VFX providers for 'Tenet' to set up studio in Bengaluru

Christopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet’ won the Oscars this time for its stunning visual effects. DNEG, the film’s VFX provider, is setting up a studio in Bengaluru.

‘Tenet’, a trademark Nolan mind-bending sci-fi thriller, involved concepts like reverse entropy and time inversion. The London-based VFX company, which previously worked in Nolan blockbusters like ‘Interstellar’ and ‘Inception’, finely complemented the director’s complex ideas to win at the 93rd Academy Awards.

Talking about the company’s plans in Bengaluru, Merzin Tavaria, president, Global Production and Operations, DNEG, says, “Being an IT hub, the city is a breeding ground for upcoming talent in the tech space. At the moment, we are looking at a medium-scaled setup. Upscaling will depend on the response and demand from the upcoming projects.”

The company is currently busy with several international projects. “The Bengaluru team will join the larger DNEG family to help deliver high-end VFX and animation services for our upcoming films and shows,” he offers. DNEG also has teams in Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad.

‘Tenet’ experience

Attention to detail was key while working for ‘Tenet’, notes Merzin. “Nolan’s every new work is unlike anything he has made before. It’s the novelty factor that pushes us to give our best. With scenes shot in reverse due to the time-travelling concept in the film, there was no margin for error,” he adds.

Merzin says the Oscars wasn’t a surprise. “Having worked with a realist auteur like Nolan, whose scope of work needs no introduction, we were expecting the award. He is a visionary who challenges us at every single step. We have to always match his level of commitment,” he says.

DNEG is working on ‘The Matrix 4’, ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ and ‘Uncharted’. As far as OTT shows are concerned, they will be providing VFX for ‘The Wheel of Time’ and ‘Slumberland’. ‘Under The Boardwalk’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’ are their next feature animation projects.