{"id":959,"date":"2013-02-26T18:44:25","date_gmt":"2013-02-26T18:44:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vfxpdx.com\/?p=959"},"modified":"2014-04-03T17:25:52","modified_gmt":"2014-04-03T17:25:52","slug":"office-space-chel-whites-forest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.vfxpdx.com\/?p=959","title":{"rendered":"Office Space: Chel White’s Forest"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Chel<\/a>

Chel White’s “natural habitat”<\/p><\/div>\n

On anyone’s first day on the job at Bent Image Lab, there’s this inevitable neck snap of a double take that happens as they are shown around and walk by Chel White’s office for the first time.\u00a0 Sometimes there’s a sound that accompanies this action – but this is no kung-fu\u00a0 soundtrack…\u00a0 this is the much more low key true-to-life sound you hear when you see something unexpectedly awe inspiring.\u00a0 Sometimes the whoosh has a “wha?” attached.\u00a0 Sometimes it’s more of a “gah.”\u00a0 Other times it’s merely the sound of the lower lip separating from the upper as the jaw drops wide open.<\/p>\n

Welcome to Chel White’s forest – an office honed to Pacific Northwest perfection over many years spent directing and supervising independent features, commercials, music videos and other creative endeavors at Bent.<\/p>\n

I like a good challenge as much as the next guy, but I’ll admit trying to put what Chel has created here into words will be a tall order.\u00a0 Let’s try this – it’s a bit voyeuristic but here’s a panorama I snapped and stitched that puts you in the center of the room.\u00a0 Click & drag below, have a look around!<\/p>\n

[pano file=”\/panoramas\/QTVR_chelwhite.mov”]
\n<\/p>\n

Can you feel it?\u00a0 It’s a kind of calming effect.\u00a0 That same feeling you get when you’re fully enclosed in Forest Park and see the buildings of the city melt away as you ascend up into the redwoods, sequoias and pines.\u00a0 It took me a while to catch myself doing it, but each time I walk into Chel’s office I almost subconsciously take a deep breath as if there was fresh forest air waiting for me inside.\u00a0 Yes, I’m being completely serious – this scene he’s created…\u00a0 it gets me every time.<\/p>\n

\"mirror\"<\/a>I guess it’s no different from a breath you might take when you’re about to tee off at the first hole of the frisbee golf course at Pier Park amongst the trees, or when you take that first step onto, say, one of the more manicured college campuses around here – maybe Reed College down in Woodstock, NoPo’s U of Portland, or Pacific out in Forest Grove.\u00a0 Or maybe you’re hiking up that trail to the top of Multnomah Falls.\u00a0 Depending on how long you’ve lived here, you may not quite have put your finger on it yet, but you most definitely know it;\u00a0 it’s that impossible to define “forest feeling.”\u00a0 For some of us it’s half the reason we live in the NW in the first place.<\/p>\n

But let’s not kid ourselves, this is an office space that lies within the heart of Bent Image Lab.\u00a0 There’s work to be done — a mountain of it!<\/p>\n

And make no mistake – lots of intense, amazing work does flow through this office in particular.\u00a0 But thankfully (for our sake), the calming effect makes it a much-needed eye of the hurricane.\u00a0 You step out of Chel’s door and it’s chaos at 24 frames per second (ok, sometimes 30).\u00a0 But step inside and close the door, and you might be safe if not just for a moment.<\/p>\n

Continued on page 2<\/a>
\n
\nBy design, a lot<\/em><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0of client and conference calls happen in Chel’s office.\u00a0 The trees have that magical way of taking the edge off, and letting us all think more clearly within the friendly confines.<\/p>\n

\"lounge\"<\/a>I remember conference calls with director Dustin Lance Black<\/a> (you know him as the writer behind Milk<\/em>, J. Edgar<\/em>, etc) during VFX and title sequence <\/a>work on 2009′s<\/em> Gus Van Sant-produced Virginia<\/em><\/a>, all of which were calls we took <\/em>in Chel’s office.\u00a0 It was Black’s directorial debut and, as it was based loosely around events pulled from his life, he was very exacting with the realism he wanted.\u00a0 To the point where they had us digitally repainting a theme park ferris wheel to match how it was painted at the time set in the film.\u00a0 This is attention to detail that occasionally comes along, but it’d been a while since I’d heard of a director being so gung ho – maybe not since reading reports of how David Fincher flew in giant oak trees<\/a> by helicopter so that parts of Zodiak’s<\/em> San Francisco & Oakland looked more true to the historical photographs taken in the 1970’s that documented the real story and police reports.\u00a0 So as you can imagine, with such high requirements for Virginia<\/em>, there was a certain level of stress to be expected by Black and his team on the other end of the phone…\u00a0 but regardless of stress level, I for one would look forward to those conference calls each day.\u00a0 You couldn’t ignore the calming transformation as we all funneled into Chel’s office.\u00a0 No matter how rough the morning was going or how low someone’s mood might be – as soon as we stepped through that door, shoulders relaxed.\u00a0 Voices got quieter.\u00a0 There’s those deep breaths.\u00a0 You sat down, got comfortable, had a quick laugh or two before prepping for the call.<\/p>\n

\"Welcome<\/a>

Deer hiding in the leaves<\/p><\/div>\n

That’s an example of the effect this room can and does have every day.\u00a0 On everyone.\u00a0 Ok, out with it already — this space is special to me in that it made me a believer in the power of a well designed office.\u00a0 This was the one that finally showed me what all the fuss and hard work (and\u00a0design<\/em>) that must go into setting up a space like this is about.<\/p>\n

I’d worked in plenty of nice rooms, sure – NYC Flame suites decked out in designer leather furniture, sprawling custom wood desks that wrapped around the operator and had giant broadcast monitors carved out.\u00a0 Let’s not forget the stocked mini bar in the corner, or the requisite morning muffin tray.\u00a0 Halfway around the world, let’s talk about Peter Jackson’s Park Road post house down in New Zealand, with it’s California styling done up in pure NZ Rimu and Manuka, and seemingly endless room upon room of Persian rugs.\u00a0 However, to this point in my career, I’d almost written those types of spaces off – scoffing at how we could be doing the work in a barn and it’d all end up the same (and in the case of Weta’s Compositing “barn,” that’s not far from the truth).\u00a0 I’d laugh at how they’d “wasted all that money” just to impress clients, money that could have given us a raise or better desks.\u00a0 \"tree_shelf\"<\/a>Chel’s office finally cut through this noise, and I think that might be the fundamental difference – clients have nothing to do with this space.\u00a0 He’s not trying to impress anyone, nor is he concerned with any outside influences.\u00a0 This office was designed by<\/em> Chel for<\/em> Chel.\u00a0 I get the feeling that even if Bent were to blow up and become some megalo-animation company where the partners were millionaires several times over, that this office would remain exactly as it is now.\u00a0 This is the space that inspires him to do his best work…\u00a0\u00a0 and it’s infectious.<\/p>\n

Chel describes the formative concept:\u00a0 “When we moved into the building that is now the Bent studio, I was free to pretty much do anything I wanted, so I created a place where I felt like I could spend a lot of time; where I could somehow get lost but still be present. \u00a0I like the effect that the walls seems to fall away and the line between indoors and outdoors is blurred. \u00a0I also like the 1970’s vibe that the wall murals exude. \u00a0But above all,\u00a0my primary motivation was to create a calming space. \u00a0There is a baked-in tension in the film biz, so I was trying to offset that.”<\/p>\n

These days in the studio\/post house world, there’s almost something generic about a nice space done up to “client specs.”\u00a0 In the same way that it seems absolutely every house on the market has granite countertops in the kitchen.\u00a0 Right?\u00a0 It’s like, yeah, that’s what’s hot at the moment, and they’re nice and all…\u00a0 but where’s the personality?\u00a0 Where’s the character?<\/p>\n

\"lamp\"<\/a>In Chel’s office, there’s nothing BUT character and personality.\u00a0 It’s unique but without taking it so far that it becomes pretentious.\u00a0 Homey and unrefined in all the right places.\u00a0 And most importantly, it reflects him well.\u00a0 It’s just so damn Chel.<\/em>\u00a0 And Bent!\u00a0 And why not go all the way with it – it’s so Oregon!<\/p>\n

Bent beautifully reeks of Oregon pride like no other shop I’ve seen in Portland.\u00a0 It’s not the obvious things, like working on Grimm<\/a> or Portlandia<\/a>, or the locally shot and home grown commercials and long form content that they’re constantly filming around town.\u00a0 Yeah yeah yeah, that’s got Oregon all over it by way of osmosis, but we get that for free.\u00a0 No, what I’m getting at is the subtle things that surface from time to time that extrovert a proud little nod to Portland.\u00a0 Instead of how some companies like to sweep their zip code under the rug and make nearly no mention of it on a website or press release – I can only assume because they’re trying to come off as more LA or NYC, as if that’s some sort of a requirement or competitive edge.\u00a0 It’s like the freelancers who still keep their LA phone number even though they’ve lived here for 3 years or more…\u00a0\u00a0 please!<\/p>\n

>> on to page 3<\/a>
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Little things.\u00a0 Like that Chel-designed version of the Bent logo that surfaced last year, with the cross section of the tree stump.<\/p>\n

\"Unofficial<\/a>

Bent “Tree Stump” Logo variant<\/p><\/div>\n

They don’t call it Stumptown for nothin’.\u00a0 What else…\u00a0 how about the company’s summer kickball games at the park – Recess Time<\/a> anyone?\u00a0 Chel & co’s hilarious Portland Santa Christmas card<\/a> (worth a click if you missed it) that came out this past year.\u00a0 Speaking of Xmas, this year’s Bent Christmas party was held up in the hills at the Forestry Center<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0 Last year, the venue was The Woods<\/a> concert hall in Sellwood, which (when open) was an amazing space; an earthy funeral parlor converted to host bands.\u00a0 The Woods also makes an appearance as the scene for the recent Chel directed Bird of Flames<\/em><\/a> music video.\u00a0 That’s all just off the top of my head – there are probably a thousand other examples of how Bent embraces the town and the surroundings – and I for one have noticed that word is getting out.\u00a0 When the studio is name dropped on Motionographer<\/a> and the like, it’s no longer just “Bent Image Lab.”\u00a0 It’s fast becoming “Bent Image Lab, in Portland.”\u00a0 Believe it.<\/p>\n

When I first moved to Portland, roundabout 2008, my friend and NYC Superproducer Boo Wong had told me to watch out for Chel and Bent, as she had direct exposure back in her Curious Pictures days.\u00a0 As a side note, that was also about the time I discovered the voodoo technique called Stratacut<\/a> that Bent partner David Daniels<\/a> put on the map.\u00a0 Yes, Boo, thanks for the warning… \u00a0 and also for melting my brain – I’m still recovering from that first Stratacut<\/a> exposure.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

\"Speaking<\/a>

Speaking of stumps… Chel’s bookshelf<\/p><\/div>\n

As my time here has played out, needless to say I jumped at the chance to work with Bent and I’ve been fortunate enough to work directly with Chel numerous times now.\u00a0 He’s been the top of the stack as Director or VFX Supervisor on several projects that I’ve been Lead Compositor on.\u00a0 Chel is a meticulous image creator, and his deep roots in independent film and stop motion contribute to his artistic style.<\/p>\n

In Director mode, Chel has a knack for pushing boundaries as far as he needs to and relentlessly looking to add every ounce of creativity that he can to a project.\u00a0 Sometimes I’d be a bit late to set because I was parking the car or whatever, and I’d come in and give Chel a token hello while the crew is still setting up for the shoot.\u00a0 But even as Chel is going through the motions and saying hello as people arrive during setup, you can just tell his eyes are darting back to the set that’s being constructed.\u00a0 Surveying.\u00a0 The camera might be hours from rolling, but his mind is already examining every camera angle, every lens possibility…\u00a0 deconstructing what will make the best shots now that it’s being built here in front of him.\u00a0 And – it never fails – even though it might be a stop motion or pixilation<\/a> shoot, where typically all of the shots have been boarded and animatic’d out and the client’s signed off on everything to the point that it’s all prebaked and all we have to do is get the shots executed as planned – Chel will still manage to come up with a new shot or two in there, spur of the moment.\u00a0 And more often than not, those extra shots of his make it through to the final piece and end up being the difference that brings it all home.<\/p>\n

I have a lot of respect for Chel as an artist, as just about anyone who’s ever seen him in action (and the end results of those actions) does.\u00a0 I’ve seen him at the extremes – I’ve seen the man single handedly stop motion animate a full size washer and dryer<\/a>.\u00a0 But on the flip side, on a recent pitch I’ve also seen him animate a train that was the size of his thumb through a miniature snowy alpine scene, where the house and background couldn’t have been larger than a fist.\u00a0 Every day is a new challenge at Bent, but Chel is undeniably Bent’s rock – you know what to expect:\u00a0 always an even keel and able to take just about anything in stride, with a smile that commands respect.<\/p>\n

As an occasional VFX Supervisor, I’ll pull out the word meticulous<\/em> again when describing Chel’s technique.\u00a0 He isn’t a technical “on-the-box” type of supervisor who’s going to open up 3D or Compositing software and tell you what steps to take, but at the same time he’s very proactive, hands on with the reviewing process, and knows what it takes to get a shot out the door.\u00a0 Overall, we all know that Chel makes a great goalie and isn’t going to let an image out of his sight that isn’t up to Bent standards.\u00a0 Conceptually, he always is on point and has great ideas, and has a gentle way of delivering notes and constructive feedback negativity-free.\u00a0 This mutual respect and attitude makes it easy for us as worker bees to want to work hard for him.\u00a0 He demands a similar rapport from clients\/directors who are usually familiar with his catalog of work – and this is incredibly valuable when trying to sell a tough shot.\u00a0 If it’s good enough for Chel, that carries some weight out there.<\/p>\n

You can tell when Chel is about to final a shot, and it’s an interesting reflection of the type of artist that he is.\u00a0 I’ve worked with some of the best, and most of them have their “tell,” to borrow a term from the poker world.\u00a0 You can sense when a shot is getting close to done with Ken Ralston<\/a>, as he’ll ask to see the shot in the cut (with the surrounding before and after shots) as a final check.\u00a0 Joe Letteri<\/a> would sometimes flop the shot, and check it reversed before calling it good.\u00a0 Amazing what things will stick out when you just look at the shot from a fresh angle.\u00a0 Jim Rygiel<\/a> had a good tag line he’d say each time when putting a shot down and baking it out into film history forever – “shoot it!<\/strong>”\u00a0 – although granted that was back in the days of printing to film as a final step after digital dailies and we’d print to film, loop, and project a shot after it was finaled.\u00a0 When Chel White is about the final a big shot, he’ll often take over the dailies machine and step through it frame by frame, arrow key on the keyboard style.\u00a0 Click click click…\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 and when he first did this to me, I’ll admit I was taken aback. Intimidated, even!\u00a0 I couldn’t help but think to myself “wow, this is going to be a long project if we’re going to go through them at the frame by frame level!”\u00a0 But the more we got into it, the more I found that he’s not looking for gremlins at that point – those have already been squashed.\u00a0 Chel gets it – I mean, he knows the shot plays at speed and we don’t have to be infinitely accurate to the nth degree or worry about people pausing their Tivos & DVDs on any given frame.\u00a0 But as a final check, he just likes to step through the shot.\u00a0 And sure he reserves the right to still flag anything last minute that sticks out, yeah… \u00a0 but I think in many ways he steps through, he’s just admiring the image we all created.\u00a0 The movement and animation of it as the frames ebb and flow.\u00a0 It’s not only approval, it’s appreciation!\u00a0\u00a0 Appreciation the way only an artist with Chel’s eye and experience can.<\/p>\n

>>on to page 4<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

\"hamms\"<\/a>And it’s this vast experience that pours into that office.\u00a0 Every item on the shelves has a story.\u00a0 Let’s make the rounds and call some out:\u00a0 the flickering neon “Lounge” sign?\u00a0 “…a favorite prop from a Coors campaign I directed in the mid-90s,” Chel says.\u00a0 “It was adding on to a preexisting sign that read ‘Royal Hotel.’\u00a0 I like the sign itself but I also really like the green-yellow light it creates in the room when it’s on.”<\/p>\n

The miniature Hamm’s beer diorama? Gotta be a story behind that one!\u00a0 “I found that in a vintage shop on Hawthorne Boulevard here in Portland,” sites Chel.\u00a0 And true, Bent is dangerously close to the Hawthorne strip and it’s magnificent vintage scene.\u00a0 “It doesn’t happen very often but it was one of those things that\u00a0as soon as I saw it\u00a0I told myself I had to have it. \u00a0It set me back $300. \u00a0There’s so much I love about it. \u00a0Part of it is the vintage 1960’s era forest and lake image,\u00a0part of it is the funny ‘Western Prices,’ which I think was a euphemism for cheap beer,\u00a0and part of it is the fact that it animates with a flickering night sky that turns into a constellation of pilsner glasses, then back to flickering stars.”\u00a0 Later, Chel admitted, “the thing that gives me the most pleasure, the thing that puts a smile on my face, is the animated Hamm’s sign.”<\/p>\n

VFX\/PDX:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span> The deer antler mirror? (second photo from top)<\/p>\n

Chel:<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 “That antler mirror is just something I found that seemed to fit the mood of the space, and it seemed appropriate to have it attached to a tree. \u00a0In general I like to have a mirror somewhere in a room. \u00a0It’s like a window into another world.”<\/p>\n

VFX\/PDX:<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong> Deer are a recurring theme throughout the office, and I have to ask about the deer “puppets” (for lack of a better word) at the base of your desk? (photo above)<\/p>\n

Chel:<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 “The deer masks were made here at Bent. \u00a0My obsession with deer goes back to when I was a kid and I collected beer cans. \u00a0My favorite can was a brand called Schell’s and it had a head of a stag on it. \u00a0I also remember the Coleman sleeping bags we had when I was a kid. \u00a0The linings were hunting scenes with lots of deer. \u00a0I guess a lot of what I’m attracted to comes from images I remember being inspired by as a child.”<\/p>\n

VFX\/PDX:<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 Ha – “Schell’s Beer!<\/a>”\u00a0 That’s hilarious – your friends must have had fun with that one!\u00a0 And I’m sure your parents even had to chuckle, too (if they ever saw your can collection).\u00a0 This is fun – I didn’t expect this to turn into an impromptu interview, yet here we are!\u00a0 Let’s keep it going!\u00a0 I should ask about your recent film, Bucksville<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>since the poster is right there. \u00a0<\/em>Any artifacts from the film around the office?<\/p>\n

Chel:<\/span>\u00a0 “<\/strong>At this point the only direct references to my film are the poster and some wooden letters scattered here and there that were used for the opening title. \u00a0The film is about a secret militia in a small, wooded town. \u00a0There’s an eerie darkness in the fact that they use the woods as their sanctuary for the ethically-motivated assassinations they carry out. \u00a0There is a nice juxtaposition with the woods being\u00a0both\u00a0beautiful and sinister. \u00a0Good stuff for movies but for my office I opted more for tranquility.”<\/p>\n