DVDFanatic.com takes a trip to the ILM to get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Van Helsing DVD!

Article By Sean Chavel

Universal Pictures has announced their upcoming DVD release of Van Helsing will get an unprecedented 3-disc presentation featuring loads of behind-the-scenes exclusives. It is apparent that this DVD treatment will contain features that have never been done before for a home video release.

In theaters, Van Helsing was a funhouse of a movie with non-stop action and special effects galore. For some audiences, it didn't allow them enough time to breathe let alone sigh. The DVD will nevertheless put fans of the film in a mode of full throttle excitement. For those unfamiliar with the film, Van Helsing takes place in the make-believe universe of Transylvania where Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man and other classic Universal monsters are resurrected to appear in the same film for the first time. Hugh Jackman (X-Men) plays the title character, a monster hunter who slays beasts, and Kate Beckinsale (Underworld) plays a vampire slayer who joins Van Helsing on his quest.

The action in the film is propulsive and unceasing – it's no wonder that the film contained an unparalleled number of special effects shots. "There was about 50 total minutes, which is almost half the movie that dealt with visual effects," said Douglas Griffin, motion capture engineer at Industrial Light & Magic. Griffin comments that in order to integrate the actors into the film universe, it required tailor-made blue suits with wires that could lift the actors into the air to mimic flying movements. This hybrid approach is a big advance in special effects: it means that the director (in this case Stephen Sommers) can direct the actors’ movements in more concise and measured movements.

“Even though we had individual actors’ performances, we could manipulate them within this huge set. We could add on posture changes and change the animation if we wanted to meet our specifications,” said Griffin. This is a transition in the blue screen process. The director has greater freedom to capture an actor on film with more optional angles, and be photographed at different profiles to meet the requirements of the action of the film. Griffin observes that the techocrane swing camera is a crucial technical advance that allows characters to fly on film in more dynamic ways.

This procedure doesn't mean it makes filmmaking time-saving, since the process still requires a lot of work. “You can't measure it by hours, you have to measure it by weeks,” Griffin said. “It takes on average about three weeks to get five or six seconds of film.” There is an excessive task at hand in designing the film environment and designing the characters as well. “The hardest thing is that there are so many creatures with all their unique features, and they need their unique distinguishable qualities,” said Ben Snow, a visual effects supervisor who has been Oscar-nominated twice for best achievement in visual effects for Pearl Harbor and Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones. “The film for us was a particular challenge because we had seven different creatures we had to bring to the screen. We had a team of about 325 people, which is high even for ordinary standards.”

Now that the DVD has arrived, its behind-the-scenes specials can reveal in-depth and in-detail the making of this very effects-heavy film. Best of all, the DVD is interactive in ways that truly define interactive. For collectors that are big on bells and whistles, Van Helsing has to be seen to be believed. In a feature called “Explore Dracula's Castle,” the viewer can navigate through a 360 degree self-guided tour to uncover the mysterious habitat of one of the most durable villains in screen history. Another interactive bit is “Explore Frankenstein's Lab,” which allows the same 360 degree self-guided tour around beakers, electrodes and other cool stuff in the madman's laboratory. The DVD also places the viewer in the movie (!) in a feature that uses miniature cameras from the set that give the actors/viewers’ perspective on a filming a scene.

The DVD is loaded with much, much more. Extras include visual conceptions and sketches of how the creatures came to life; a dissertation of Van Helsing’s appearances throughout film history; mini-documentaries on ILM effects, blue screen work and the hybrid technique which is an important innovation in the world of special effects; feature commentaries; samples of time-lapse photography and analysis of the spectacular opening sequence of the film; monster maps that trace the creatures to their ancient origins. Traditional outtakes will also be available.

The Van Helsing DVD is looking to go beyond the usual standards of entertainment. Video game fanatics can enter their DVD into their Xbox video game console and play the first level of the video game which is available in stores. This is a first-time experiment to market a video game by letting viewers to test it at home first before they purchase the game. No word yet on PlayStation compatibility.

Since there is such a great concentration on the creation of the groundbreaking special effects, enthusiasts of computer animation and thrill-seekers in general are going to want to check out this DVD. There have been DVDs in the past that have put the audience inside the film, but never this inside. This kind of DVD packaging is a madman's delight. There could be three reasons why Universal Pictures has done such painstaking work with the DVD extras. Either they are trying to impress Academy members to vote Van Helsing for this year's best visual effects award, they want to inform audiences on the current achievements being realized at ILM, or they want to insure the consumer will be satisfied messing around on the DVD for endless hours. When 20th Century Fox released the nine-disc Alien Quadrilogy last fall, the DVD packaging boasted “Over 70 hours of extras.” Van Helsing may not quite have that many hours (unless you're playing the video game on and on forever), but it leaves one to wonder how long it will be until a studio packages over a hundred hours of extras. That is a feat at this rate that could be right around the corner.

This Ultimate Collector's Edition DVD will be priced at $29.98 and will hit shelves on October 19th.