New Delhi, May 25 (UNI) 'Avengers: Infinity War' has already crossed the 500-million-dollar mark at the US Box Office, while becoming India’s highest grossing Hollywood film.

But what most people don’t know is that this dazzling movie has a strong India connection as well.

Applauded for its breathtaking visual effects and storytelling full of vivid characters, the film showcases some stunning 3D imagery, and that’s where the India connection comes alive.

The stereo conversion (or what is commonly known as 2D to 3D) of 'Avengers: Infinity War' was undertaken in Pune, where more than 800 artists were involved along with production staff, editorial team and all support teams of Deluxe India.

“As the lead 3D team, we completed 110 minutes of this movie, which took approximately 5 months to finish. We worked in concert with Deluxe’s Stereo D teams in Burbank and Toronto which was an added advantage in creating a timely finish on this memorable project,” says Tanmoy Gupta, Creative Supervisor at Deluxe India Pune.

“Stereo conversion involves three major steps which are Rotoscopy, Depth and Paint which successfully creates the overall 3D effect while maintaining natural shape of the characters without distorting their original look,” said Gupta.

The film reunites a battalion of Marvel superheroes including Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Black Widow, Captain America, Thor, Black Panther, Hulk and Spider-Man etc, who come together to save the universe from the powerful Thanos.

“Facing a demanding production schedule, our teams worked hard together, led by Marvel’s senior 3D team headed by Evan Jacobs and John Goldsmith, along with our Burbank-based stereographer Emma Webb, who knew exactly what the client expected from us and made certain we delivered,' he said.

Prafull Gade, Managing Director of Deluxe India says, “Stereo conversion involves a lot of skilled manpower including Supervisors, Leads, Production Coordinators and Artists, etc. Many departments must work in sync to generate the gorgeous imagery that our clients have come to expect from us. The artists here are the frontline and they are the ones who initiate the process of conversion. They are assisted by the Supervisors, Leads, and Production Coordinators as the progression of each team’s work contributes to the 3D imagery on over 150 thousand frames of footage.”

“It calls for an extra-ordinary team work where thousands of artists sitting on opposite ends of the earth are coordinating with each other on a single project. Our teams have daily online sessions receiving live feeds to review our work with the client and stereographers, which provides a direct link with the client’s specifications for the project,” added Gade.

“Our brief was for a specific look and feel beyond simply cinematic. They wanted the superheroes to be overstated, and look natural but really powerful,” says Gupta.

“Deluxe India is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and have had the privilege to work on some of the best Hollywood movies. The company prides itself on its focus on career development, while providing opportunities to work on movies like: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story; Blade Runner 2049; Black Panther; Avengers: Infinity War; among many others. Feature stereography, vfx, and animation are all great professional paths to follow and we provide those services and more,” said Gade.

'We have been especially proud to see young talent grow and flourish in this exciting new environment as part of Deluxe – a worldwide brand that has served the entertainment industry for over 100 years,' he said.

UNI PY ADG 1942