specific instant.
Ecological Almighty: How the Production Went Green
Attempting to modernize elements of a legendary biblical tale like that of Noah’s Ark necessitated a compelling, wide-reaching theme that would not trivialize a story cherished by many. The filmmakers felt an environmental theme was especially appropriate and strengthened the heart of the screenplay (and added to the humor). As the story took shape, Shadyac and the other producers made their own commitment to be environmentally conscious as they proceeded.
True to their word, the filmmakers accomplished their goal of being environmentally responsible citizens of the world. Working in conjunction with The Conservation Fund of Washington, D.C., the production “zeroed out” Evan Almighty carbon emissions-courtesy of planting 2,050 trees (ranging from hardwood species such as oak to cottonwood and willow trees). All were planted in the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Warsaw, Virginia, and the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge near Modesto, California.
Producer Bostick explains: “Given the movie’s environmental themes, we worked closely with The Conservation Fund to calculate our carbon emissions from what we used on the movie-whether from vehicles used or any of the construction equipment. Once our carbon emissions were calculated, we planted trees that will effectively zero out our climate-changing footprint left behind from the movie.”
“Our goal has always been to be a green film,” Shadyac continues. “We recycled during filming. Every piece of material-lumber, windows, door and window treatments, flooring, hardware, etc.-that was salvageable was recycled, repurposed and donated somewhere, as opposed to just throwing it into a landfill. We melted down the steel (from the ark’s steel infrastructure), sold it and then donated the money to Habitat for Humanity.”
Shadyac admits that creating a project of this magnitude is taxing to the Earth. But that wouldn’t stop a commitment to leveling the playing field. “Because you fly production planes to transport your crew, you try to zero that out by planting trees. The trees absorb carbon and release oxygen. Zeroing out kind of heals the damage.”
It was not only important to filmmakers to erase their footprint, but also to cast. Freeman thoughtfully adds to the discussion of planet preservation: “We are the new dinosaurs. And if we aren’t careful, we’re going to wind up just like the old ones did.”
Complementing the work with The Conservation Fund, green activities and efforts during the production of Evan Almighty included:
Donation of materials from landscaping (approximately 300 shrubs and trees) and lumber (including windows and shutters) to Habitat for Humanity.
Launch of the web site as the centerpiece to the film’s partnership with The Conservation Fund. Visitors are encouraged to “Go Zero” at the site, which features the “Almighty Forest”-an online destination where people can take real action (including buying and planting trees) to slow the effects of global warming.
Recycling paper, and using recycled paper (including what you are reading right now), plastic, aluminum and glass on set.
Use of two-sided scripts by cast and crew.
Gifts of bicycles to crew members by Tom Shadyac to reduce car usage during the shoot.
Planting trees near the site of the ark in Crozet, Virginia, as a thank you to the community.
Use of bottled water company HtoO (Hope to Others) water on the set. Founded by Shadyac, the company donates 100 percent of profits after taxes to charities around the world.
Turning Steve into Evan: Makeup and Costumes
When assembling the behind-the-scenes team, Shadyac, Bostick and Spyglass Entertainment producers Roger Birnbaum and Gary Barber and Original Film’s Neal H. Moritz turned to the talented group of creative individuals with whom they collaborated on previous projects, including Bruce Almighty.
The artisans included costume designer Judy Ruskin Howell and Academy Award®-winning special-effects makeup designer David Leroy Anderson (Cinderella Man) to the fold. It was Anderson who developed and interpreted the evolution of Evan Baxter into a modern-day Noah.
The designer created approximately seven different looks for Carell’s transformation-starting with the handsome, well-groomed professional ready to take on Capitol Hill and finishing with a longhaired, bearded man of the animals.
Anderson and his team toiled daily, taking an average of three hours to morph Carell into the different phases of Evan Baxter/”The Weirdo With a Beard-o.” The veteran special-effects makeup designer kept his sense of humor throughout arduous months of filming, giving each of Evan’s new looks such memorable names as “Mountain Man,” “Metrosexual” and “Unabomber,” among others.
The process of creating all of Evan’s beards was a painstaking one that had a three-person team placing individual hairs onto Carell’s face. Custom-made wigs completed the remarkable transformation that rendered the actor unrecognizable to some.
Says Shadyac, “Dave is an amazing artist. There was not a moment in the movie that I looked at Steve and said, `Oh, this isn’t real.’ It all looked absolutely real.”
Carell recalls of his time in the hair and makeup chair: “It always looked like something that was actually growing out of my face.” He slyly adds, “So, when I lose a little more hair in real life, I will be calling Dave to come over to my house every morning and apply a toupee for four hours, because I know it’ll look real.”
Completing Evan’s miraculous makeover, Carell donned several “ancient” robes to become the world’s most famous seafarer. As with any historical element for the comedy, research played an integral part in helping the team to craft together the iconic look of biblical character Noah.
Veteran costume designer Ruskin Howell designed the rough-hewn silk-burlap robes to look as authentic as possible, completing them with several functional touches to stand up to the punishments of the daily wear and tear of filming. Ruskin Howell conferred with textile experts, read up on her ancient history and aged fibers to achieve the proper patina and look for Carell’s multiple robes.
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Months of filming, hundreds of animals and an exhausted cast and crew later, principal photography on Evan Almighty was finally finished, and it was time for editing and VFX to work their magic in their respective bays. A weary but wiser Shadyac reflects on not only the comedy of his film, but the place where it comes from and why it was so important to make the latest in the Almighty series.
The director/producer concludes: “You can give all the charity dollars to all the habitats you want, but if you’re polluting the air for that family and the kids that will be in that house in the future, you’re not doing a good thing. I just started waking up. I was Evan. The journey of Evan is so much the journey of me. The guy grows a beard and has long hair by the end of the movie. Coincidence?”
Evan Almighty (2007)
Directed by: Tom Shadyac
Starring: Steve Carrell, Lauren Graham, Morgan Freeman, Jimmy Bennett, Johnny Simmons, John Goodman, Wanda Sykes, John Michael Higgins, Jonah Hill
Screenplay by: Steve Oedekerk
Production Design by: Linda DeScenna
Cinematography by: Ian Baker
Film Editing by: Scott Hill
Costume Design by: Judy Ruskin Howell
Set Decoration by: Ric McElvin
Art Direction by: James Nedza
Music by John Debney
MPAA Rating: PG for mild rude humor and some peril.
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Release Date: June 22, 2007
Visits: 73
