I created previsualization animation for several major sequences in Salt. The film was not based on a book or other pre-existing property and the director, Phillip Noyce, had a lot of freedom to craft the story. Phillip worked with our team in previs to experiment with story options and push every moment in the film to be as unexpected and exciting as possible. Two sequences that I supervised and edited are presented above, along with an analysis of one of them by film critic Jim Emerson from the Chicago Sun-Times.


What is previsualization animation?
We build virtual characters, sets and cameras to scale, with lenses that match the cinematographer's kit. I work with the director to block in the actions, design camera moves and cut together an edit. We are able to experiment creatively before the crew walks on set. The "previs" becomes a foundation for the sequence that the director can build on through the rest of the filmmaking process.